The capital of Estonia welcomed us with good weather. The town has a beautiful historic centre and is surrounded by stylish modern architecture.
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View over the centre with the city wall towers |
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Main square |
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City wall |
The Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was built in the Russian Revival style between 1894 and 1900, when Estonia was part of the Russian Empire. It is dedicated to Saint Alexander Nevsky, who won the “Battle of the Ice” on Lake Peipus in 1242. This battle was fought between the Republic of Novgorod led by Prince Alexander Nevsky and the Northern Crusaders. The battle is notable for having been fought largely on the frozen lake, which gave the battle its name.
Some kind of costume competition took place in front of the town hall. We were not sure what the topic was, but they all looked very pretty. A jury seemed to judge the different costumes.
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A music festival was also held on the main square this weekend |
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Town Hall |
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Small passage with many arts and craft shops |
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City wall gate |
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Historic coffee shop like in Vienna |
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Modern architecture around old harbour buildings |
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Old storehouses used for restaurants, events and companies |
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2 Aida cruise ships are waiting here for better times |
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Sunset at the harbour |