Tallinn! This is a view from upper Old-Town UNESCO world heritage area, looking out to the harbor of the Gulf of Finland – Baltic Sea. Estonia has a long and complicated history but this is a positive time to be visiting the capital city.Medieval defense towers and walls surrounded the city. In 1285, Tallinn, then known more widely as Reval, became the northernmost member of the Hanseatic League –- a mercantile and military alliance of German-dominated cities in Northern Europe. We visited their buildings in Bergen, Norway — another UNESCO protected area.There were 66 of these towers – peaceful today to enjoy in the sunshine.The highest steeple is Church of the Holy Ghost, officially from 1319, in the cobblestoned streets of Old Town.Wandering the streets we loved this Art Nouveau building in Old-Town: Reichmann House, 1909. Estonia at this time was an outpost of the Tsarist Russian Empire.The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a very Russian building, 1894. This Eastern Orthodox cathedral is in center of upper Old Town and appreciated by tourists, if not all the locals.The summer Kadriorg Palace of Czarina Catherine and Peter the Great, 1718. Estonia is where the Russians with means liked to spend their summers. There are a lot of manor estates in the surrounding countryside.We visited the architectural museum and learned more about this unique building with much of it underground. KUMU-Art-MuseumWe stayed near this part of the Seafront in the Noblessner neighborhood. It is a renovated and revitalized sea harbor area. The history dates back to 1912 when Emanuel Nobel (nephew of Alfred Nobel) and Arthur Lessner founded the Russian Empire’s most important submarine factory, which built a total of 12 here. An order for an additional 20 never got made due to the 1917 October Revolution.Lots of big ships you can tour. Dominated by this fun crane! Maybe for putting submarines in the water…probably only yellow submarines!The formal Seaplane Harbor Hanger has been fully rehabilitated and now is a fabulous Museum. You enter the mid level which is the water line so to speak, then above is the sea planes with military history, and below is the submarine, archeology finds and history areas.Hunt for Red October! Inside the 1936 Lembit submarine. I will never complain about a bed again — maybe……Even the bathroom was fun as underwater submarine marked doors like Extinguisher N05.Had to visit the Song Festival Grounds. In 1988 300,000 gathered here — one-third of the population — using song to demand their independence. The next year while holding hands a human “Baltic Chain” stretched 360 miles from Tallinn to Vilnius in Lithuania. The Estonians fought for their independence and their continued development in their country shows their pride.
