- Address: Pikk 16, 10123 Tallinn, Estonia;
- Working hours: every day from 10:00 to 18:00;
- Phone: +372 646 4192;
- Website: kalev.eu.
Who and when first prepared marzipan, it is not known. For the title of the homeland of this delicacy, Hungary, France, Germany and Estonia are fighting. It does not matter who was the pioneer, but the fact remains - in Estonia for several centuries one of the most delicious marzipans in the world has been made. To see this, we recommend visiting the unusual museum of marzipan in Tallinn .
History of creation
The Estonian ancient legend says that the new confectionery product, later called "marzipan", was the result of not a painstaking selection of ideal ingredients, but an absolute accident.
One day the apothecary student did not understand the recipe and accidentally mixed the wrong ingredients for the medicine - he would grind almonds with sugar and spicy spices. When the client came for a remedy for a headache and tried the medicine, he exclaimed: "I immediately felt better, give me another miracle medicine!" After that, the remedy for the "careless pharmacist" began to be sold left and right. By the way, the pharmacy where this story happened is still working, there even there is a small exposition devoted to the discovery of marzipan.
But the full-fledged marzipan museum in Tallinn is located elsewhere - in the Old Town , on Pikk street 16. It all began with the fact that in December 2006 a small gallery in the capital of Estonia on Viru Street opened in the room-museum format dedicated to marzipan art. This place from the first days aroused great interest on the part of city dwellers and tourists.
The museum fund has constantly expanded, and not without the help of ordinary citizens. People kept the marzipan figurines as a memory, as they used to often give attention to such sweet presents. After the opening of the museum, many began to bring their old gifts here. One man even brought the figure of a girl from marzipan, which is more than 80 years old. Soon the place was not enough to accommodate all the exhibits, so it was decided to transport the museum of marzipans to a more spacious room. So he was on the street Pikk, where it is and to this day.
The museum presents various expositions:
- dolls ;
- fairy-tale characters ;
- musical instruments ;
- animals ;
- compositions based on the history of Estonia (national ridge, busts of high-ranking government officials, panorama of Old Tallinn).
There is even an unusual exhibition of "sweet heads" - because of the glass you are looking at marzipan Marilyn Monroe, Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin and other world celebrities.
Excursion programs
The excursion to the museum of marzipan differs from visiting any other museum institution. Here you will not only be told the fascinating story of creating sweet figurines and show beautiful thematic expositions, but they will also allow themselves to try themselves in the role of skilful confectioners, sculpting and decorating yummies. And in the end you will find the most interesting - tasting different types of marzipan and, if desired, purchasing edible souvenirs.
For tourists, two types of excursions are offered:
- on the marzipan museum: for groups of 10 people, the duration is 45-60 minutes, the price is € 5 per person (the price includes: an excursion, a master class on modeling, 40 g marzipan for each member of the group, a box for packing finished products) ;
- complex excursion "Sweet Life" (Old Tallinn + museum of marzipans): for groups of up to 20 people, duration 60-90 minutes, cost - € 10 per person (same program as in the previous program + sightseeing tour of Old Tallinn).
For an additional fee (€ 1,5-2), you can participate in a win-win lottery, where various marzipan figures serve as prizes.
Classes on modeling at the Marzipan Museum in Tallinn
The Marzipan Museum is a place where you can return many times. And you will want to do it, especially if you travel with children. If you have already been on a general excursion, visit the workshop on modeling of marzipan. It's a great way to have fun and usefully.
There are three modeling programs:
- general (held at any time under the guidance of the museum staff without an appointment, provided that there are vacant seats at the tables for modeling, each participant chooses what will be sculpted, the cost is € 4, the duration is 30 minutes);
- individual (preliminary booking of time for three days is required, the occupation is held one on one with the master of work with marzipan, the cost is € 10, the duration is 30 minutes);
- a group master class for 5-10 people (also booked for 3 days, all participants mold the same figures, repeating all the actions for the master, the cost is € 5, the duration is 30 minutes).
After the end of modeling participants decorate their figures with food colors. In the cost of classes, except for the marzipan mass (40 grams per person), there is also a beautiful box for packing sweets.
How to get there?
The Marzipan Museum in Tallinn is located on the famous "Long" street (Pikk street). It is located practically in the center of the Old Town, therefore it is convenient to reach it from any direction, but it will be faster from the western part of Tallinn. The main landmarks are Freedom Square and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral .