Our port of call today “Tallinn” the UNESCO World Heritage Site was once a member of the Hanseatic League and is 2011 one of the Cultural Capitals of Europe. After many days of sun we had our first rainy day.
The liquid sunshine did not bother us and we left for Lahemaa National Park. These unique landscapes, nostalgic seaside villages and attractive old manor houses offered a great overview of rural Estonia. One of the highlights is the Palmse Manor dating back to the 18th century. The Lahemaa National Park covers an impressive area of approx. 280 square miles. Partly a wetland the park offers an opportunity to have a walk in the bog. The wooden Viru bog hiking trail gave us the opportunity to walk through the typical vegetations cover of the park. It was a bit early in the season the flower buds will blossom most likely in approximately 2 weeks. After a delicious local lunch we returned to Tallinn where we visited some of the highlights before returning to MV FRAM.
Our city discovery tours, gave us a choice of walking, bussing or cycling. During the tours we explored the Old Town with its medieval walls, the Upper Town with its watch-towers, graceful spires and winding, cobbled streets. Passing the Russian Orthodox Church and the Gothic Dome Cathedral we walked down a street called “Long Leg” to learn more about the Lower Town. The Great Guild House and the Gothic Town hall were some of the interesting architectural features on the tour. Some of us enjoyed a typical folk dancing show.
In the afternoon we left Tallinn for Gotland. The evening entertainment included live music played by our onboard musician Ralf where we had a chance to dance along. The Galley team presented art in ice; an amazing show where we could watch how the chefs carved sculptures, figurines and decorative items from ice, vegetables and fruits.
