Scenic Sunday: A view of Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn, Estonia    Image: Visit Estonia

Yesterday I returned from a week in Estonia and Latvia, two beautiful countries replete with verdant forests, cobbled medieval towns and miles of untouched coastline.  

During these long summer days (dark didn't fall until 10 PM at night) we had plenty of time to spend outdoors.

One of my favorite experiences in Tallinn, Estonia's capital, was a bike journey through the city's cobbled streets, where we meandered along ancient roadways, ducked beneath crumbling stone archways and admired the town's pastel-colored churches. Along the way, we peeked in shop windows decorated with brightly colored Estonian handcrafts.

Tallinn's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Here you can see us as we stopped outside the city gates to admire the view.

At Tallinn's port, we rode by the Tallink ferries, which carry passengers daily to nearby Helsinki and Stockholm, Finland. 

We then visited Tallinn's song festival grounds, where the main gatherings of Estonia's national song festivals take place. 

As our guide told us about the significance of these events to the people of Estonia, it became clear how important music is to the people of Estonia.

In September of 1988, it is said 300,000 people squeezed into this place which has a capacity for 150,000.  There, they publically and peacefully demanded the restoration of independence by singing patriotic and national songs.

Now dubbed the "Singing Revolution," this was the first public demand for independence from Soviet occupation, which came four years later in August, 1991.

 

 

Some books I used to help me research this trip:

• Lonely Planet Estonia Latvia & Lithuania (Multi Country Travel Guide)
• Estonia, 6th (Bradt Travel Guide Estonia)
• Best of Tallinn (Globetrotter Best of Series)Best of Riga (Globetrotter Best of Series)

Useful websites for travel in Estonia & Latvia

• Estonia & Latvia websites

 

Comments

[Melody]

Thanks, Pete! Ireland sounds fantastic, especially for two months! I hope you have a wonderful trip, and that you get a chance to visit Estonia and Latvia as well.

[Pete]

I can't wait to get to this part of Europe. We are heading to Ireland for 2 months in July and then our plans are wide open to explore. Thanks for sharing ;)