Famous estates of Harjumaa volost

During our trip to Harjumaa, we will visit several former noble estates or manor, as they are called in Estonia. These mansions are not chosen by chance from a sufficiently large number of estates that are located in the vicinity of Tallinn. The fate of some of them is sad: the ruins of residential buildings and outbuildings that once knew better times can often be found throughout Estonia. But many estates have found new owners, who with love and prudence engaged in the restoration of buildings destroyed by time or the will of people, the arrangement of park areas and reservoirs. Among them are the descendants of the former owners of estates, the Estonian barons, such as the von Ramma brothers, who bought the estate of their grandfather - the Padisi estate from the state. There are real ascetics who in the restoration of ancient and unique buildings in terms of architecture see their vocation. A perfect example of this is the restoration of the Fall Palace, built according to the project of the famous Russian architect Andrei Stackenschneider. The estate of Fallchlosse once belonged to the almighty Alexander Christophorovich Benkendorf and was a sample of taste and imitation for influential figures of the second quarter of the 19th century. But the manors of Padisi and Fall have other points of attraction for travelers: in Padisi, directly opposite the von Ramm manor building, there are grandiose ruins of the Cistercian monastery, founded in the 13th century and having a very bizarre history. And on the territory of the former estate of the Benkedorfs (Volkonskie) there is one of the most picturesque waterfalls in Northern Estonia - Keila-Joa waterfall. During our trip, we will stop at the Vasalemma cape to explore the real castle with an octagonal tower, built of local marble, dolomite, in fashionable at the beginning of the 20th century Art Nouveau. The Lord’s House in Vasalemma is known for the fact that here 30 years ago the filming of the film “The Mystery of the Blackbirds” took place, and now there is a school that could well become a place for filming the Harry Potter films. And the last stage of our journey is the estate of Baron Nicholas von Glenn in Nymma, one of the most fashionable and green areas of Tallinn. Nymme was once a separate city, and even before that these places were known as the wasteland of the Blue Mountain. And had it not been for the will and enthusiasm of one man, Baron Glenn, no Nymme would have existed. This eccentric and ascetic is best told by buildings and sculptures located in a park once owned by the baron and his family. According to popular wisdom, it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times. So let's get on the road!