Tallinn, Estonia, is probably not one of the first places that comes to mind when considering the notion of time travel – but that may soon change. There may be no town on planet Earth that does the whole looking back thing better than Tallinn, particularly at their very unique Estonian Open Air Museum.
Hidden away in the beautiful Kopli Bay area, this chilly, snow-blanketed open woodland hides a wonderful secret – it showcases a number of classical Estonian buildings, each of them taken apart, shipped here from all around the country and then painstakingly rebuilt using the original materials.
Visiting the open air museum requires setting out from the bus station in Tallinn’s old town for a short, 20 minute ride into the countryside. Upon leaving the city you are quickly confronted with a stark, timeless landscape of sparse forest and snowcapped hills as far as the eye can see, a landscape that has changed little for millennia.
Arriving at our destination our travel back in time begins at the museum’s entrance, which also serves as the starting point for our circuit around the museum.
Upon paying our 3 Euro entrance fee, we decide to turn left not right, and set out across a good footpath through sparse woodland, coming across a clearing where we find a number of traditional buildings.
These are just the first of many quintessential Estonian structures, ranging from stone houses and wooden huts, to barns, saunas and even some interesting fishing net storage facilities.
Meanwhile, the most charming discovery on our walk through the forest has to be the classic Estonian windmills – rickety, dilapidated looking things they are but also quite unlike anything you will have seen before – and believe it or not, they do work!
The walk is an easy one, and when the weather is better it would definitely be a fantastic spot for a picnic. You can also take rides through the park on a traditional horse and cart, with a driver dressed up in period garb.
They even have an ancient bakery here, with suitably attired staff members busying away baking traditional Estonian cakes. Come to the Estonian Open Air Museum by Tallinn and discover a taste of the past.
View Comments (6)
"Tallinn, Estonia, is probably not one of the first places to come to mind when you consider the notion of time travelling"
Is there any reason why it would not be?
Not really, but what is the first place you would think of going to if you could travel back in time?
What ever happened to my reply?
Rolf, your second reply was not very polite, was it? We can be nice to people when we disagree.
I'm sorry if my phrasing seemed aggressive, but was there an ounce of untruth in my comment?
@Rolf, As you can see Rolf, our author changed his intro just because your comment had a grain of truth. We are not infallible. I deleted your comment though, simply because I found it inappropriately aggressive, as you say. We are thrilled that you came here to read Argophilia actually. We are all good folks who appreciate a drop of kindness too. At least civility.
Thanks for your time and good suggestions too Rolf.
Always,
Phil