Images: Estonia captured through the lens of photographer Tõnu Runnel
In the heart of Northern Europe, Estonia offers a captivating blend of medieval urban heritage, charming small towns, and scenic nature spots. A new photo series, titled "Estonian Urban and Landscape," is set to showcase these diverse landscapes, providing a compelling visual narrative for viewers.
Starting in Tartu, the second-largest city in Estonia, the series features Kassitoome, a park with a man-made crater that transforms into a lake in the spring, resembling an alien landing site. The city's train station walk home passes through a fairy-tale place sensitive to weather. Another intriguing spot is the Tyre graveyard, a strange place visited during the fog by photographers.
Tallinn, the capital city, is a must-visit with its medieval Old Town, iconic sights such as St. Olaf's Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and Toompea Castle. The rooftop terrace of ISSEI in Tallinn offers striking views of the medieval cityscape and vibrant city life. Central Estonia boasts small towns like Tõrva, known for their modern yet cozy squares, green parks, and unique attractions such as annual sand sculptures and nearby cultural sites.
The series also highlights Estonia’s pristine natural environments, including dense forests, hiking trails near Otap, and peat bog regions near Kotle Yerva. These areas offer contrasts between urban history and outdoor beauty, capturing Estonia’s diverse landscapes.
One of the most unique natural locations is Soomaa, a swampy region in the heart of Estonia, which attracts a lot of visitors during the wet fifth season between winter and spring. The sea in Vääna-Jõesuu changes the shorelines as it pleases, making beach football matches awkward due to shifting sands.
Lake Peipus, one of the largest lakes in Europe, is another significant feature in the series. Hundreds of fishermen settle on its shores on weekends, and kids use the ice as a playground during the winter. The shores of Lake Peipus have been more densely populated than Estonia's seashores. In the summer, Lake Peipus offers a view of a freshwater sea with a calm and less hostile weather compared to the sea in general.
Winter on Lake Peipus brings about an extraordinary spectacle, with the winds piling up icebergs along the coast, creating a miniature Antarctica when viewed from one shore to another. The Romanticist landscape in Leigo, Otepää, with its undulating southern Estonian hills, is stereotypically home-sweet-home for many Estonians.
The series also documents the transformation of urban locales, such as Kalamaja in Tallinn, an old sock factory that is now being transformed into an arts academy. The industrial neighborhood around it is being filled up with creative masses. Raadi airfield in Tartu, a Soviet military airbase, serves as an irrational urban playground but is under threat from real estate development projects.
The house in Kalamaja, once forgotten and neglected, has become a piece of art due to its neglect. The old power station in Kuressaare has been transformed into a craft brewery, attracting visitors to the remote island town. The house in Kuperjanovi, Tartu, is an otherworldly wooden structure, the purpose of which is now unknown.
Finally, the series captures the essence of Estonia through its unique weather conditions. The fog in Estonia expands the space around people, forcing them to construct objects and narratives beyond the milky and soft, opaque air. The ever-changing view from the kitchen window in Supilinn, Tartu, features mornings that become slower and damper as autumn approaches.
In conclusion, the "Estonian Urban and Landscape" photo series promises to offer a captivating journey through Estonia's unique and interesting locations, providing a visual feast for viewers. Whether it's the medieval urban heritage, charming small towns, or scenic nature spots, the series is set to showcase Estonia's diverse landscapes and contribute to a varied and compelling visual narrative.
Knowledge of the photo series, titled "Estonian Urban and Landscape," reveals a breathtaking exploration of Estonia's diversity, capturing its medieval towns, scenic nature spots, and pristine landscapes. The second-largest city, Tartu, unveils intriguing sites like Kassitoome and the Tyre graveyard, while Tallinn boosts a medieval Old Town and striking city life on the ISSEI rooftop terrace.
The series also delves into Estonia's remote island towns, such as Kuressaare, transformed by creative masses, and its unique natural environments, like the swampy region of Soomaa and the icy shores of Lake Peipus. These visual narratives capture the contrasts between urban history and outdoor beauty, resulting in a diverse representation of Estonia's landscapes.
Moreover, the series documents the transformation of urban locales, such as the arts academy in Tallinn's Kalamaja and the creative neighborhood surrounding it. However, places like Raadi airfield in Tartu are under threat from real estate development projects, symbolizing the delicate balance between preservation and progress.
Lastly, the series highlights Estonia's unique weather conditions, such as the ever-expanding fog that shapes people's perceptions and interactions, and the changing views from kitchen windows in Tartu's Supilinn neighborhood. Through these diverse elements, the "Estonian Urban and Landscape" series promises a captivating journey, showcasing Estonia's fashion, food, home, and travel experiences.
