1936 On the Continent

Baltic to the East, they saw the Estonian islands with their intermittent high chalk cliffs. But in those days Estonia was not a healthy place for warlike merchant “tourists,” because the Estonians themselves were not only skilled in war but also the most enterprising sea traders in the Baltic. How formidable they were as fighters is shown by the fact that in the year 1187 they occupied and destroyed Sigtuna, then the Swedish capital.
    Owing to her geo-political situation, the land of Estonia was coveted both by near and distant neighbours, but all attempts to invade her failed, until the beginning of the thirteenth century, when the country came under German influence. Finally, in 1710, Estonia became a province of the Russian Empire.
Estonia and the Tourist
    But throughout the long period of foreign domination, and down to the present day, the cities of Estonia have retained, in the ancient city walls, churches, fortifications and dwellings, the architectural character of the Middle Ages, so that to-day they present a far more complete picture of that era than does Pompeii of the early Christian era, or the Vale of Luxor of Ancient Egypt.
    Since Estonia became a republic and the Estonian people have been in a position to be their hospitable selves, the country’s tourist traffic has increased to a very considerable extent, and has been visited for long periods by such distinguished people as Mr. H. G. Wells, the Crown Prince of Sweden, and others too numerous to mention.
    To come down to practical questions, what has Estonia to offer to the tourist? Well, first of all—and that is a very important matter these days—the cost of living in Estonia is so cheap that the tourist can live in the country for any period on “next to nothing.” Estonia has few hotels and restaurants that can compare with the Ritzy standards of the West, but the average standard is nevertheless high and the hotels and restaurants that cater forforeign tourists satisfy all reasonable requirements as regards comfort, cleanliness, cuisine and service. In addition, railway and bus fares are the lowest in the whole of Europe.
    But while a holiday in Estonia is decidedly inexpensive, it must be just as decidedly enjoyable to all who take pleasure in lovely scenery, romantic sights, excellent communications, first-rate food and drink, and whole-hearted hospitality.
Tallinn
    The capital of Estonia is Tallinn (formerly Reval), which is situated in a bay and is reminiscent of Naples. Tallinn is not only the most important port of Estonia but also contains a large number of “ancient monuments” of great artistic and historical value, including the medieval fortifications, several ancient churches, and the former palaces of Peter the Great and Catherine II of Russia. As the seat of government Tallinn is naturally a busy town and the centre of the country’s social life. At the same time, it is not a vast city in which you have to travel many miles each day if you wish to see anything, but an intimate, homely place with some 120,000 inhabitants, which is all the friendlier because everyone seems to know everyone else.
    Tartu is a somewhat smaller town than Tallinn. It has a 300 years’ old university and is, as a whole, a romantic old place in which you would not be surprised to meet a knight in armour.
    As Estonia in the past has been the scene of frequent wars, there are medieval fortresses and castles all over the country, a great many being in an excellent state of preservation, so that the tourist can easily visualise the mode of life of that period. But the most impressive old fortresses stand in Narva, about six miles from the Russian border. The river Narva, with its waterfalls and swift currents, runs through the city. Throughout the centuries it has been regarded as the dividing line between East and West, and there was a time when the river constituted the boundary line between Russia and Sweden. It is on the two banks of the river that the above-mentioned fortresses stand; one of them belonged to the Swedes and the otherto the Russians. Narva itself has retained its medieval appearance to an even greater extent than the other Estonian cities, in spite of the fact that it has been involved in many wars, including the one in which Charles II of Sweden defeated Peter I and—above all—the Estonian War of Independence.
“Little Russia”
    The proximity of Russia is very evident in Narva, which has many richly endowed Greek