An Offer We Couldn't Refuse

Our Ship Baltic Queen

An email from the Tallink Cruise Lines appeared in Helen’s inbox with an offer we could not refuse.  Last August we took a weekend cruise with this Baltic cruise line to Riga, Latvia.  We moved to Sweden, in part, to see the sights, so we did not hesitate in booking a weekend cruise to Tallinn, Estonia.  We also included a 2.5 hour English language tour of Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in our tour package.

Helen in Snowy Tallinn

Our evening cruise across the ice-choked Baltic Sea on the Baltic Queen was uneventful.  We reached Tallinn a few hours before our scheduled guided tour, so with adventure in our hearts and tightly wrapped scarves about our necks, we headed out into the ice and snow to Old Town, looking for the Tallinn City Museum.

City Museum Building

Old Thomas

The city museum is a former medieval merchant’s house with exhibits encompassing the town’s history from its very beginning to present day. There were film chronicles and videos, mannequins and models, and portraits of formerly reigning monarchs, including Swedes, Danes and Russians.  The museum also contained the original Old Thomas, a weather vane that sat atop city hall and was declared the town symbol in 1530. 

Despite February being wayyy off season the cruise ship was full.  We were surprised, however, to find that we were the only passengers who had signed up for the Old Town tour.  An Australian couple had also signed up, but they were “no shows,” so we had a private bus and walking tour of upper and lower Tallinn and the surrounding area.

Old City Gate Towers

Tallinn is one of those old, walled European cities with a rich history which we never learned about in school.  Absent any prior knowledge, we absorbed our tour guide’s narration.  She passed on what we think was “urban lore” that people lived in the area as far back as 11,000 years ago. Archeologists have confirmed settlements dating back to 3,000 BC.  Her stories of the dominance of Swedes, Danes, Germans and Russians rang true based on the thick stone walls and towers that were left behind. 

European interests in Tallinn moved into high gear in the 1200’s during the Baltic Crusades. At that time Swedish, Danish and German Christian kings engaged in warfare against pagan people in the area. The Protestant Reformation displaced Catholicism with Lutheranism.  By 1561 Tallinn, which means “Danish city,” settled in to being a dominion of Sweden. 

In 1710, Peter the Great included Tallinn in his collection of Baltic ports.  Russians held dominance until 1918 when the Bolsheviks retired Nicholas, the last Russian Tsar.  This dethroning allowed Estonia’s first independence that lasted 22 years, until the Russians returned in 1944. The turmoil in the post-perestroika era of the USSR again opened the door for Estonian independence in 1991. Estonians now celebrate two independence days!

Band Shell at Song Festival Grounds

Snowtubing Signage

We drove through the newer part of town, past the Parliament that overlooks a beautiful park and the harbor, then on to Song Festival Grounds.  The band shell on the festival grounds can host 30,000 singers for lawn crowds up to 100,000 people.  Crowds have gathered for Michael Jackson, Madonna, The Rolling Stones and Metallica. The biggest crowd, estimated at 300,000 people, gathered for a political rally during the turbulent days leading to Estonia's recent independence. On the wintery day we visited, only families with laughing children gathered to enjoy snow tubing.

Old Town Vista

Pharmacy in continuous existence for 570 years

On our walking tour, we enjoyed vistas of this charming town of 400,000.  A visit to the largest town square in Estonia brought us to a pharmacy established in 1442, 50 years before Columbus sailed across the Atlantic to the new world. Our American sense of history remains challenged as we witness a European continuity that measures time in centuries. 

The tour ended in Old Town.  It was cold and we were hungry.  This may be a town of centuries-old history, but the nearby McDonalds was perfect for a quick lunch. 

Traditional Russian Appetizer

Back on the Baltic Queen we warmed up then had dinner at a wonderful Russian restaurant.  A traditional Russian appetizer served with honey, sour cream and sour pickles started the meal.  Such are the things we do when the call of adventure is heard.