Sillamäe: A Secret City with a Colurful Past

Our adventure started early with a 1hr 20min drive to Sillamäe, a town I knew little about. The drive felt long, with speed cameras everywhere, but luckily, there were warnings. As we arrived, I was struck by the beauty of the buildings, modern yet untouched. It felt like stepping into a different world. Mum explained its history, and suddenly, it all made sense.

Sillamäe was once a "Secret City," closed off to Estonians and reserved for the Russian elite. However, beneath the beauty lay a dark past. During Soviet times, uranium was mined here, fuelling over 70,000 nuclear weapons. Before that, the Nazis used the mines for forced labour. Standing in this place, I tried to imagine life for both Russians and Estonians, one of privilege, the other of exclusion and horror.

Despite the eerie history, the town was meticulously maintained, with stunning flowers everywhere. We ventured to the top of the town, admiring the gardens and a monument of a man holding an atom. A quick Google search revealed it commemorated the 1990 shutdown of the uranium mines, a year before Estonia regained independence. I thought this was an incredible story, read more here

After exploring, we headed to the promenade. The Gulf of Finland stretched before us, and Meriel and I were excited to swim. First, we had lunch at a small café, claiming a table no one seemed to need, as we brought our own food, however a woman in Russian came over and was not happy we did this.

Getting changed turned into a minor adventure. The public toilet required a 20c coin, but when we figured out how to open the door, we cheekily used the same coin for all four of us. A Russian gardener caught us and wasn’t pleased, but we played the innocent tourists. To make things a little better, we bought ice cream from the café before heading to the water.

Reaching the beach meant scrambling over rocks, but the swim was worth it. The water was cool, with occasional warm currents. Meriel practiced water polo, determined to master throwing with one hand. She found a rock to jump off, but when a bird named Bobbi claimed her spot, she had to give it up. After an hour, we got out and changed on the beach, embracing the Estonian way, no shame, just practicality.

This is a must see place, a great day for relaxation and just taking in the atmosphere. here is the google map link for your next trip to Estonia, I would highly recommend this location for a more chilled day after Laulupidu!