I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the best
of Europe. This time we're in the north of Europe - exploring two great capitals on the
Baltic Sea - Tallinn and Helsinki. Thanks for joining us. Helsinki and Tallinn each suffered through
a challenging 20th century. But today both are enjoying good times. Long-time Baltic
cousins, Finns travel to Tallinn for affordable R&R and people in Estonia watched Helsinki
TV all through the Cold War to at least know what freedom and prosperity looked like back
when they didn't have it. In Helsinki we'll stroll with Finns on their
grand esplanade, explore the "Gibraltar of the North," visit both of Helsinki's iconic
cathedrals, simmer in a sauna, and cruise the islands of Helsinki's harbor. Then we'll
cross the Baltic to Estonia, and stroll Tallinn's remarkably preserved old town, relax in the
gardens of a Russian Palace, check out Social Realism - Estonian style, and learn how Estonians
sang their way to freedom from the Soviet Union. In the North of Europe, the Baltic Sea is
ringed by Russia, the Baltic nations and the Scandinavian nations. We start in Finland's
capital Helsinki and then ferry to Estonia's capital, Tallinn. Helsinki is the only European capital with
no medieval past. It was founded and ruled by the Swedes in the 16th century to be a
strategic Baltic port. But the location was poor and it never amounted to more than a
village. Then, in the 18th century, the Swedes built a huge fortress in the harbor and Helsinki
grew and prospered. Today, with over half a million people, Helsinki
is by far Finland's leading city. In spite of its Swedish roots, old Helsinki feels Russian.
That's because when the Russians took over Finland in 1809 they made it Finland's capital
modeled after their capital, St. Petersburg - stone buildings, white trim and neo-classical
columns. Since downtown Helsinki wasn't built until
the 1800s, it was more logically designed and laid out than other European capitals. Helsinki's grand boulevard, the Esplanadi,
provides wide and inviting sidewalks for shoppers and a people-friendly park up the middle.
The city seems designed to promote a sense of community and on warm summer days people
take full advantage. Café Kappeli is an old-world oasis of coffee
and relaxation. In the 19th century, this was a popular hangout for Russian officers,
local intellectuals, and artists. The bandstand features live music almost daily in the summer. The arrival of cruise ships - sliding through
tight passages between Helsinki's surrounding islands -energizes the city each day. Most
travelers arrive by cruise ship. The towering Viking and Silja ships are each floating hotels
for the thousands making the scenic island-studded trip from Stockholm. Hopping off their boat, visitors head directly
for Helsinki's delightful and vibrant harbor square. Explore the colorful outdoor market;
part souvenirs and crafts and part veggies and fruit. Rick: The strawberries here are famous
Strawberry Seller: They are famous, yes, they are very nice ones and these ones are grown
on the islands, the archipelago of Finland. Rick: Can I try?
Rick: And organic from the islands? Strawberry Seller: Yes, really nice ones,
no pesticides used. Rick: Mmm, nice, I'll have a little box please. The market is the place for the most casual,
quick-and-cheap lunch in town. The salmon grills are a favorite. Everyone from the Finnish
President on down to visiting tourists stops by for a dash of local flavor. While Helsinki's history is short, monuments
to it are everywhere. The Czarina's Stone, with its double-headed eagle of imperial Russia,
was erected in 1835 to celebrate the visit by Czar Nicholas and Czarina Alexandra. This fountain has become a symbol of Helsinki,
the city nick-named the "Daughter of the Baltic." The voluptuous figure, modeled after the artist's
Parisian mistress, was a scandal in its more puritan day. A short ferry ride takes us across the harbor
to Helsinki's most important sight. Suomenlinna, an island guarding Helsinki's harbor, served
as a strategic fortress for three countries: Sweden, Russia, and then Finland. It's now
a popular park with a fascinating story. The fortress was built by the Swedes with
French financial support in the mid-1700s to counter Russia's rise to power. Russia's
Peter the Great had just built his new capital, St. Petersburg, nearby on the Baltic and he
was eyeing the West. Think of it as European superpower chess.
The Russians moved to St. Petersburg. The French countered by moving a Swedish castle
here to Helsinki; stopping the Russian offensive...at least for the time being. The fortress was Sweden's military pride and
joy. With five miles of walls and hundreds of cannon, it was the second mightiest fort
of its kind in Europe after Gibraltar. Built by more than 10,000 workers, the fort
was a huge investment and stimulated lots of innovation. In the 1760s, this was the
world's biggest and most modern dry dock. After the construction of this fort, the village
of Helsinki became a boom town supporting this grand "Gibraltar of the North." Today Suomenlinna is most appreciated by locals
for its scenic strolls. Explore the park. There are ramparts to ramble and cannon to
ponder. Cafés nestle in the shade of the walls. You'll find Finns on the rocks, and
families enjoying their humble beach. Back in town, Helsinki's Senate Square - with
the Lutheran cathedral as its centerpiece - is one of the finest Neoclassical squares
in all of Europe. The buildings which formed the original square
burned down in 1808. Then, after Finland became part of the Russian Empire, the czar sent
in his leading architect, Carl Engel, to rebuild the square and give it the stature and elegance
it has today. This statue honors Russian Czar Alexander
II. While not popular in Russia (in fact, he was eventually assassinated), Finns liked
him. He gave Finland more autonomy in 1863 and never pushed the "Russification" of Finland. The staircase leading up to the cathedral
is a popular meeting (and tanning) spot. This is where students from the nearby university
gather...and couples meet. With its stately dome and statues of twelve
apostles, the Lutheran Cathedral overlooks the city and harbor. Finished in 1852, its
austerity is striking. I like to take a moment, surrounded by Finland's great reformers, to
savor neoclassical simplicity. Physically, this church seems perfectly Protestant
- unadorned - with the emphasis on two things: preaching with its prominent pulpit, and music
with its grand organ. Statuary is limited to the Reformation big shots: Martin Luther,
Philip Melanchthon (Luther's intellectual sidekick), and the leading Finnish Reformer,
Mikael Agricola. A follower of Luther in Germany, Agricola
brought the Reformation here to Finland. He also translated the Bible into Finnish. Agricola's
Bible is to Finland what the Luther Bible is to Germany and the King James Bible is
to the English-speaking world. Nearby, also overlooking Helsinki, is the
Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral. It faces the Lutheran Cathedral much as Russian culture
faces Europe. Built in 1868 for the Russians back when Finland belonged to Russia, its
main dome represents the "sacred heart of Jesus," while the smaller ones represent the
hearts of the 12 apostles. Today this is the spiritual home of the city's
Finnish Orthodox community. Its interior offers a rich experience. Icons of saints oversee
flickering candles which represent prayers of the Orthodox faithful. These plush Eastern
images are a stark contrast to the spare Lutheran Cathedral. Helsinki is set in a natural wonderland. And
hopping a boat tour for a ninety-minute cruise makes that very clear. The several-hundred
islands of its archipelago provide a delightful playground. Leaving the harbor you pass mighty
ice breakers in their summer slumber. With the capacity to break through 15 feet of ice,
they're a reminder of the bitter Baltic winters. Lonely cabins cap glacier ground granite.
Finns are good at getting the most out of the long days of their short summer. Many
have family cabins here and a standard feature is a free-standing sauna. But you don't need a cabin to enjoy a sauna.
At this neighborhood sauna the regulars gather daily. Each morning the wood fire is stoked.
That afternoon - in parallel facilities - men and women come to relax. For the Finns, the
sauna is a lifestyle. Popular year around, it's especially appealing in the long cold
winters. Buckets of icy water are great for dousing when you get too hot. Finns claim
that bundles of birch twigs enhance the experience - increasing circulation, opening your pores,
and spritzing the air with a wonderful birch aroma. Cap the experience relaxing with the local
gang on the sidewalk just outside. Public trams can serve as a handy vehicle
for a budget, do-it-yourself tour. Helsinki's tram #3 makes a scenic city loop. It runs
every few minutes; tickets are good for an hour, and it's great for hopping on and off
to sightsee. The train station was built in the early 1900s.
Its stern figures with lamps recall a time when this city provided light to a mostly
rural nation and the rest of the world seemed very far away. A couple stops away is the city's main shopping
drag. The Three Blacksmiths statue has stood here since 1932. Locals say it celebrates
human labor and cooperation and shows the solid character of the Finnish people. Finland stood courageously strong against
the Soviet Union and artfully maintained its independence through the Cold War. Today,
tucked up here in the far north corner of Europe, this city seems to celebrate both
peace and culture. Six hundred stainless-steel pipes, shimmering
in a park, honor Finland's greatest composer, Jean Sibelius. The monument is built on solid
rock, as is so much of Finland. Sibelius, who composed in the late 19th century
and early 20th, wrote music that stirred the national soul. His music - like paintings
by Finland's romantic artists hanging in the national gallery - evokes the vast forest
land, mythic legends, deep pagan roots...and heroic struggles of a stoic nation. Music
and art that is uniquely Finnish contribute to the staying power of this small country
of five million. A selection of ferries make the 50 mile crossing
between Helsinki and Tallinn nearly hourly. Because of the ease of this delightful two-hour
cruise and the variety a quick trip over to Estonia adds to your Nordic travels, pairing
Helsinki and Tallinn is a natural. Stepping off the boat in Tallinn, the capital
of Estonia, you feel you've traveled a long way culturally from Finland. It's a mix of
east and west. Tallinn's Nordic Lutheran culture and language connect it with Stockholm and
Helsinki. But two centuries of czarist Russian rule and nearly 50 years as part of the Soviet
Union have blended in a distinctly Russian flavor. Finns and Estonians share a similar history
- first Swedish domination, then Russian, then independence after World War I. Until
1940, the Estonians were about as affluent as the Finns. But then Estonia was gobbled
up by an expanding Soviet Empire and spent the decades after WWII under communism. When
the USSR fell, Estonia regained its freedom and in 2004 it joined the European Union. Tallinn has modernized at an astounding rate
since the fall of the Soviet Union. Its business district shines with the same glass and steel
gleam you'll find in any modern city. Yet nearby are the rugged and fully intact medieval
walls and the town within these ramparts has a beautifully preserved Old World ambience.
Among medieval cities in the north of Europe, none are as well-preserved as Tallinn. The Town Hall Square was a marketplace through
the centuries. It's fine old buildings are a reminder that Tallinn was once an important
medieval trading center. Today it's a touristy scene full of people just having fun. Through the season each mid-day, cruise ship
groups congest the center as they blitz the town in the care of local guides. Like many tourist zones, Tallinn's is a commercial
gauntlet. Here, there's a hokey Torture Museum, strolling Russian dolls, medieval theme restaurants
complete with touts, and enthusiastic hawkers of ye olde taste treats. But just a couple blocks away is, for me,
the real attraction of Tallinn - work-a-day locals enjoying real freedom and better economic
times: Still-ramshackle courtyards host inviting cafes. Bistros serve organic cuisine in a
chic patina of old-world-meets new. And just outside the walls, it seems there's
no tourism at all. Under towering ramparts, the former moat is now a park... perfect for
a warm afternoon stroll. In the 15th century, Tallinn consisted of
two feuding medieval towns: The upper town - on a hill, called Toompea - is from where
the country of Estonia has long been ruled. The lower town was an independent city. As
a member of the Hanseatic Trading League, it was an economic power here in the Baltic
world. This thriving port town was filled with mostly
German merchants who hired Estonians to do their menial labor. The Old town feels Germanic
with streets lined by the fancy facades of those 15th century big shot merchants. This merchant's home functioned as his warehouse
and office as well. Its elaborately carved door evokes the wealth of Tallinn's business
class in those days. Stairs lead from the lower old town into the
fortified upper town, Toompea. Climbing into Estonia's historic capital, it's clear the
architecture tells a story. Neighboring Russia has always loomed large
and threatening over little Estonia. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was built here by Russians
in 1900. While a beautiful building, most Estonians don't like this church. It was built to face the Estonian parliament
building, clearly designed to flex Russian cultural muscles during a period of Estonian
national revival. This tower survives from the original Toompea castle. Nicknamed Tall
Hermann, it's a powerful symbol here. For 50 years, throughout the Cold War, Estonian
flags were hidden away and the Soviet flag flew from atop this tower. Then, as the USSR
was unraveling, Estonians proudly and defiantly replaced the red Soviet flag with their own. Today, while Toompea is filled with Estonian
government buildings, it's also simply a pleasant place to stroll and enjoy some romantic viewpoints. Russia's influence over Estonia goes back
long before the Soviet Union. When Russia took over Estonia in 1710, Czar Peter the
Great built the stately Kadriorg Palace for his Czarina, Catherine. The Czarina's private
garden is now Tallinn's finest public park. The standard progression as divine monarchies
give way to modern democracies and the former guard house now serves coffee to commoners. The leading sight within the park is the KuMu
Art Museum, Estonia's striking national gallery, opened with pride and fanfare in 2006. While Estonian art evolved in step with the
rest of Europe - it was also shaped along the way by the nation's history. For instance,
nineteenth century Romanticism was the artistic style of Estonia's aristocratic German landlords
who enjoyed art featuring idyllic Estonian peasant women in folk costumes and idealized
settings. Local artists continued to paint in sync with European styles from Impressionism
through Cubism and so on. But Estonian art parted ways with Western
Europe after the Soviet take-over in 1945 which brought the end of artistic freedom.
The Soviets insisted on one kind of art: Social Realism. This was beyond censorship. Art had
to actively promote the Communist struggle. The Estonian artists' union was forced to
renounce individual expression and be re-educated. The Stalinist formula: "National in style
but socialist in content." Painters produced themes like this, titled "Excellent Young
Communist Workers." Industry was celebrated. Mining was big in
Estonia. So miners were portrayed as heroes, marching like soldiers to their glorious work. Soviet women were shown not as the idyllic
cliché of traditional motherhood but as strong laborers, working side-by-side with men. They
were entirely engaged in the quest to reach the communist ideal. Here, a woman oversees
the bolstering of agricultural production. Posters were a natural fit for Social Realism.
They could be mass produced. They generally came with a proclamation - this one reads,
"It is good to work hard and buy government bonds." And they carried the propaganda message
to every corner of society. In the 1960s things began to change. Many
Estonian artists took a more independent and avant-garde approach, injecting hints of social
commentary into their work. This angered Khrushchev and many of these artists ended up in Siberia. But as the Soviets would eventually learn,
change was unstoppable. Western ideals began to infiltrate. Estonia was the only part of
the USSR where pop art was recognized. Painters featured utopian scenes viewed through the
eyes of alienated urbanites...Artists flirted with the psychedelic as a new generation came
of age. Local guide Mati Rumessen, who grew up under
Communism and did his military service as a driver in the Soviet army, is joining me
to help us better understand the challenges of living fifty years under the Soviets. Mati: I remember when Viru hotel was only
skyscraper in the city and because KGB was very curious of every word spoken by foreign
tourists, we had a local joke that the house was built from Soviet wonder material so called
micro-concrete which would be 60% concrete and about 40% of microphones. Tallinn's vast and blocky suburb of Lasnamae,
with about 90,000 apartment flats, dates back to Communist times. The Soviets attempted
to Russify Estonia by planting or moving people into this country. Because of that about a
quarter of all Tallinners are ethnic Russians. And, as is clear at this predominantly Russian
market, the plantation of people - as it seems is always the case when governments move people
for political purposes - leaves a poorer and struggling ethnic minority and their reluctance
to assimilate leaves long term social challenges. Nearby is the stage from where the people
of Estonia gathered to demand their independence. The Song Festival Grounds, which hosts massive
choral festivals, is a uniquely Estonian institution. This is a national monument because of the
stirring role it played in Estonia's fight for independence. With only a million people, lodged between
Russia and Germany, and without a strong military, Estonians asserted themselves with song...They
say being together and singing together was their power. Rick: 300,000 Estonians gathering here to
sing together. Mati: Yes, one day in 1988, one third of Estonian
nation gathered here to sing. To sing about the freedom, about the independence, to show
to the rest of the world and especially to the Soviet side that we are tired to be one
part of the Soviet system and as we can see now, almost 20 years later that it was successful. Tallinn's Museum of the Occupation rounds
out the story. Suitcases are a reminder of people who fled the country leaving everything
behind. Displays show how Russians managed to keep the Estonians in line. Surveillance
was a part of daily life. Prison doors evoke the countless lives lost in detention and
deportation. And the communist leaders who once lorded over the Estonian people are now
in the basement guarding the toilets. With freedom, Tallinn has joined Helsinki
as a vibrant and welcoming destination. Each has a unique charm: Helsinki with its thriving
esplanade, striking neo-classical design, and island escapes. And Tallinn with its medieval
old town witnessing the emergence of a new prosperity. While Tallinn and Helsinki each have their
own story, traveling here we share in the good times of two resilient and flourishing
nations. Thanks for joining us. I'm Rick Steves. Until next time, keep on traveling. Credits: As a member of the Hanseatic Trading League,
it was a power here in the economic world [Laugh]. Female: You sir you want to have a taste,
come and have a taste. All I want you to do is say hi to the camera.
[Dolls wave and say hi]. Say come to Tallinn. [Come to Tallinn.]
