We used our Adventure Days this month to see and explore three of Estonia’s largest cities: Viljandi, Tartu and Tallinn (the capital city). Estonia itself is a relatively small country where you can drive from one end to the other in only 4 hours, making it easy for us to travel around. Through our sightseeing, we were able to appreciate the rich history of this small nation (only 1.3 million people total!) and also learn more about a place I hadn’t heard about until coming on The World Race!
VILJANDI
Our first Adventure Day was used to check out Viljandi, which was only 15 minutes away from our ministry site at Camp Nuutsaku. It is the 6th largest city in Estonia with a population of only 20,000 people, which makes it closer in size to a town by American standards. And Viljandi felt like a small town too, as it was a very quiet and peaceful place to live — but still offered some cool things for us to see.
[The Ruins] Because of its small size, Viljandi is a very walkable city and easy to explore. And we started our day by visiting the ruins of an old fortress stronghold situated on top of three hills overlooking the town. Considered to be the most grandiose medieval stronghold in Estonia during its time, construction of the fortress started in the early 13th century and took over 200 years to complete. We first got to the ruins by crossing over an impressive wooden bridge, which then opens up to some ancient archways and an open courtyard area. I’m not exactly sure what this area was used for in the past but it now seems to serve as an amphitheater of some sorts, with a stage and seating around it. This was our first foray into European history and culture as a team and we had a lot of fun soaking it all in!
[The Town] The ruins then led us directly into the town and center of Viljandi, where we came across some beautiful buildings and architecture. The town very much has a European village feel to it, with its range of colors and architectural styles and cobblestone roads. And the center itself has a few interesting things to see as well, such as the town museum and watch tower. Also, the residential houses are very cool to look at, especially those built on the sloping hills that face out towards the lake (more on that next). Being in Viljandi made it very apparent that our team was now in Europe — and I loved my time living there!
[The Lake] So the biggest thing to see in Viljandi (literally) is the lake — Lake Viljandi. We first saw it from the ruins atop the hills and the view is stunning. The lake is so big and wide that I actually thought it was a river at first! And as great as the view is from the top, the scene from the bottom is just as spectacular. From ground level the lake looks even bigger and wider than imagined, plus there are views of both the ruins and the houses across from it. I just wished we had come during the summer months so that I could’ve jumped in and swam in it!
TARTU
For our second Adventure Day, we visited the country’s second largest city, Tartu. With a population of almost 100,000 people, Tartu definitely has more of a city feel to it with malls, restaurants and stores to be found everywhere. And while it is very apparent that the city is building and growing, there were some cool things for us to explore — both old and new.
[Science Centre] Our hosts and their two boys accompanied us on our trip so the first thing we did was check out the Tartu Science Centre. Focusing on science and technology, the centre is the largest in Estonia and in all of the Baltic countries as well. From our conversations working with youth students, it was very evident that the country places high importance and emphasis on education and the sciences — and that was also the case at the centre. Not only was there a science competition going on in the main hall, but also all of the exhibits are interactive and explain the science behind how everything works. So while this stop was more for the two boys, all of us guys still have some boy in us and enjoyed our time walking thru the centre and being a kid again!
[Old Town Square] From the centre, we made our way to the old town area of Tartu and to the main square in particular. We first walked thru an outdoor market where the pedestrian street was lined with many different kinds of foods and souvenir vendors. The street then opened to the impressive town square, which was bustling with more vendors and people enjoying themselves in the outdoor restaurants. And at one end of the square is the pink town hall building and at the other is the main river that runs thru the city. The old town square truly is a scenic photo spot, hence the big yellow National Geographic frame — but unfortunately for us, the sun wasn’t cooperating that day so we had to take our photo in the opposite direction!
[Tartu University] Along with the old town area, Tartu is also known as a college town because it is home to the national and largest university in Estonia. The university is located at the top of a hill overlooking the city so from the square we made a short walk to the main campus area, passing by a few buildings which I could only presume were classrooms or offices. Once we got to the top, the campus looks very similar to what we have back in the States, with dorms, buildings and bridges set among a covering of trees and green space. And there are a few uncommon things, like an observatory and cathedral, you wouldn’t normally find in an American college (at least from my experience) that made our visit that much more interesting. All in all, it was a great time exploring and learning about Tartu with our host family and my Team Wild guys!
TALLINN
For our last Adventure Day, we took a day trip to Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia. With a population of 430,000 people, it is by far the largest city in the country — and it showed. Tallinn is a much more developed and modern city than Tartu, with a busy financial center and residential suburbs. But Old Town Tallinn is what we went to see because when we asked locals where we should go in Estonia, they all said Old Town Tallinn — so that’s what we did!
[Downtown] First, to get from Viljandi to Tallinn, we book a bus — very clean with strong wi-fi I might add! And once we arrived at the bus station, we had to walk quite a bit to Old Town Tallinn, and the route took us straight thru downtown. Because of its location by the Baltic Sea, Tallinn actually attracts a lot of business and people from Finland who commute to and from by ferry every day. So it wasn’t a surprise to see so many tall office buildings with corporate companies, banks and hotels in this expanding financial district!
[Old Town] Once passed downtown, we finally reached Old Town Tallinn — and it is absolutely amazing. The area has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list since 1997 and it definitely shows in how meticulously well it has been preserved and maintained that it felt like we had been placed in a medieval story tale. Old Town Tallinn is filled with twisting cobblestone streets that open up to small neighborhoods full of color and beautiful homes, courtyards and buildings. There seemed to be a church or monastery or museum on every street that it was hard to keep up with all of the sights!
[Old Town Square] The heart of Old Town Tallinn and where you’d want to start your visit is the Town Hall Square. During the week, this open plaza hosts multiple festivals and performances that harken back to what life was like here in older times — but sadly we visited on a Sunday and missed out! Fortunately, the square was still full of people taking in the day and enjoying themselves in the many restaurants and cafes that surround it. The square is also where you’ll find one of the best preserved Gothic town halls in northern Europe and the oldest continuously running pharmacy in all of Europe. So make sure you pick up a map and start your day at the Town Hall Square just like we did!
[Old Town Wall] Another one of Old Town Tallinn’s distinct features — and my personal favorite — is the stone wall that envelopes the entire city. During the Middle Ages, Tallinn was constantly under threat of attack by one neighbor or another which led to the construction of a city wall in the early 13th century. Comprised of high, thick walls, guard towers and gates, this city wall is one of Europe’s best preserved medieval fortifications with 1.9 kilometers of the original structure still standing. And one of the things I really wanted to see and do while in Europe was to go up an old city wall — because of a particular TV show I like to watch, haha — so I didn’t blink twice when my opportunity came in Tallinn!
[Old Town – Toompea] Old Town Tallinn is actually divided into two distinct parts, and we had spent most of our day in the Lower Town section. So we made sure to end our tour by visiting the other area called Toompea, situated on a hill overlooking the city and was and still is the place where the nation’s rulers are seated. The two areas are connected by a cobblestone passageway lined with stone walls on both sides, where local artists now gather to display and sell their works. Once thru the passageway, we came upon the massively impressive St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the national Estonian parliament building directly across from it. But the coolest reason and why many people visit Toompea is the spectacular views of both old and new Tallinn from there. And in the distance, you can also see Tallinn Bay on one side and the downtown financial district on the other. It was the perfect way to end our day in Tallinn, as we were able to see, learn and experience so much of the city’s history and culture!
