slothis · English

Outside the City Walls in Tallinn

2017-01-10 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

On my way to the bus terminal, I headed toward the exit of the city walls, wondering if I might see the real Tallinn rather than the touristy side if I went toward the city center. Along the way, I saw an open door to a towering building that must have served as a watchtower long ago. I decided to check it out and found that admission was free. It was a bit cramped to navigate with heavy luggage, but the handmade crafts I saw inside were some of the most wonderful pieces of art I encountered in Tallinn.

A stone wall and a round tower with a red roof stand under a blue sky.
A paper sign saying free admission is attached to an old, padlocked wooden door.
Free!!
Narrow stairs and a rope are visible between dark, rough stone walls.
The stairs in the Old Town buildings are all narrow and incredibly steep. Soldiers have it tough, both then and now.
A wooden bird-shaped mobile hangs from a dark ceiling.
Wooden carved animal statues and various ornaments are in a room with light coming through the window.
The person actually working on the crafts is right in front of you, so there's no doubt whose work it is.
Various wooden tools and ornaments are displayed indoors.
Several buildings with red roofs and a church tower in the distance are visible.
A black stone monument engraved with the words ESTONIA 28.09.1994.

Right outside the city gates, there is a grassy lawn. While other lawns were filled with families or friends, this one had a group of kids running around with someone who looked like a teacher, so I lay down nearby to watch them. The kids running around so excitedly playing tag felt like the true owners of this lawn. This is how grass should be enjoyed. I really don't understand why places make spaces you aren't even allowed to enter, especially when land is already so scarce.

When their playtime paused, the teachers started explaining something. It seemed the artworks installed here held quite a significant meaning. I read the English information board and learned it was a memorial honoring the victims of a ferry disaster that occurred in 1994. It overlapped with the recent Sewol ferry disaster in Korea, leaving me with a heavy heart. I sighed, lay back, and looked up at the sky—it was such a deep, brilliant blue sky that it felt like someone could be living up there.

A metal plaque with an English inscription honoring the victims of the 1994 Estonia ferry disaster.
A round stone tower standing next to a wooded park and two people walking in front of it.
A long, round black sculpture set on a green lawn.
An artwork to remember those who died in the 1994 ferry disaster, "Broken Line". As someone from a country that experienced the Sewol ferry disaster, I could truly feel the emotions they wanted to convey.
A round stone tower standing next to a wooded park and two people walking in front of it.
A giant white cross standing against a blue sky.

Expenses

Total Expenses €6.49

Total Trip Expenses 525,936 KRW + 47,499 RUB + $312.26 + €92.07