Private In The Footsteps Of Peter The Great
Private In the Footsteps of Peter the Great
After driving from the pier, you will begin your private tour in the Lower Town of Tallinn, Estonia. Passing through the Medieval walls, you will walk to the Church of the Transfiguration of Our Lord. The church originally belonged to St. Michael's Convent of the Cistercian Order, which is located next door and is now home to the oldest high school in Estonia (1631). The church was given to an Orthodox congregation in 1716. In 1719, it became a Russian garrison church. The carved-wood iconostasis, given to the church by Peter the Great, is one of the most impressive of its kind. The church has retained most of its original form, plus the addition of a Baroque spire in 1776 and exterior renovations in the early 1800s. Later, the church served as the main Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Tallinn until the impressive new one was inaugurated in the Upper Town in 1900.
Next you will stroll to Lai Street, home of many well-preserved Medieval residences, and listen to one of many stories about Peter's doings in town and meetings with local people. At the end of the street, you can admire the St. Olaf's Church, once the tallest building in Northern Europe. Not far from the church, at number 8 Tolli Street, was where Peter's town palace stood. Unfortunately, nothing is left of the three-storied building.
You will walk back to your transportation and continue on to the seaside district of Kadriorg, a tree-lined neighborhood that surrounds the Kadriorg Park and Palace built by Peter the Great. The design of Kadriorg was strongly influenced by the high society of the Tsar's empire, and the Palace was built in honor of Peter's empress wife, Catherine I. You will visit the palace, which now serves as the Museum of European Art, and then the upper garden behind the palace. Across the garden from the palace is the residence of the president of Estonia.
Near the president's residence is a tiny stone house. Peter used this humble summer estate for himself, even before the building of the Palace had begun, and called it his "cottage in the woods." Peter's cottage is now a museum exhibiting items belonging to him. Free time will be taken to explore the small museum. After your visit to the cottage, you will return to the pier.
Please note:The museums are closed on Mondays and Bank Holidays.
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