In June 2019, we went on a trip to the Baltic country of Estonia. We stayed in Tallinn, the picturesque capital city. On our first couple of days, we visited the mysterious bastions and underground tunnels in the city center, and greeted more than 300 wildlife species housed in the 89-ha Tallinn Zoo.

***

We flew with Norwegian airline, and got some food vouchers because the flight was delayed and there was no prior message. Thankfully, we arrived safe and sound in Tallinn. We relied on public transport during our stay, but Tallinn’s shared mobility proved to be effective. We stayed in Lillekülla Hotel. At first, we thought that the location was dodgy. It’s a few blocks away from the nearest bus stop, and we walked along streets lined with mixed new and old, dilapidated buildings. However, that feeling was pointless and unnecessary!

The next day, after some delicious breakfast c/o the hotel, we took the bus to the old city center to check out the Kiek in de Kök museum and bastion tunnels.

On the way, we admired the structures and landmarks in the city, like the yellow and towering St. John’s Church built in the 1800s. There were also memorial sites and an excavation site. We went our early, and it was a good decision. We had the streets to ourselves for quite some time.

The Kiek in de Kök was fairly visible in the city center. We started with the bastion tunnels. Some parts were dimmed and cold, but thankfully, we were provided with a blanket each. It was actually the exciting part of the museum, for me.

The tunnels also served as bunkers. This part gave goosebumps.

The fortress is a complex of towers, stoned walls and underground passages. The name is German for “Peek into the kitchen“, and originated from the tower occupants’ ability to peep and see through to other people’s kitchens. Kiek in de Kök towers can also be found in Gdansk, Poland and Magdeburg, Germany.

Now, the one in Tallinn dates back to the late 1400s. It has undergone several renovations and restorations, and present-day visitors like us are glad that they did. So we can enjoy the historical importance and the culture of the city even more.

From the tower, you can get beautiful views of the city. Just be mindful of the narrow and slippery staircases.

For visiting information (tickets, opening hours, updates), you can visit the museum’s website: https://linnamuuseum.ee/en/kiek-in-de-kok/visitor-info/.

After a quick lunch, we took the bus to the city zoo. There was a stop called “Mustamäe”, which I thought was cute. It was like a shortened form of “Kumusta, Mae”, or How are you, Mae.

It has become a tradition for us to visit an animal park and/or a botanical garden during our travels. Tallinn Zoo has an area of 89 hectares and houses around 7,200 animals! It’s huge, and it’s clean – impressions from our visit in 2019.

There’s also the elephant enclosure, polar bears, farmy animals visitors could pet… And the beautiful and refreshing surroundings in summer!

We loved how organized the zoo was, and that it helps in education and conservation of animals. Easily one of the nicest animal parks we’ve visited. For more information about Tallinn Zoo, here’s their website: https://tallinnzoo.ee/en/.

We took the bus back to our accommodation. For day 2, we booked a group tour to another exciting and interesting feature of Estonia. More about that in the next entry. 🙂 ALL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON THIS BLOG ARE MINE. Cheers! 🙂 #spreadloveandpositivevibes