- Address: 10127 Tallinn, Estonia;
- Area: 70 hectares;
- Website: kadriorupark.ee;
- Phone: +372 602 6001.
Kadriog is a palace and park ensemble in Tallinn built in the Baroque style by Peter the Great and named after the wife of the Emperor - Catherine I. Nearby there are the embankments of the Pirita and the Baltic Sea, as well as the Singing Field, the Song Festival is held. In summer, tourists and Estonians like to stroll among the greenery and flowers. Despite the fact that the ensemble was erected a few centuries ago, it still remains one of the most recognizable sights of Estonia.
History of Kadrioga
After Estonia became part of the Russian Empire, the autocrat Peter I and his wife visited the city of Revel and were imbued with the beauty of the surroundings, the proximity of the sea. So he decided to build a summer residence here. To do this, he bought a portion of the estate of the widow Drutel for 3,500 thalers. The house, now known as "Peter's Lodge", used to be a convenient place for spending nights and viewing picturesque surroundings. But since it was distinguished by its modest size and its non-carnier interior, it was decided to significantly expand the territory.
Construction work began on July 25, 1718 by order of Peter the Great, the project was created by Italian architect Niccolo Michetti. The work was first followed by his assistant - Gaetano Ciaveri, but later, at the insistence of the master, Mikhail Zemtsov was sent to Revel to oversee the construction of the palace and park ensemble for four years.
The further destiny of Cardiog is as follows:
- from 1921 to 1929 the main building of the Estonian Art Museum is located here;
- from 1929 to 1940 - the ensemble is used as the residence of the state elder;
- now in Kadrioga is located the Art Museum.
The tourist value of the park Kardiorg
Kadriorg Park originally occupied about 300 hectares, but now only the palace garden has been restored. At the entrance you can see a swanky view of Swan Lake with a pavilion in the middle. Walking through the territory can take a whole day, because there are a lot of museums here, so everyone will find something interesting for themselves.
Kadriorg Park (Tallinn) is remembered by alleys, fountains and palaces. To better navigate in it, you should first study the scheme, then you will be able to view the monument to the "Mermaid", a Japanese garden or the Kitty Museum. In this case, the monument is made in the form of a bronze angel, who holds a cross over himself. It was put on the site of the wreck of an armored boat with 177 sailors in 1893. At the surface of Swan Lake black swans slide, and on holidays in the gazebo, which is in the center of the lake, the orchestra plays.
The entrance to the palace is free of charge, so every tourist is obliged to walk along the alleys. So it was in the times of Peter I, who broke the park not only for himself, but also for the townspeople.
A legend is associated with the king's name, which narrates about the following. When Peter arrived and saw the empty avenues of the park, he became enraged and brought his wrath to the watchmen. The next day the will of the emperor was announced loudly, since then the guards followed the order in the park and began to let down ordinary citizens.
In the list of main attractions the palace and park Kadriorg take the fourth place. Among the museums there is an interesting place for children - the museum Miiamilla, and for the older generation are designed such as:
- The Royal Palace;
- Petr's Lodge;
- Museum of Mikkela;
- Taamsaare;
- Edward Wilde.
How to get there?
For tourists it is very convenient to get to the palace and park ensemble - from the Old Town by tram number 1 or number 3. But there are those who decide to walk to their destination. Coming to the park, you should leave at the final stop, and if you get there by private transport, you can leave the car in the parking lot.