Private Family Tour of Tallinn

The old lower town in Tallinn preserves to a remarkable extent the medieval urban fabric of narrow winding streets, many of which retain their medieval names, and fine public and burgher buildings, including town wall, Town Hall, pharmacy, churches, monasteries, merchants’ and craftsmen’ guilds, and the domestic architecture of the merchants' houses, which have survived to a remarkable degree.

The fascinating walls of the old town remind us of the middle ages. The numerous towers each have their own history and the unique name. The most famous of those are "Paks Margareeta" (Fat Margaret), Kiek in de Kök (look into the kitchen), Tower behind the tower and many others. Tallinn is one of the very few towns with that large number of the middle age constructions preserved.

Toompea is the highest hill in the Tallinn area, so it was selected for the construction of the fort. The first constructions in the Toompea castle dates back to 1219. Many of the walls and towers have survived, thus making it one of the oldest forts of Europe. Tall Hermann tower of the Toompea castle with the Estonian flag on top is one of main national symbols.

Fat Margareth (Paks Margareeta) reminds us of the romantic legend of "Estonian Romeo and Juliet" - the story of a pesant boy Herman and firsheman's daughter Margareth. The Tall Herman tower is on the opposite part of the old town, sadly separated from his love for centuries.

The Dome Church is one of the oldest churches of Tallinn. The church looks very plain and simple with the white walls and small dome, but it has the very long history. It was first mentioned in 1233 and since than it has been one of town's main temples. It's dedicated to Virgin Mary. It has the graves of the prominent people of 13th-19th centuries.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral stands out from the old town buildings with it's bright color and Byzantine architecture. It's one of the latest constructions of the old city, the Russian Orthodox church, build by the request of Russian Emperor Alexander the 3rd in the 1900. It's located on the high point of the Toompea Hill in front of the Parlament building.

The white tower of St. Olaf's church is the most distinct landmark of Tallinn. The 123 meter high spire is still the highest structure in the town (except for the TV tower). It's the most popular observation spot of the city. The church has the great acoustics, so it's frequently used for the concerts.

The Marzipan Museum Room gives an overview of the history of marzipan and how a medicine, made in chemist's shops during the Middle Ages, became a popular candy later.
Marzipan is the most popular European delicacy. It is one of the major sweets in the Scandinavian countries. The workshop is a great opportunity to learn to make your own unique souvenir - a little marzipan sculpture and paint it with the food colorings.

The Tallinn Town Hall is a building in the Tallinn Old Town, Estonia, next to the Town Hall Square. It is the oldest town hall in the whole of the Baltic region and Scandinavia.

Kadriorg Park is the most outstanding palatial and urban park in Estonia, covering around 70 hectares. Its construction began in 1718 on the orders of Russian tsar Peter I. Elements of park design from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries can be seen here.

For the long time the office of Estonian president was located in the Kadriorg palace. Later the special building was constructed next door to Kadriorg, repeating the design of the old palace.

The song festival grounds is a tradition of the Scandinavia countries. The national singing has been a large part of the national culture for centuries. The Grounds in Tallinn were re-designed in 1959 with the unique arch shaped stage which enhances the voices of the singers. It is used on the regular basis for full scale of performances from the rock concerts to the folk festivals.

The Pirita Beach is the area where the Pirita River reaches the Baltic.