On the Road to the Doors: Door to Door at Tallinn Old Town

JULY 2015, Tallin, Estonia

Tere Tulemast! Tallinn Old Town in Estonia has been one of my favourite EU attractions since 2007, and its charm allures me differently each time. On July 2015, due to my family travel to Nordics and Baltics countries, we decide to meet up at Viru Street, dine together at Chinese cuisine and then join the half-day city tour, and take Viking Line back to Helsinki in the evening.

Entering Tallinn Old Town via Viru Gate, one of two remaining towers that were once part of a larger fourteenth-century gate system, we seek breakfast at McDonald’s. Taking some mini adventures through Sauna Street, Vana-Posti Street and Suur-Karja, we arrive at Old Town Square and walking toward to the Church area for the bird view. The golden onion rooftops of orthodox catholic Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built to a design by Mikhali Preobrazhensky in Russian Revival style between 1894-1900, reminds me of Russian fairy tales once and still considered as the symbol of oppression toward Estonians. The medieval St. Nicolas Church is yet another interesting architecture to study, since it was partially destroyed in Soviet Bombing of Tallinn during World War II and the city walls and defense towers around the whole Tallinn Old Town, are perhaps, another perfect setting for Game of Thrones. The city bells are ringing loud at 9 o’clock sharp, echoing at the every corer of the pebble narrow lanes of town.

I am simply fascinated by the old craftsmanship doors in Tallinn Old Town, also curious and wondering what’s either retro or vintage interior design behind those mysterious doors. From lintel, lites, rails, mutin, panels, stiles, lock rails, knob, jambs to sill, the doors must own their intriguing design stories, and the doors of Tallinn forward me on the complement of ‘frame in frame’ photo shooting project.

From the first encounter in 2007, the autumn honeymoon in 2013 and the family reunion in 2015, Dear Tallinn, I shall definitely revisit simply for your lovely silhouette.  

Special Thanks: JMH & Family Taiwan