Streets of Tallinn - Pikk Street (Pikk Tänav)

One of the things I enjoy doing most whenever I'm in Tallinn is to simply stroll around the Old Town and take in its beauty.  You never know what you might find. Tallinn has many fascinating streets each with its own unique character and piece of history. The more you explore them, the more you come to appreciate them and of course the best way to do so is on foot.   Pikk Street is one such street in Tallinn with a lot to offer.  Take a stroll down this enchanting cobbled street and see for yourself.

Great Coastal Gate & Fat Margaret Tower

70 Pikk Street Tallinn

Built in the 14th century during the same period as the city wall.

It is now home to the Estonian Maritime Museum

Marzipan Gallery

40 Pikk Street

Full of marzipan treats, delicious thick hot chocolate, a museum room and marzipan workshop where you can create your own masterpieces. 

Bonaparte Cafe & Restaurant

45 Pikk Street

I'm yet to eat here but it's on my list! I love a good French meal!

Hell Hunt Pub

39 Pikk Street

Hell Hunt (gentle wolf) is the oldest pub in Tallinn.

House of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads

26 Pikk Street

This is the only surviving Renaissance building in Estonia and dates back to the 14th century.

Its front door is one of the most photographed in all of Estonia.

Estonian History Museum

17 Pikk St Tallinn

Maiasmokk Cafe

16 Pikk Street

Maiasmokk is the oldest cafe in Tallinn. 

It has been operating in the same building since it first opened in 1864.

A great place to sit back, relax and enjoy some delicious cakes and sweets!

World Premiere of Helga Merit's New Film "The Story of the Baltic University" to Screen at EstDocs This October

A few years ago Helga Merits informed me that my Estonian grandfather had been a student at the Baltic University while he was living in a DP camp in Germany after WWII. I had no idea. After searching through some of my old family photographs Helga confirmed that a few of them were indeed taken at the Baltic University. This revelation opened up a whole new dimension with my family history research and naturally I was thrilled to learn that Helga was making a documentary on this topic.  I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this film.

About Helga Merits: After working as a journalist for Dutch and Belgian newspapers and national radio, Helga Merits began making historical documentary films. Her previous film, The Class of 1943 – remember us when we are gone (2012) featured the fate of five Estonian boys from the Tartu Boys Gymnasium who were forced to join the German army. "The Story of The Baltic University" is her fourth documentary which will have its World Premiere at EstDocs Film Festival, Toronto, 16 - 20 October 2015. DOC member and EstDocs Programme Director Kalli Paakspuu interviewed Merits about the film. 

To read the full POV Magazine interview with Helga Merits, please click here: http://povmagazine.com/articles/view/a-phoenix-born-of-ashes-and-desire-the-story-of-the-baltic-university 

Estonia Has 700 More Islands Than Previously Believed | News | ERR

Great news! Estonia was previously believed to consist of the mainland plus 1500 islands but a new survey shows that Estonia actually has 2,222 islands. Improved survey methods have led to this conclusion. 

To read more, please click here: Estonia has 700 islands more than hitherto believed | News | ERR

Three Estonian Proverbs

Why Estonia Should Be Your Next Travel Destination

The team at La Vacanza Travel recently contacted me asking if I could write for them about Estonia. Naturally it was my pleasure. When I was in Tallinn last month I noticed a group of tourists from India at the airport and thought it was great that they were taking the time to visit beautiful Estonia. To read my latest article, please click here: http://blog.lavacanza.in/why-estonia-should-be-your-next-travel-destination/

Remembering the Victims of Communism and Nazism

Today is Black Ribbon Day on which Europe remembers and honours those who perished as a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact which was signed on 23rd August 1939. This pact forever changed the destinies of Estonia and many other countries in Europe. Millions of people across the continent were affected and in Estonia tens of thousands were either deported, murdered or forced to flee their homeland.  No family was left unaffected by these events.

On this day I honour two members of my family who were murdered as a result of communism and Nazism in Estonia.

My great-grandmother's cousin Martin Jervan. 

He studied medicine at the University of Tartu before joining the Estonian Army as a doctor.

Martin worked his was up the ranks and became a Major General in the Estonian Army.

Estonia's military elite were the first people to be targeted by the Soviets and like many of his peers he was taken from Estonia and murdered in Russia. He was executed in Chelyabinsk in 1942.

My beloved great-grandfather Arthur Lestal.

Arthur was an Estonian photographer who was executed in Albu during the German occupation of Estonia in 1941. For many years now I have been tracking down his works and have amassed a quite a collection. They can all be found on Flickr. 

Victims of Communism and Nazism to be remembered on Sunday | News | ERR

On Sunday, church-bells will ring out across ‪Estonia‬ to commemorate the victims of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. The Europe-wide Remembrance Day marks the conclusion of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (MRP) in 1939.

Click here to read more: Victims of Communism and Nazism to be remembered on Sunday | News | ERR