That day in Tallinn was unusually sunny for February, and my friend took me to the historical park of Kadriorg, historical - because its appearance was connected to Russian tsar, Emperor, Peter the Great and his wife, Katherine.
My friend drove us there. To reach the park, we went down the stairs with the nice view.
My previous post about the tsar Peter the Great's old "palace", also located in Kadriorg, can be found here:
You won't believe but it's a tsar's house
It is on the photo below and does not look like a king's palace at all, does it? But it was that!
The park got its name from Katherine I, tsar Peter's wife, as he started its foundation for her and in her honour. Peter the Great also started to build a stylish Baroque palace to stay in summer. Katherine was lowborn, that is why some tourist guide like to call it "The Palace for Cinderella".
Tsar Peter was so involved in his idea to build the park and the palace there, that he started taking measurements for the palace foundation and the park HIMSELF before architect Michetti arrived from Saint-Petersburg.
It took them seven years to build the Baroque palace with the park ensemble but, regrettably, Peter the Great died an early death in 1725, so not all of his spectacular ideas were realized.
Let me remind you that it was February when I was taking these photos - not the best time for that because of our climate with cold and snowy weather. I must go to Tallinn in the summer time to show you the real beauty of Kadriorg.
Water has always been some special thing for me. I find something mesmerizing, bewitching in it. Especially when it is running.
For our walk, we choose the remote side of the park where the nature looked nearly wild.
While walking, we ran into these info posters and I was surprised to know about a number of different species of bats found living in Kadriorg Park.
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I am sure this funny creatures stay and feel save in the park with lots of its spots of real nature and caring park rangers.
A frozen spring, I guess.
Leaving the park, we ran into the alley of young trees labelled with names of people who planted them to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. In front of one of the trees the was label: "THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES THE PRINCE and PRINCESS EDWARD, EARL AND COUNTESS OF WESSEX"
We found a spot with a scattering of boulders. Huge boulders can be found everywhere in Estonia. They were brought here by a melting glacier during the Ice Age and now they are under the State Protection.
Probably they were Estonian boulders which inspired the stuff to add a new part to the Park - the Japanese Garden. Unfortunately, it was closed in winter. I managed to take just these pictures of it. Well, welcome in the summer to see the Park in all its beauty!
We are leaving the Kadriorg Park for the sea. And funny constructions along the Alley - wooden frames holding transparent plastic or glass with immages of animals and their names in Estonian. for me, it was quite strange to see but that could be some artists' exhibition...
Then we are crossing the road, and can see the Monument "Rusalka" - famous in Estonia.
This beautiful monument was built mostly on people's money by the sea in Kadriorg in memory to the sailors who died in the wreck of the Russian battleship Rusalka (the name can be translated as "mermaid") in 1893.
All the crew of the battleship (177 members) were killed in a storm on its way from Tallinn to Helsinki. The sculpture is the work of Estonian sculptor Amandus Adamson.
I could not resist to take pictures of these funny trees which will be very beautiful in the summer, but now look just strange 🙂 .
On the shore, in front of the monument, here are some nice benches where you can sit enjoying the view of the port and the strait of Finland.
