We headed off this morning to discover Tallinn in earnest. First stop was the Tourist Information Office to pick up our Tallinn Card, then a full day exploring the beautiful Old Town of Tallinn, both Upper and Lower: the Town Hall, first constructed in the 14th century; several churches, some also dating from the 14th or 15th century, both Lutheran and Orthodox; the former KGB prison where Estonian people were held and interrogated after being picked up off the streets on no more than a KGB whim; a guided tour of the centuries-old bastion tunnels, within and beneath the old town walls and only rediscovered in the last century or so. Since then they have been used for refuge in time of war, as a potential nuclear bunker, as refuge for the homeless during the Soviet occupation and even as a useful free venue for punk music groups in the nineteen nineties. We learned that much of the Old Town was bombed by the Russians on 9 March 1944, causing unnecessary death and destruction as by then it was clear that Germany had lost the war.
One of the churches we visited was the Dome Church where all five of us managed to climb the narrow spiral staircase to the top of the tower, rewarding us with wonderful views over the city and the Baltic Sea.
We also visited the Health museum - very graphic, as it covered all the major systems and functions of the body, from pre-birth to death.
Our final stop for the day involved a bus trip out of the city to visit the Seaplane Harbour Museum. This super-modern interactive museum is both a maritime and military museum complete with a suspended early-20th century seaplane, historic ships and a WWII submarine you could climb right into. There were uniforms to dress up in, simulated artillery to fire, a flight simulator and many full sized sailing boats. Interesting and great fun.
All in all an exhausting but exhilarating day.
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