Let me take you to the fairytale…

Story by Tanya (CozySeason)

Imagine gabled red rooftops, half-hidden courtyards, medieval churches, narrow streets and a city wall dotted with guard towers … You are in Tallinn's Medieval Old Town.


A couple of steps further on the cobblestones and the sounds of the contemporary town are left far away. You can look back and you can not see the modern buildings anymore, just the medieval ones.


Thanks to the city wall the centre of Tallinn survived in an excellent condition. In the 16th century the wall was 2.4km long, 14-16m high, up to 3m thick and included 46 towers that gave city good protection from the frequent attacks.


The Old Town offers a great collection of gothic, baroque, and renaissance buildings. Just take a walk and feel the beauty of Tallinn's architecture.


Some streets in the old town of Tallinn are so narrow that two ladies in the huge crinolines (when still wearing crinolines) could not get by each other. A cavalier had to fight for the right to his lady walk down the street first.


Wandering the Old City you can find a large number of churches. One of the most eye-catching is the Church of St. Olav. It has a 159-metre spire that used to be the tallest building in the world from 1549 to 1625 years. Such an extremely tall steeple was probably meant to be a maritime signpost which made the trading city of Tallinn visible far out at sea. However, it turned to be a very effective lightning rod. Throughout the church's history the steeple of St. Olav has been hit by lightning at least eight times and the whole church construction has burned down three times.


Tallinn is a living example of the influence of two cultures: European and Russian. Wandering the streets of the city you cannot miss the main and the most opulent and grandest Orthodox church in Tallinn - Aleksander Nevsky Cathedral.
The church's towers hold Tallinn's most powerful church bell ensemble. The ensemble consists of 11 bells, including the largest in Tallinn, weighing 15 tons and you can hear it playing before each service.


Being located on a sea cost, Tallinn has a local beach, Pirita, that is situated 5-7 kilometers from Tallinn's city centre. Nowadays Pirita is one of the favorite places in Tallinn for spending free time and not just during the summer. In a winter people enjoy visiting Pirita to watch the seaside winter sunset and to feed local swans and gulls.


Don’t be afraid of visiting Tallinn at winter time! A cup of hot and spicy Glühwein and a pair of warm wool socks will make your stay in a fairytale town even more enchanting!