Even if you have only one day to explore the sights of Tallinn, Kadriorg Park must be included in the list of places to visit. After all, this is not just a corner of nature among the city.
There are several museums there, a Japanese garden is broken, fountains are noisy. And the main pearl of the park is the imperial palace. In this article we will tell the entertaining story of Kadriorg.
The park itself operates year-round and around the clock. Entrance to it is absolutely free. But the museums located on its territory have opening hours. How to get to the park, what is better to visit - we will tell in this short essay. We will back up our story with photographs.
History of the foundation of the park
As a result of the Northern War in the early years of the 18th century, Revel (modern Tallinn) fell into the possession of Russia. In the autumn of 1710, troops entered the city, and already in 1711, Peter the Great and his wife came here.
Catherine really liked the surroundings around Lasnamägi Hill. This land belonged to a certain widow Drenteln. In 1714, the king bought her land for three and a half thousand thalers. Moreover, the land immediately passed into state ownership. Peter the Great decided to build a summer residence here.
The estate of the Drenteln family was urgently redone for the needs of the royal couple. The structure has survived to this day under the name "House of Peter." But this building of modest size did not meet the status of autocrat. Therefore, the king ordered to build a real palace nearby.
Since these lands really liked the wife of Peter the Great, he called the residence Yekaterinental, which means “Valley of Catherine” in German.
Later, this name was changed to Estonian. “Valley” in the local dialect is “org.” And the name Katya in Estonian sounds like Kadri. This is how Kadriorg Park gained its modern name.
The construction of the palace complex
The site on which the autocrat wished to build a summer residence turned out to be difficult. Everywhere groundwater lay at shallow depths. In some places the lands were very swampy. Therefore, before starting to build the palace building, the workers dug ponds, later called Swans.
This was done to drain the terrain. On the drained site, the Italian masters of palace and park art Nicolo Michetti and Gaetano Chiaveri began the construction of the main building with outbuildings. For the sample, they took a typical Renaissance country villa-palazzo with elements of Baroque and classicism.
It is known that Peter the Great was keenly interested in the construction of his residence. He personally put three bricks into the masonry. Workers did not plaster these stones to separate them from others. Bricks remain “bare” until now. They are in the corner pilaster in the north wing of the palace.
The king also chose the color of the plaster. He was then called "Mars" - in honor of the god of war. With the color of dried blood, the king wanted to emphasize that he did not inherit the palace and Kadriorg Park, but as a result of the battle.
Kadriorg Park
The photos of this wonderful place resemble illustrations of either Versailles or the untouched nature of Estonia, with its meadows and groves, or even landscapes of Japan. And this is not surprising. Central alleys adjacent to the imperial palace were laid out in the style of a regular French park.
Swan pond is only a fragment of the cascade of reservoirs that can be seen in Versailles. As well as in the palace of the French kings, the far corners of the garden were made according to the canons of English park art, that is, wildlife was only slightly retouched, and beautiful paths were laid among meadows and groves.
According to the then fashionable philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Catherine the First decided to do gardening. But now there is nothing left of the beds of cabbage and the apple orchard at the back wall of the palace. But before it stretched to the Mirage Pond (now the Presidential Palace is standing there).
The newest attraction in Kadriorg Park is the Japanese Garden. He appeared only in 2011. The project was developed for him by the famous landscape designer Masao Sone. Despite the harsh Estonian climate, blooming flowers can be seen in the Japanese garden from early spring to late autumn.
Park buildings
Kadriorg is famous for the fact that it was never a closed territory. In the park it was possible to walk to the inhabitants of Tallinn, admire the flowers and black swans floating in the ponds. Therefore Yekaterinental got its affectionate Estonian name.
What other buildings besides the Imperial Palace can be seen in Kadriorg park? Of course, the "House of Peter the Great", which, in fact, is an old family estate of Estonian landowners. After the death of the king and his wife, he was abandoned, but again restored under Alexander the First and turned into a museum - the oldest in Tallinn.
Mirage pond in the early twentieth century overgrown. He was covered with earth, and a palace was erected on the site that had arisen, in which the first president of Estonia, Konstantin Päts, settled in 1938. They still not only work there, but also live the heads of state.
At the edge of the park stands the modern building of the KUMU Museum. On the street of Lydia Koidula adjacent to the green zone, there is another building in which chintz manufactory was previously located. Now there is the Russian Museum of Estonia.
Near the Imperial Palace, you can see the outbuildings, which used to have landlords' services: a kitchen, a cellar, a guardhouse. Now these buildings are occupied by cafes and the exposition of the Mikkel Museum.
What you need to know before visiting Kadriorg
The area of ​​the park is quite large. Even if you plan to simply admire nature and not go to any museum, you need to set aside at least an hour to inspect it. Kadriorg Park in Tallinn has many beautiful sculptures that you will want to photograph.
The green zone overlooks the Baltic Sea. To visit all museums one ticket is valid. No matter what kind of exposure you want to start your trip to the temples of art. Tickets can be purchased at any of Kadriorg's museums.
Tourists recommend getting to know the park from the Swan Pond, on which a romantic gazebo rises. And of the museums, the Imperial Palace is a must.
Despite the fact that during the years of the October Revolution the Council of Workers' Deputies of Revel was located there, the lobby, the large hall and some other rooms preserved rich stucco molding and beautifully decorated tiled stoves. Now in the palace is the Art Museum.
Kadriorg park (Tallinn): how to get there
The address of this vast green area is quite simple: Kadriorg, A. Weizenbergi 37, Tallinn. It is also easily accessible from the city center. All residents of Tallinn know this attraction of the capital of Estonia and will be happy to show the way.
The big street of Laagna Tee passes Kadriorg, which extends on one side, and on the other there is another green area. This is Pae Park, famous for its beautiful large lake.
The easiest way to get here is by tram. Kadriorg is listed as the final stop of routes 3 and 1. After exiting the tram, you need to go further in the direction of travel until you see the gate to the park.
You can come here by bus. Routes 5, 1A, 8, 35, 34A, 38, 63 and 60 have a Kadriorg stop (not the final one!).
If you arrived in Tallinn by car, do not rush to leave it at paid parking lots on Laagna Tee Avenue. Look for the small street Valge. Free parking is located next to the KUMU Museum, which you can reach via the underground passage.
Want to get to the park faster? Cross the road, go along the fence of KUMU and go down the stairs. Before you will be the Presidential Palace.
What museums to visit
We have already mentioned that admission to Kadriorg Park (Estonia) is free. And to visit the numerous museums located in this green zone, a single ticket is valid. So when choosing a temple of art, you can proceed only from your own taste preferences.
The richest collection in the Imperial Palace. In addition to the suite of rooms where Peter the Great and Catherine the First once lived, one can admire the canvases and sculptures of foreign masters. The exposition of the Art Museum operates at KUMU. Peter's house will be interesting to those who are interested in this period of Russian history. A private collection of paintings is in the Mikkel Museum.
If you came to the park with a baby, take a look at Miyamilla. This museum houses a collection of toys from different eras and nations. There are also houses on the territory of Kadriorg, whose exposition is dedicated to the classics of Estonian literature Tammsaare and Eduard Wilde.
When to go to museums
Even in bad weather, you can walk around Kadriorg Park. The opening hours of museums need to be known so as not to “kiss the doors”. In the warm season (from May to September), it is closed on Mondays, and in the cold season also on Tuesdays.
On the remaining days of the week, museums are open from ten in the morning until five in the evening, except on Wednesdays, when the doors for the last visitors close at 20:00.
Ticket price
To get to the museums of the Kadriorg park (it doesn’t matter - one or all at once, if you have time), an adult needs to pay incomplete five euros (365 rubles). For children, schoolchildren, students, senior citizens a discount ticket is valid. It costs only 2.80 euros (about 200 rubles).
Better to visit museums with the whole family. “Family Ticket” in this case will cost only 9.30 (683 rubles). Travelers strongly recommend purchasing the Tallinn-Kart tourist. She, among other bonuses, gives the right to free access to all museums in Kadriorg.