2 Jan 2025
Photo Parade 2024
I’ve decided to participate in the annual Photo Parade (Fotoparade) on Michael’s blog Erkunde die Welt (Discover the World) again. My post from last year’s parade can be found here.
Michael offers several key words every year, so I’ve tried to find some photos for the categories 2024 from the collection of my tour to Latvia, Estonia and Helsinki (plus Kiel again upon return) in spring.
Category: Architecture (Architektur)
Open Air Museum Kiel-Molfsee, modern entrance building
The State Museum for Ethnology, presenting historical houses relocated from the county of Schleswig Holstein, in Molfesee near Kiel has recently openend its new entrance and exhibition area. It consists of two houses with a cladding of corten steel which imitate the form of historical houses and barns with their high roofs (which are usually thatched with reed).
The Vanšu Bridge in Riga
I love how the sun makes the cables sparkle. The Vanšu Bridge – then named Gorky Bridge – was built in 1981, during the Sovjet occupation. It is 595 metres long, with a central pylon of 109 metres height, and spans the Daugava river, connecting the city of Riga with Ķīpsala island. The word vanšu refers to the suspension cables holding the bridge.
The tower to the left is the Swedbank Main Office in Riga. It is nicknamed Saules Akmens (Sun Rock), was completed in 2004, and is 122 metres high.
Category: Town (Stadt)
Helsinki, seen from the sea
It is always nice if you can get a pretty view of a town from either above or from some distance that shows a pretty side (and not the often less attractive suburbs). This one was not taken on the big ferry from Tallinn, but from a smaller boat during a tour in the archipelago landscape of Helsinki.
Tartu (Estonia), the Town Hall Square
Tartu in Estonia is Tallinn’s underrated little sister. It is less tourist-y, but a lively place due to the many students. I picked the Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square), the historical centre of the town, though the buildings framing the place today are mostly of the classicist style. The trapezoid shaped square had been the main trading area, located between the town hall and the river Emajõgi. Today, it is a meeting point, framed by several restaurants, and a lovely spot on a warm and still bright evening in late spring.
House of the Blackheads in Riga
An iconic view in Riga: the House of the Blackheads. The building dates back to 1334, then serving as warehouse and meeting place for merchants. The Brotherhood of Blackheads Guild – a guild for unmarried merchants – used the house as a guest house and inn since the mid-15th century. Some of the decorations of the facade date to the 17th respective 19th century.
The building was damaged by bombs in 1941, and the Sovjet occupants knocked down the remains in 1948. The house was rebuilt according to old plans, photos and studies by the Riga Polytechnic Institute 1996-2000, so Riga has its landmark back in full splendour.
Detail from Riga’s old town
A typical feature of Medieval towns with their historical centres still intact are small lanes, passageways and little yards that make for a charming maze to walk.
Tallinn: the iconic view from the Toompea Hill to the old town
One typical motive featuring Tallinn is the view from the Toompea Hill where the castle and cathedral are located, over the old town with the town wall towers and further to the harbour and sea. Of couse, I took some shots from that balcony like a good little tourist. *grin*
Tallinn, the town walls
Another feature typical for old towns are town walls. They are not always preserved – with the development of advanced siege techniques and the growth of the cities beyond their Medieval borders, the walls were frequently dismantled. But some towns – like Tallinn – kept at least part of the walls which nowadays are maintained as historical attractions.
This is the oldest section of the Tallinn town wall, built in the 13th century. It became one of the strongest town defenses in Northern Europe during the following centuries. Today, about two kilometres of the wall still exist, as well as 26 towers and two gates.
Tallinn, St. Olaf’s Church
Churches are also an intergral part of towns. They are also often difficult to photograph, because the houses cluster around and you can’t get a wide angle view. What you can get is photos of parts of the churches, or put your head back and catch a tower. This photo might also fit the next category.
St.Olaf’s Church dates back to the 12th century, but was rebuilt in the 14th century, and again in 1649-51, after a fire had destroyed the church and its landmark tower – the tower served as signal for ships during several centuries.
Category: Above / Up / At the Top (oben)
Helsinki, the copper ceiling of the Rock Church
The “Rock Church” (Temppeliaukion Kirkko - Church at the Temple Square) in Helsinki was built in the 1960ies by the architects Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, though the plans date back to the 1930ies. It was built into a granite rock and has a copper roof with 180 skylight windows; the cupola is 13 metres high. The granite walls inside were left roughly hewn in their natural hues which, together with the copper plate ceiling, gives the round hall an unusual atmosphere. To get an impression of the interior, click here.
Helsinki, dome of the Uspenski Cathedral
The Uspenski Cathedral ist the largest Orthodox cathedral in Finland. It is dedicated to the Dormition (= the death and ascension) of the Virgin Mary. The idea for the construction of an orthodox church dates back to 1812, shortly after Finland was made a Grand Duchy under Russian supremacy during the reign of Tsar Alexander I. But it would take until the 1860ies for it to be actually built.
The interior is very rich with lots of gold, colour, and icones in a neo-Byzantine style. I would have liked to stand directly under the main cupola for this photo, but parts of the interior are cordoned off, so visitors have to follow a path.
Category: Mountains (Bergwelt)
I changed that one to Landscape because the Baltic States aren’t exactly a mountain area. But I got plenty of photos of the pretty archipelago landscape outside Helsinki, therefore I’ll share some of those.
Helsinki archipelago
There isn’t much to comment. *grin* Blue sea, blue sky – a nice day on Suomenlinna island. There is a large fortress on the island, but the fortifications and buildings are spread out and partly hidden, so you can easily catch views without any of them.
Seurasaari island (Helsinki)
Seurasaari island can be reached by a bridge. The shore vegetation is more lake-like and looked pretty in the afternoon sun. The island houses an open air museum with old rural houses from Finland.
Latvia, Gauja river valley
The Gauja National Park in Latvia is the one area I visited that may qualify as ‘mountains’. The park was founded in 1973. It encompasses about 90,000 hectares of hilly land around the Gauja river valley and offers a number of hiking routes.
Gauja National Park, view from Sigulda Castle
Geologically, the rocks in the park are mostly 350-370 million year old sandstone formations in shades of red, orange and yellow, including a number of cliffs and caves. Most of the park is covered by deciduous forst.
Category: Black and White (Schwarz/Weiss)
I don’t do black and white photography any longer (I did it a lot back when we still had to use film rolls), but some photos come out nicely when using the feature in some photo editing program.
Loading cranes in Klaipeda harbour (Lithuania)
My way to the Baltic States is the ferry from Kiel to Klaipeda – I consider travelling that way very relaxing, though of course, it takes more time than a flight to Riga or Vilnius. I took some photos of the harbour from the upper deck of the ferry in the evening before it set ‘sail’.
The Snail Tower in Tartu
The Tigutorn is an appartment building in Tartu, designed by Estonian architects Vilen Künnapu and Ain Padrik. It was openend in 2008 and offers flats, offices and a parking house on a space of 23 floors. The tower is designed as a sprial with irregular windows. It surely looks less boring than your average multi-appartment house.
There was a thunderstorm coming in, and the tower looked interesting against the darkening sky even in colour, but the contrasts got stronger in black and white.
Category: Surprise (Überraschung)
That category was a bit difficult since I planned the tour ahead and knew what I wanted to see. But the unusually warm and sunny weather was a pleasant surprise. It’s not every year there will be up to 28°C in late May in Helskini or Tallinn, and the evenings still warm as well.
Beach outside Helsinki in May 2024
I didn’t think about bringing a bathing suit, or I might have joined those brave Fins down there. I prefer colder water for swimming anyway.
Impression from the Open Air Musem Kiel-Molfsee
Another place that could qualify as ‘surprise’ was my spontaneous visit to the Open Air Museum in Kiel-Molfsee. I had been there as a child when our family regularly spent the summer holidays at the Baltic Sea in the 1970ies, and found it quite fascinating. But I didn’t remember how beautiful the place was. Also, they have meanwhile added more houses that could be safely relocated. I spent some pleasant hours walking around and peeking into the houses.
Category of my Own: Castles (Burgen)
I picked ‘Castles’ again, because I got a really nice booty of those this time.
Turku Castle (Finland), inner bailey
The oldest parts of the castle in Turku date back to the late 13th century. At that time the castle was the seat of the Swedish administration of the provice Eastland, as Finland was called. During the following years, the castle was expanded and the fortifications strengthened. The castle lost its status as administrative centre in the 17th century, but was never destroyed or badly damaged.
Turaida Castle (Latvia), the keep
I like how the red bricks come out against those clouds. Turaida Castle was commissioned by Albert of Buxthoeveden, Archbishop of Riga, in 1214, and built by the Livonian Sword Brothers. The masons of the order used bricks like in many churchesand castles in northern Germany and the Baltic states. The defensive systems of the castle were strengthened in later centuries. Turaida Castle was the seat of the bailiff of the archbishop of Riga until the secularization of the archbishopric in 1566. It lost its military importance, and after a fire in 1776, the castle became a ruin.
Cēsis Castle (Latvia), the main gate with bridge
Cēsis Castle is one of the most important castles in Latvia. It, too, was constructed by the Livonian Sword Brothers, but the original castle had been thoroughly altered when the Sword Brothers merged with the Teutonic Knights in 1236. The latter set up Cēsis according to the castellum pattern they used for their castles.
Cēsis Castle, double set of curtain walls
Cēsis Castle was damaged during the Livonian War (1577) by a Russian army under Ivan the Terrible. Later, the castle came to Sweden and was the property of the High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna (1583-1654). The castle was damaged during the Northern War (1700-1720) and remained a ruin.
Haapsalu Castle (Estonia), curtain walls
Haapsalu Castle was the seat of the bishop of Ösel-Wiek since the 14th century. When the bishopric was founded in 1228, the bishops at first worked together with the Order of the Sword Brothers, but after some time, the rivalry between both powers increased, and the bishops decided to have some strong castle of their own. Haapsalu Castle was altered during the following three centuries, adapting to the developments of arms and warfare. The castle grounds cover about 30,000 square metres, enclosed by walls at least a metre thick (in some places up to 1.80 metres) and ten metres high.
More information about my tour 2024 can be found here and here. ¶ January 02, 2025
I’ve decided to participate in the annual Photo Parade (Fotoparade) on Michael’s blog Erkunde die Welt (Discover the World) again. My post from last year’s parade can be found here.
Michael offers several key words every year, so I’ve tried to find some photos for the categories 2024 from the collection of my tour to Latvia, Estonia and Helsinki (plus Kiel again upon return) in spring.
Category: Architecture (Architektur)
The State Museum for Ethnology, presenting historical houses relocated from the county of Schleswig Holstein, in Molfesee near Kiel has recently openend its new entrance and exhibition area. It consists of two houses with a cladding of corten steel which imitate the form of historical houses and barns with their high roofs (which are usually thatched with reed).
I love how the sun makes the cables sparkle. The Vanšu Bridge – then named Gorky Bridge – was built in 1981, during the Sovjet occupation. It is 595 metres long, with a central pylon of 109 metres height, and spans the Daugava river, connecting the city of Riga with Ķīpsala island. The word vanšu refers to the suspension cables holding the bridge.
The tower to the left is the Swedbank Main Office in Riga. It is nicknamed Saules Akmens (Sun Rock), was completed in 2004, and is 122 metres high.
Category: Town (Stadt)
It is always nice if you can get a pretty view of a town from either above or from some distance that shows a pretty side (and not the often less attractive suburbs). This one was not taken on the big ferry from Tallinn, but from a smaller boat during a tour in the archipelago landscape of Helsinki.
Tartu in Estonia is Tallinn’s underrated little sister. It is less tourist-y, but a lively place due to the many students. I picked the Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square), the historical centre of the town, though the buildings framing the place today are mostly of the classicist style. The trapezoid shaped square had been the main trading area, located between the town hall and the river Emajõgi. Today, it is a meeting point, framed by several restaurants, and a lovely spot on a warm and still bright evening in late spring.
An iconic view in Riga: the House of the Blackheads. The building dates back to 1334, then serving as warehouse and meeting place for merchants. The Brotherhood of Blackheads Guild – a guild for unmarried merchants – used the house as a guest house and inn since the mid-15th century. Some of the decorations of the facade date to the 17th respective 19th century.
The building was damaged by bombs in 1941, and the Sovjet occupants knocked down the remains in 1948. The house was rebuilt according to old plans, photos and studies by the Riga Polytechnic Institute 1996-2000, so Riga has its landmark back in full splendour.
A typical feature of Medieval towns with their historical centres still intact are small lanes, passageways and little yards that make for a charming maze to walk.
One typical motive featuring Tallinn is the view from the Toompea Hill where the castle and cathedral are located, over the old town with the town wall towers and further to the harbour and sea. Of couse, I took some shots from that balcony like a good little tourist. *grin*
Another feature typical for old towns are town walls. They are not always preserved – with the development of advanced siege techniques and the growth of the cities beyond their Medieval borders, the walls were frequently dismantled. But some towns – like Tallinn – kept at least part of the walls which nowadays are maintained as historical attractions.
This is the oldest section of the Tallinn town wall, built in the 13th century. It became one of the strongest town defenses in Northern Europe during the following centuries. Today, about two kilometres of the wall still exist, as well as 26 towers and two gates.
Churches are also an intergral part of towns. They are also often difficult to photograph, because the houses cluster around and you can’t get a wide angle view. What you can get is photos of parts of the churches, or put your head back and catch a tower. This photo might also fit the next category.
St.Olaf’s Church dates back to the 12th century, but was rebuilt in the 14th century, and again in 1649-51, after a fire had destroyed the church and its landmark tower – the tower served as signal for ships during several centuries.
Category: Above / Up / At the Top (oben)
The “Rock Church” (Temppeliaukion Kirkko - Church at the Temple Square) in Helsinki was built in the 1960ies by the architects Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, though the plans date back to the 1930ies. It was built into a granite rock and has a copper roof with 180 skylight windows; the cupola is 13 metres high. The granite walls inside were left roughly hewn in their natural hues which, together with the copper plate ceiling, gives the round hall an unusual atmosphere. To get an impression of the interior, click here.
The Uspenski Cathedral ist the largest Orthodox cathedral in Finland. It is dedicated to the Dormition (= the death and ascension) of the Virgin Mary. The idea for the construction of an orthodox church dates back to 1812, shortly after Finland was made a Grand Duchy under Russian supremacy during the reign of Tsar Alexander I. But it would take until the 1860ies for it to be actually built.
The interior is very rich with lots of gold, colour, and icones in a neo-Byzantine style. I would have liked to stand directly under the main cupola for this photo, but parts of the interior are cordoned off, so visitors have to follow a path.
Category: Mountains (Bergwelt)
I changed that one to Landscape because the Baltic States aren’t exactly a mountain area. But I got plenty of photos of the pretty archipelago landscape outside Helsinki, therefore I’ll share some of those.
There isn’t much to comment. *grin* Blue sea, blue sky – a nice day on Suomenlinna island. There is a large fortress on the island, but the fortifications and buildings are spread out and partly hidden, so you can easily catch views without any of them.
Seurasaari island can be reached by a bridge. The shore vegetation is more lake-like and looked pretty in the afternoon sun. The island houses an open air museum with old rural houses from Finland.
The Gauja National Park in Latvia is the one area I visited that may qualify as ‘mountains’. The park was founded in 1973. It encompasses about 90,000 hectares of hilly land around the Gauja river valley and offers a number of hiking routes.
Geologically, the rocks in the park are mostly 350-370 million year old sandstone formations in shades of red, orange and yellow, including a number of cliffs and caves. Most of the park is covered by deciduous forst.
Category: Black and White (Schwarz/Weiss)
I don’t do black and white photography any longer (I did it a lot back when we still had to use film rolls), but some photos come out nicely when using the feature in some photo editing program.
My way to the Baltic States is the ferry from Kiel to Klaipeda – I consider travelling that way very relaxing, though of course, it takes more time than a flight to Riga or Vilnius. I took some photos of the harbour from the upper deck of the ferry in the evening before it set ‘sail’.
The Tigutorn is an appartment building in Tartu, designed by Estonian architects Vilen Künnapu and Ain Padrik. It was openend in 2008 and offers flats, offices and a parking house on a space of 23 floors. The tower is designed as a sprial with irregular windows. It surely looks less boring than your average multi-appartment house.
There was a thunderstorm coming in, and the tower looked interesting against the darkening sky even in colour, but the contrasts got stronger in black and white.
Category: Surprise (Überraschung)
That category was a bit difficult since I planned the tour ahead and knew what I wanted to see. But the unusually warm and sunny weather was a pleasant surprise. It’s not every year there will be up to 28°C in late May in Helskini or Tallinn, and the evenings still warm as well.
I didn’t think about bringing a bathing suit, or I might have joined those brave Fins down there. I prefer colder water for swimming anyway.
Another place that could qualify as ‘surprise’ was my spontaneous visit to the Open Air Museum in Kiel-Molfsee. I had been there as a child when our family regularly spent the summer holidays at the Baltic Sea in the 1970ies, and found it quite fascinating. But I didn’t remember how beautiful the place was. Also, they have meanwhile added more houses that could be safely relocated. I spent some pleasant hours walking around and peeking into the houses.
Category of my Own: Castles (Burgen)
I picked ‘Castles’ again, because I got a really nice booty of those this time.
The oldest parts of the castle in Turku date back to the late 13th century. At that time the castle was the seat of the Swedish administration of the provice Eastland, as Finland was called. During the following years, the castle was expanded and the fortifications strengthened. The castle lost its status as administrative centre in the 17th century, but was never destroyed or badly damaged.
I like how the red bricks come out against those clouds. Turaida Castle was commissioned by Albert of Buxthoeveden, Archbishop of Riga, in 1214, and built by the Livonian Sword Brothers. The masons of the order used bricks like in many churchesand castles in northern Germany and the Baltic states. The defensive systems of the castle were strengthened in later centuries. Turaida Castle was the seat of the bailiff of the archbishop of Riga until the secularization of the archbishopric in 1566. It lost its military importance, and after a fire in 1776, the castle became a ruin.
Cēsis Castle is one of the most important castles in Latvia. It, too, was constructed by the Livonian Sword Brothers, but the original castle had been thoroughly altered when the Sword Brothers merged with the Teutonic Knights in 1236. The latter set up Cēsis according to the castellum pattern they used for their castles.
Cēsis Castle was damaged during the Livonian War (1577) by a Russian army under Ivan the Terrible. Later, the castle came to Sweden and was the property of the High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna (1583-1654). The castle was damaged during the Northern War (1700-1720) and remained a ruin.
Haapsalu Castle was the seat of the bishop of Ösel-Wiek since the 14th century. When the bishopric was founded in 1228, the bishops at first worked together with the Order of the Sword Brothers, but after some time, the rivalry between both powers increased, and the bishops decided to have some strong castle of their own. Haapsalu Castle was altered during the following three centuries, adapting to the developments of arms and warfare. The castle grounds cover about 30,000 square metres, enclosed by walls at least a metre thick (in some places up to 1.80 metres) and ten metres high.
More information about my tour 2024 can be found here and here. ¶ January 02, 2025
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