Understanding Estonia: the Kopli peninsula

On this nice Friday evening, we decide to go on an adventure... we go and explore Kopli! 

Kopli... this name is probably the most known and mysterious at the same time. Everyone in Tallinn knows the peninsula and still, I am pretty sure not many people dare going there. Why? Kopli is synonymous of poverty, pollution, ship factory, abandonment. 

The sunset view from the seaside of Kopli

The Kopli peninsula extends North of Tallinn from the Balti Jaam train station. It is easy to access, with the legendary old tramway going all the way to the end of the peninsula. The place is said to have a huge potential, but no one dares to invest there. The municipality of Tallinn has tried several times to attract investors and real estate developers but without success to date. So people are waiting. Waiting for the area to boom, because it will have to happen. 

Burn down houses are a typical view of Kopli

The Kopli peninsula has views on the sea side and on the old town. It has good public transport and a lot of green spaces. On the other hand, the end of the peninsula hosts a ship factory which is at times noisy and smelly, it is said that sometimes the smell of gasoline is so strong people don't dare lighting a cigarette!, and the water around is polluted. Except for a few high-end streets with a dense network of private houses, most of the area feels abandoned, with an impressive amount of houses burn down and the others used as squat by the homeless and drunk, who seem to concentrate here.

As Katri put it: we must keep an eye on this area. One day, Kopli will become a highly valued area of Tallinn and developers will rush to build luxury properties on the peninsula.