ESTONIA EYEWITNESS
alternativetallinn
It’s a firm favourite for European city breaks, but Tallinn offers more than cobbles and cafes. Laura Gelder looks at Estonia’s quirkier side, including Soviet nostalgia and circular bikes
seduced by Prague or Budapest. Estonia has its own distinct personality; the sing- song lilt of its language, the black bread and herring sandwiches and the clapboard houses are almost Scandinavian in style. But peel back the layers and, like a
T
babushka doll, you’ll discover the Russian influence. The baroque pastels of the Peter the Great’s palace are at stark odds with the grim Patareil Prison, a reminder of Estonia’s not-so-distant Soviet past. Estonia’s fascinating history includes occupation by Danes, Swedes and Russians, before eventual independence following the ‘Singing Revolution’. Two months before the spectacular downfall of the Berlin Wall, thousands of citizens staged a peaceful protest, singing forbidden folk songs and joining hands to form a human chain nearly 400 miles long, linking Tallinn to Vilnius in Lithuania. Estonians are are the most prolific users of mobile phones in the world, the inventor of skype, and a forward-thinking country where art flourishes. Tallinn still has its Russian-influenced orthodox churches with their onion domes and glittering relics, but most people prefer to worship the Estonian way, through nature.
Exploring Recommend your clients visit Made in the USSR, an exhibition of Soviet life. Located
allinn’s terracotta turrets, medieval apothecaries and candlelit taverns will appeal to those previously
in a chilly bunker-like building, it shows a life cut off from the luxuries of the west. The cheap polyester dresses, cracked mugs and retro-bottles of pop evoke a pang of nostalgia from most people. Next door is the Rotermann Quarter, a
re-worked factory complex whose once smokey facades are now topped with angular glass cubes housing co-op art communes where you can pick up a painting or even a funky haircut. Want a city overview? Jump on a conference bike. No, not a new line in MICE technology, but a bike seating seven in a circle (including an experienced guide) and taking riders on a unique and sometimes backwards journey through the city. Starting on the bone-shaking cobbles of
the old town, we narrowly avoided a tram as we pedalled through the station, taking in a waft of warm-sugared doughnuts, on to the shabby-chic neighbourhood of Kalamaja and its rust-coloured wooden houses, and finally the harbour. The Baltic coast was off limits during the Soviet years, the chilled steel-grey waters deemed too tempting for defectors.
Taste Tallinn All that fresh air and exercise will give visitors an appetite, and there’s much to please foodies in Tallinn. Hidden gem Café Moon combines top-notch bistro-style cuisine with an unpretentious homely atmosphere. A warming bowl of pink borsht soup followed by roast duck, coffee, and dark chocolate truffles is just the ticket after a brisk Baltic bike ride. This far north summer evenings never
bring complete darkness, but head to Olde Hansa and they’ll batten down the hatches for a medieval feast by flickering candlelight. Rich stews of wild boar and rabbit are washed down with a fiery shot of black pepper schnapps. If that doesn’t finish everyone off, head into the perpetual violet dusk for a glass of cold local beer.
Banish winter blues with Tallinn’s Christmas
markets. Or sell Summer 2011, when Tallinn celebrates its reign as
European Capital of Culture - with a plethora of events
General Info Getting there: Estonian Air (www.
estonian-air.ee) flies from Gatwick to Tallinn three times a week. Easyjet (www.easyjet. com) also flies from Stansted to Tallinn.
Making Tracks
Where to Book it Baltic Holidays
www.balticholidays.com A two-night Tallinn break at the five-star Schlössle Hotel with flights, costs from £199pp. Or see the country/coast packages.
Add-Ons Head out of the the city and explore some of Estonia’s 1500 Baltic Islands. Try Muhu for rustic windmills, seaside manors and magical forests. At Tihuse Horse Farm, local character Martin gives visitors a lesson in Estonians’ spiritual beliefs in nature, trotting us past rose-covered cottages as well as sacrificial stones. Neighbouring Saaremaa Island is packed full of spas offering treatments using the theraputic local mud. The capital Kuresaare has a medieval castle and even a local disco, for those craving the bright lights. The tiny local airport has flights to Stockholm.
www.shortbreaksholidays.com • Autumn 2010 23
lAurA GEldEr
lAurA GEldEr
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