Panoramas, Tallinn

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Favorite thing: We spotted this sign at the airport next to the baggage roundabouts. It is actually an advertisement for a nearby shopping centre but the description of Tallinn and its surroundings is rather funny...

Photos 2-4 have some enlargements of the big picture so you can read and see details better.

Some famous buildings - Olai church (or is it the cathedral?), the town hall, the northern gate with Fat Margaret tower - represent the old town, plus a dog house;-) Viru skyscraper and some modern blocks stand for new Tallinn. The surrounding landscape is entitled as "eimidagi" (nothing) and is inhabited by mooses and fir trees. The road and rail to the east lead to Russia, those to the west lead "nowhere". Then there is the lake, the airport, and the brewery.

This is all you need to learn about Tallinn before heading for the shopping centre... according to the merchants there.

Favorite thing: Tallinn is quite panoramic place. I will write down all these places, where could be see good panoramas:

1) St. Olav's church (Oleviste church). You have to pay some money to go up by stairs and see panorama from tallest church in Tallinn. I think the most beautiful view is to Toompea castle. From this place I think the best panorama of all old town could be seen and a view to the sea with all these big ships.
2) Radisson SAS hotel. When coming to this tall building in Tallinn centre better to say how to get to the bar at top floor. The lift takes you up and from this place you can see old town at one side and new town at other sides with all these new skyscraper buildings.
3) Toompea castle hill. There is a view to lower part of old town. In some places of Toompea hill panorama is quite interesting, as view of old town buildings is mixed with modern skyscrapers.
4.) A view from the sea to old town and port. When standing near Russalka monument some spires of old town buildings could be seen and the sea.

Favorite thing: This lovely 18th century painting in the art gallery out at Kadriog shows clearly the spire of St Olaf's Church and the city skyline looking very much as it does today with the Old Town nestled at the base of Toompea and many other steeples and spires reconizable. Then the church's spire may well have been still the tallest building in the western world - its spire was originally 159m high, though reconstruction in 1820 saw it reduced to 124m. Whatever its height, it certainly served as a major landmark for shipping in this corner of the Baltic.
In those days the city was right by the sea, and some of the walls were in fact very close to the water - the tower known as Fat Margaret was the Sea Gate to the city. Year by year the land is rising slowly however, and now the old city is some distance from the water.

Fondest memory: Seeing the beautiful skyline for the first time! I was still on the hydrofoil coming from Helsinki and it was an amazing sight!