"A lovely Baltic pick and mix" Tallinn County by Sjalen

Tallinn County Travel Guide: 1,499 reviews and 1,904 photos

For many years, the three Baltic countries were seen as not very exiting by us Swedes who just considered them under Soviet rule and so, depressing and bureaucratic. They may have been so, but during that time we also missed an awful lot of the actual sights as Tallinn is a gorgeous city. Known better only to Swedes with Estonian background (a surprising amount of us), the rest of us now rush to a city which has awakened and is full of life and a positive spirit. I have never been as surprised by the amount of good English spoken in a non-English speaking, Scandinavian or Dutch world before and the entrepreneurial spirit is quite overwhelming. At the same time, it is easy to spot the "second class citizens" that Russians for obvious reasons have become. They seem to be the ones selling souvenirs, cardigans and booze instead of chic linen clothes and jewellery. Yes, this city which was founded by the Danes (hence the red and white heraldry) and has been both Swedish and Russian has still managed to keep its own style and now it can show it I really hope I can make regular trips - the next time hopefully getting better pictures as these were very disappointing but it IS difficult to take pictures in too good weather with strong shade and sun contrasts and the compensation when developing was not the best. Nope, I've been known to be happier about photos...I would also try to catch more of the Tallinn soul as this first trip was only a daytrip on a cruise with my parents. A scratch on the surface...

Pros and Cons

Pros:beautiful, exiting changes taking place
Cons:windy, Estonian v. Russian everywhere
In a nutshell:A fascinating place to return to

Last visit to Tallinn County: Aug 2002
Intro Updated Mar 3, 2003
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Reviews (5)

International and Estonian - Tallinn County

International and Estonian Restaurants (1)

The sad thing is that this place has closed due to a change in the lease. However, they say they will open again... more travel advice

Exclusive linen and colourful cardigans - Tallinn County

Exclusive linen and colourful cardigans Shopping (1)

Tallinn is a haven for those of you who like linen. Stylish clothes shops sell linen suits and craft shops sell... more travel advice

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral - Tallinn County

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Things to Do (2)

The gorgeous 19th century Russian orthodox cathedral was built to show that the Tsars ruled in them days and they could... more travel advice

Souvenirs and more souvenirs - Tallinn County

Souvenirs and more souvenirs Tourist Traps (1)

A walk up or down Pikk Jalg is a tourist trap as it is the most common way to get from downtown Old Tallinn to the... more travel advice

Comments (7)

Leipzig Mar 3, 2004 at 4:06 AM Report Abuse

I loved this city and hope to return one day.
vesna04 Aug 21, 2003 at 7:48 AM Report Abuse

I enjoied this Tallin page :)
Guantanamera Jun 16, 2003 at 1:10 AM Report Abuse

I liked Tallinn quite a bit, such a wonderful city... It's great to see them redefining their identity now that the Russian influence has receded...
acemj Apr 9, 2003 at 4:26 PM Report Abuse

What a great surprise for you and your York husband :-)
dabuwan Mar 10, 2003 at 5:16 AM Report Abuse

Great page. Tallin is on my list of future destinations. Thank you for sharing!
cbeaujean Mar 10, 2003 at 4:48 AM Report Abuse

sharing the same love of this so attractive city!nice written intro!
heplion Mar 7, 2003 at 3:38 AM Report Abuse

ONe of my favorite European cities!!! Thanks!