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Exploring the Medieval Walls Of Tallinn, Estonia

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If you head to the north of Europe, north of Germany and Poland, up to the Baltic sea, you’ll eventually hit Finland. Back off a bit, no a bit more that’s Russia, you’ll find Tallinn, Estonia. It’s a beautiful city of around 400,000. After spending most of the 20th century under the thumb of the Soviet Union, Estonia has been part of the EU since 2004, is a major cruise port, and a lovely place to explore.

One of the most interesting attractions are ancient city walls. These are quite extensive, and many have been restored to ease exploration.

The walls not only give the city character and charm, they offer a fascinating look back in time but also great views.

The walls were originally built in the mid-1200s, and over the centuries some were expanded, others dismantled. Today over a mile of original wall remains, which may not seem like much, but Tallinn is a small city. You’ll see pieces of wall, if not entire stretches of it, no matter where you explore.

In addition to the walls, there are 26 defense towers, 2 full gates, and parts of 2 more.

Many towers are connected, and the larger ones house museum exhibits and one even has a coffee shop.

Underground are the Bastion Passages. After descending from street level, a walk through these extends further and further back in time. It starts with the Cold War sections, which were abandoned before they became a museum, with homeless people living inside, as well as a place for local dissidents to gather during the Soviet years. Then it steps back to WWII, and then far earlier.

The walls above are some of the best preserved in Europe, which is why they’re a UNESCO World Heritage site.

While you can explore the walls from street level for free, some of the towers have their own small entrance fees. The Bastion Passages and the connected sections of walls, including the big Kiek in de Kök tower, requires its own ticket. Some towers have guided tours.

There’s also the Tallinn Card, which gets you access to multiple museums all over the city for a set number of days.

However, I’m not sure how good a deal this is. As of this writing, a 2-day card is 39 euros, but entrance to the Kiek in de Kök Fortification Museum, which includes the Bastion Passages and several towers, is 9 euros, and another major section is only 2 euros.

There are plenty more museums you can get in with the card, and it gives you free public transport, but it’s a small city and I walked everywhere. Basically, it’s worth checking prices online for the museums you want to visit and add up the costs.

Regardless, Tallinn is definitely worth visiting. It’s a beautiful small European city, though keep in mind it’s a cruise ship stop, so it can get quite busy in season.

For more info, check out their website.

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