Tallinn, Estonia

Sender: Ella

Ella lives in Tallinn and writes that this is a view of Tallinn Old Town, showing the Fat Margaret's Tower and Oleviste Church.

Fat Margaret's Tower (Paks Margareeta) was built in the early 16th century to defend the city from the seaward side of town. The origins of Fat Margaret's name are a mystery. Some theories insist it was named for one of its larger cannons, while others hint at a cook called Margaret who once worked here. Now it's home to the Estonian Maritime Museum.

St. Olaf’s Church or St. Olav's Church (Oleviste) was built sometime in the 13th Century. Although the Church is widely acknowledged to be named after the Norwegian King Olav II Haraldsson, another legend has it that it was named after an architect who promised to build it for free - if only the townspeople could guess his name. The architect was just fixing the cross on the steeple, when someone shouted out that it was Olev. The architect realised that he had forfeited his fee, slipped and fell to his death. Subsequently the Church took its Estonian name 'Oleviste'. 

Tallinn's Old Town is in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.