BRIAN OGLE unearths an article from 2001 on his first visit to Tallinn….
EVERY so often you come across a place so pretty, so authentically medieval and atmospheric, the people so helpful and friendly, and a city so remote from the main European tourist trails that it poses a dilemma.
You want to tell everyone about it, but you don’t really want anyone to go there should they contribute to it losing its aura, its uniqueness, the very charm which casts its spell….
Such a place is Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, the most progressive and successful of the Baltic States, and now – as many people will be aware about to be exposed to the glare of the European spotlight as hosts the monument to music bad taste and mediocrity, the Eurovision Song Contest.
The last thing I wanted to hear in Tallinn when I arrived was an Irish accent, and I wasn’t disappointed. I did hear a couple in Molly Malone’s, facing out onto the old town square, surely the prettiest Irish pub in the entire world, but I was able to live with that.
I did meet a few English tourists in my hotel, The Grand, rubbed shoulders with a few Americans and Japanese on a city tour, but generally speaking the voices were those of native Estonians, some of them Russian speakers, and Finnish day trippers from across the Baltic, along with the inevitable back packers of indeterminate nationality from around the globe.
Tallinn will not remain an undiscovered gem for long however, and even a few minutes of Eurovision TV footage of the winding, cobbled, medieval streets, pastely-hued shops and restaurants and imposing city walls will start to transform what is a small comparatively unknown capital into an affordable, fashionable city break destination for the 21st century.
At the moment (I was writing in 2001) Tallinn is Prague before the stags and hen parties arrive. However, in 10 or so years time the chances are it will be something completely different.
For Northern Ireland travellers the big drawback to Tallinn, or most of the less well known European cities for that matter, is getting there. You usually need two flights, no matter whether you choose to start your journey in Belfast or Dublin, one to the UK Mainland and then onwards from somewhere like Gatwick or Edinburgh. (there has been a seasonal direct Ryanair service from Dublin in recent years but does not operate in winter, a pity because a Christmas Markets break in Tallinn is something else).
Most hotels in the Old Town are four and five-star and quite pricey, (even more so now that the Euro has replaced the Kroon) but to compensate, eating out is very inexpensive. You can dine out very internationally, and exotically, with a Russian restaurant offering bear, wild boar and wild deer in season.
Most first time visitors are attracted to The Old Hansa restaurant in the centre of the Old Town. Everything about the place is medieval, the smell, atmosphere, layout, costumes of the staff, the food and drink, even the eating utensils. I will not even mention the loos… you’ll have to investigate for yourself.
Not surprisingly The Old Hansa is one of the most popular eating places in town, particularly with tourists, but there are many other fine restaurants, offering the best of Eastern European and international cuisines in wonderful surroundings.
Perhaps the greatest threat to Tallinn as an authentic and splendidly preserved medieval city – it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List – is the growth in themed clubs and restaurants. Indeed some of them have more in common with Walt Disney world than the real one!
When I was there, in one restaurant you could be sitting in a ship being served by buccaneers while another is designed to copy the interior of an Egyptian Mummy’s Tomb – the link with Hanseatic Tallinn was lost on me.
Alcohol was also cheap – around 25 EEK (£1 for draught beer) – with some quirky pubs as well as the clubs. Just down the street from the Old Town Square is The Pub With No Name, while just a few yards away is The Pub With a Name. (Estonian sense of humour).
Shopping opportunities are plentiful with everything from designer labels to local Estonian and Russian handicrafts. Linen and woollen knitwear is an especially good bargain, in some cases around 30 per cent of UK prices, and there is a good range of decent souvenirs with the ubiquitous Russian dolls just about everywhere you look.
Postcard sellers (at least during the summer) are on every street corner, most of them young Russian students. Not only do they provide a free postal service, they dispense advice and directions of what to do and where to see in Tallinn and its environs.
Like many European cities, first time visitors could do worse than purchase the all inclusive tourist ticket, The Tallinn Card which includes excursions, admission to places of interest including museums and free bus and tram travel. There are cards of 24, 48 or 72 hours duration.
I took the two and a half hour city tour which included one hour by coach and the rest of the time on foot. Almost all the Old Town really has to be seen at street level however, and it can be tiring, particularly for the elderly or those with special needs. Tallinn, with its narrow winding cobbled streets is not a place for wheelchair users, you need to be reasonably nimble on your feet and of course wearing practical rather than fashionable footwear is advisable.
Among the main city centre tourist sites are the pretty pink Parliament Building, the Russian church, the Alexander Nevski Cathedral on Toompea (opposite the Parliament) the old city walls nearby, numerous museums and St OIaf’s Church spire, at one time the highest in Europe.
Tallinn is home to many major musical events with pride of place going to the great Song Festival at the Festival Grounds a few miles from the city centre. In fact, singing is a national pastime – around 20,000 singers can be accommodated on the stage alone!
Tallinn’s Old Town Days in June is not to be missed with medieval jousting and street markets, outdoor performances and open air performances creating an even more authentic medieval feel to the city.
Then the year comes to a close with the Christmas Jazz and the annual Dark Nights Film Festival in December,
Having sampled a short break in Tallinn in all its summer finery and splendidness, I cannot wait to see the city in its winter glory especially in the run-up to Christmas.
In a way, I hope I don’t see any of you there……
DON’T MISS A VISIT TO JOEY DUNLOP MEMORIAL AT PIRITA CIRCUIT!
MANY people were surprised at the late, great Joey Dunlop’s insistence on traveling each year to race somewhere as apparently off the beaten track as a little known Eastern European country as Estonia.
But even a short visit to this little Baltic gem will explode myths and perceptions. Tallinn is one of Europe’s prettiest and best preserved medieval cities, and it has wonderfully friendly people, both Estonian and Russian. After just a couple of hours there, it was apparent why Joey Dunlop loved the place which was to cost him his life.
Northern Ireland visitors to Tallinnn can find the Joey Dunop memorial by the roadside at Pirita, 10-15 minutes by taxi from the city centre. Most taxi drivers know all about it, but you can also take a bus there (No 2) and hotel staff will also explain how to get there. There are various messages and tributes from Northern Ireland visitors including supporters of the international soccer team.
You can get information from the City Tourist Office in the main square, it’s easy to find, next to Molly Malone’s, the Irish bar looking out over the Town Hall Square (Raekoja Plats). For info log on to: www.tallinn.ee
The 'Travel' Life of Brian 