104 NORTH EASTERN EUROPE
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp116–17
Estonian Museum
of Applied Art and
Design^7
Eesti tarbekunsti ja
disainimuuseum
Lai 17. Map D2. Tel 627 4600.
@ 3. v 1, 2. # 11am–6pm Wed–
Sun. & = http://www.etdm.ee
Housed in a converted
17th-century granary, the
Estonian Museum of Applied
Art and Design features the
best in Estonian design from
the early 20th century to the
present day. The vast selection
of exhibits is a splendid
example of the nation’s pride
in applied arts. Many of the
exhi bits meld Scandinavian-
style refinement with subtle
Baltic irony to excellent effect.
The furniture is especially
eye-catching and a delight for
art collectors. There are also
some fine pieces of
porcelain, dating
from the 1930s to the
60s by Adamson-Eric,
one of the key figures
of 20th-century
Estonian art.
Since the museum
opened in 1980 it has
done a formidable
job of promoting
Estonian design at
home and abroad. Be
sure to pick up a copy of the
map, which highlights some
notable examples of Estonian
design around Tallinn.
St Olav’s Church^8
Oleviste kirik
Lai 50. Map D2. Tel 641 2241.
@ 3. v 1, 2. # Apr–Oct: 10am–
6pm daily. & 5 http://www.oleviste.ee
The 124-m (407-ft) spire of
St Olav’s Church is a major
Tallinn landmark and the
church holds a proud place in
local history. Legend says that
Tallinners wanted to build the
tallest spire in the world to
attract merchant ships and a
complete stranger promised to
help them. In return he
wanted the people of the city
to guess his name. When the
church was nearing comple-
tion, the city fathers sent a spy
to his home and found out his
The soaring spire of St Olav’s Church looking out over the Baltic SeaMetal ship replica on the entrance
wall, Estonian Maritime MuseumFat Margaret
Tower 9
Paks MargareetaPikk 70. Map E1. Tel 641 1408.
@ 3. v 1, 2. # 10am–6pm
Wed–Sun. & 8 call in advance.
= Estonian Maritime Museum
# 10am–6pm Wed–Sun. &
http://www.meremuuseum.eeThis 16th-century tower’s
evocative name derives from
the fact that it was the largest
part of the city’s fortifications,
with 4-m (13-ft) thick walls. It
was ori ginally built to defend
the harbour as well as to
impress visitors arriving by
sea. From the top of the
tower, there are good views
of the Old Town and Tallinn’s
harbour and bay. Later, the
tower was modified into a
prison and was the scene of
an outbreak of violence
during the 1917 Revolution,
when the prison guards were
murdered by a mob of work-
ers, soldiers and sailors.
Fat Margaret Tower houses
the Estonian Maritime
Museum, a curious collection
of nautical para phernalia
spread out over four storeys.
The exhibits include a
fascinating insight into ship-
building and his torical
accounts of the country’s har-
bours. There is also a scale
model of the Estonia, the car
and pass enger ferry that sank
between Tallinn and
Stockholm in 1994. Nearby is
a granite tablet with the
names of the 852 people who
died on board.name. As he was fixing the
cross they called out “Olev”
and he lost his balance and
fell. In fact, the name of the
church was a homage to King
Olav II of Norway. The 159-m
(522-ft) tall spire made the
church the tallest
building in the world
in 1500 until a light-
ning strike burned it
down in 1625. The
church was struck
by lightn ing six more
times and burned
down twice between
1625 and 1820. The
original 16th-century
structure of the
church was reno-
vated in the 19th century.
St Olav’s has an impressive
vaulted ceiling and the church
tower has a plat form that
offers breath taking vistas of
the city. The exterior rear wall
features an elabora tely carved
15th-century tombstone.Detail of stone
carving on the rear
of St Olav’s Church