Beware Peeping Toms with Helmets

If you happen to be in the Baltic countries.

Kiek in de Köks are old artillery spotting-towers. They are round, multi-story buildings with pink tiled caps on top of them like little helmets. The most famous one is in Tallinn in Estonia, which is north of Latvia across the straits from Finland. Kiek in de Köks have tiny windows, so artillery officers could peer out and see where their shots went in wartime.

They could also make sure the bathrooms in nearby houses were in proper use, and what cook was planning for supper downstairs if they felt hungry. Kiek in de Kök means ‘peep into the kitchen.’ It has nothing to do with an Estonian officer with a helmet, despite whatever you were looking forward to for lunch.