Page 87 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

T ALLINN 85

4-km (2-mile) nature trail that buildings from all around the
goes through a lush range of country. The exhibits range
habitats, from dry meadows from the 18th to the
to pine forests. 20th centuries and give a
fascinating picture of how
rural archi tecture developed in
e Lasnamäe Estonia over the years. There
are wooden wind mills,
5 km (3 miles) NE of Tallinn.
thatched barns, a village inn
A vast Soviet-era suburb and an 18th-century wooden
founded on a limestone plateau church alongside numerous
in 1977, Lasnamäe houses farmsteads and outbuildings.
almost a third of the city’s A variety of activities are
population. The indus trial part offered, including nature trails
of the district is centred around and horse and carriage rides,
Peterburi Street. Seemingly while regular music and
endless rows of housing blocks theatre productions are held
are lined up beside Laagna Baron von Glehn Castle in lush here too. Annual highlights
Street, which is a smaller road surroundings, Nõmme include the Midsummer’s Eve
that passes through the celebra tions (see p52) and the
so-called “Canyon”, a road an impressive sight. The castle is Autumn Fair.
blasted through limestone. only open for special events but
The ambitious plans for the the surrounding park, with
making of Lasnamäe were never some particularly eye-catching y Aegna Island
finished and several aborted sta tues, can be visited any time. Aegna saar
building projects that abruptly 14 km (9 miles) NE of Tallinn.
came to a halt when Estonia + Baron von Glehn Castle g from Pirita Harbour.
broke away from the Soviet Vana-Mustamäe tee 48. Tel 652 5076.
Union, can still be seen. Open by appointment only. The tiny 3-sq-km (1-sq-mile)
Although there is little of island of Aegna is situated in
interest, the area as a whole is a the northeastern part of Tallinn
strangely impressive sight and t Estonian Open- Bay. It has pristine sandy
offers an intriguing glimpse of a Air Museum beaches and unspoiled nature,
side of the city that most visitors Eesti vabaõhumuuseum which may, however, be the
rarely see. target of future development.
Vabaõhumuuseumi tee 12. Tel 654
9100. @ 21, 21b. Open May–Sep: The few traces of human
10am–8pm daily; Oct–Apr: 10am– activity that can be found are
r Nõmme almost all military. There was a
5pm daily. & 8 call in advance.
8 km (5 miles) S of Tallinn. £ from 7 - = ∑ evm.ee cannon battery here during
Tallinn. @ 14, 18, 33. Tsarist rule, and after being briefly
One of the few major sights used by the Estonian army
The beautiful residential district outside the city centre, the during the country’s first period
of Nõmme was dev eloped as a Estonian Open-Air Museum is of independence, Aegna became
suburb after a railway station situated in the sprawling a closed Soviet military zone.
opened there in 1872. Soon after, grounds of the former Rocco The island is now governed by
wealthy Tallinners began building al Mare summer estate, with a Tallinn City Council and improved
elegant summer villas with stunning backdrop of Kopli Bay. ferry links have led to a steady
spacious gardens, and by 1926, The museum is an enormous increase in visi tors. It is a popular
the area had grown sufficiently village made up of historic rural place to pitch a tent in summer.
to officially become a town.
However, in 1940 the Soviets
incorporated it into Tallinn.
Today, Nõmme is one of the
most attractive areas of the city,
with its own outdoor market,
historic centre, cafés and
restaurants, and some fine
museums. The Kristjan Raud
Museum is dedicated to the
artist who illustrated the epic
poem Kalevipoeg, while the
Baron von Glehn Castle, built
by a Baltic-German landlord
who largely founded the area, is Old wooden house by the sea, Estonian Open-Air Museum