Tallinn (0)

Tallinn ;)
The fundaments of Tallinn were laid
some 4,500 years ago, but the city really came to life in the Middle
Ages, during which it was occupied by Danes, Swedes, Germans,
Russians. After being part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet
Union, it became the capital of an independent Estonia in 1991. The old town now
is a wellpreserved testimony of Tallinn's past, a small island
in a sea of the modern city.
A large part of what gives Old Town its
character is the system of walls and towers that surrounds it. The
current outline of the wall dates to the 14th century. By its heyday in
the 16th century, the wall was 2.4 km long, 1416 m high, up to 3m
thick, and included 46 towers. All these towers had names, some descriptive, some
showing a weird kind of Medieval humour. These days 1.9 km of the wall still
stands, as do 20 defensive towers and portions
of two of the six outer gates. The best places to see the
wall are the Patkuli view
platform on Toompea and the
Tower Square, a park area near the
train station.
Tallinn's original Town Hall was
established sometime in the 13th Century, and was replaced by the
current Gothic monument, hewn from limestone, in 14021404.
The Hall served its function as the home of the city administration
for an incredible 700 years, right up until 1970. Today it's open to visitors, and it also
serves as an official reception hall for visiting dignitaries. It remains an incredible
building inside and out. All the winding cobbled streets lead on to the Town Hall
Square
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was
built in a typical Russian Revival style , during the period of late 19th
century when the country was part of the Russian Empire. It was disliked
by many Estonians as a symbol of oppression that the Estonian
authorities scheduled the cathedral for demolition in 1924, but the decision was never
implemented due to lack of funds and the building's massive construction. It crowns
the hill of Toompea where the Estonian folk hero Kalevipoeg is said to have been
buried according to a legend.
The Tallinn Song Stage was built in 1959
for the Estonian Song Festival. In the northern side of the song stage
there is the 42m high fire tower, which is used during the Song Festivals.
Estonians gathered here at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds to sing patriotic
hymns in what became known as the Singing Revolution that overthrew the Soviet rule.
Today, Tallinn's Song Festival Grounds are better known for hosting mega
international acts, such as Metallica, and the contemporary dance music event, the
Sundance Festival.