"Tallinn" Tallinn by Ramonq

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, was once part of the Hanseatic League, a trading bloc of Germanic cities which swept across Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea during the Middle Ages. This was a golden era for the Germans, and many of the small towns and villages that were under the medieval Hansa traders shared a common urban planning which can still be observed from Cologne to Krakow. Tallinn was one of the towns which had strong Germanic presence and it bears all the hallmarks, such as a spacious cobbled-stoned main market square overlooked by a town hall, a cathedral with a very tall pointy spire, and colourful houses with triangular roofs. The old centre of Tallinn is one of the best preserved medieval village in Europe exuding a Grimm's fairy-tale atmosphere about it.

I was here on Christmas Day and Tallinn looked like a postcard-perfect Christmas card made even more poignant by a lavishly decorated tall Christmas tree, a dust of snow, and other Yuletide trimmings. The medieval structures around the main square were an appropriate backdrop for the season. It was an ideal "White Christmas" setting, which for someone like me, who has mostly celebrated Christmas in 30 degree Centigrade heat, made it an even more special occasion! The magical Christmas carols sung by an Estonian choir group at the square completed the holiday season atmosphere.

Like all European cities, the area of interest for visitors is the old town centre. All the medieval structures are crammed within the confines of the walled city and they are connected by narrow cobbled stoned lanes and guarded by massive cylindrical stone towers with conic roofs. The Town Hall and the Kiek in de Kök Tower is a fine example of Hanseatic architecture. The tourist sites in Tallinn are within walking distance to each other, in fact the entire area within the walled city is a tourist site! Dominating the skyline is this extremely tall Lutheran cathedral spire which stands as a daily reminder of the determined role of the Teutonic Order crusaders in converting the pagan Estonians to Christianity. The Baltic states were one of the last pagan countries in Europe.

Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral

There are also reminders of the Russian presence in Tallinn after they took over the Swedish rule in Tallinn in the 18th century. The fantastic Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral was built in the late 19th century when the Russian empire extended to all the Baltic States. This onion domed church is so Russian, it would feel more at home in a large square in Moscow than in quaint Tallinn. There are a lot of Russian Empire-style architecture that can be seen outside the walled city.

The Russians also developed the Port of Tallinn which ensured its place in the Baltic trade. The former palace of Tsar Peter the Great in Kadriorg is as stately as any European palace but it now houses the Art Museum of Estonia and the Presidential residence. Estonia first gained its brief independence from Russia after the First World War, but the Soviets invaded the country after the Second World War and Tallinn was made the capital city of the Estonian Soviet socialist satellite state.

It is for this reason that Tallinn still has a considerably large Russian speaking population. Although the city fell under the Nazis during WW2, the Russians have thankfully spared the old section from the bombings leaving a preserved city for future generations. But now that Estonia has regained its independence, the ethnic Estonians, whose language is close to Finnish, are encouraging the Russians to naturalise their citizenship.

Tallinn Square

Estonia is now inextricably part of the European Union. It has quickly recovered from the dark days of Soviet market style economy into a free enterprise economy. Because of Tallinn's magical charm and its beautifully preserved heritage, many tourists are now flocking into the city in droves. Budget airlines from Western Europe now regularly bring in visitors and therefore increasing contact with the rest of the world. Tourism is one of Tallinn's biggest revenue earner. However Tallinn's university, some of which date back from the era of Swedish Empire in the 17th century, have produced well-educated citizens and they are now involved in new enterprises especially in the information technology. The Skype which is a software application that allows users to make voice calls over the Internet were written by Estonians and are now used by millions of people worldwide earning Tallinn a reputation as the Silicon Valley of the Baltics. To illustrate how highly wired Tallinn has become, an internet war with the Russians ensued when Tallinn removed Lenin's statue from a Russian war memorial. Despite its Old World facade, Tallinn is embracing the new world order.

• Pros:Time travel to the Middle Ages
• Cons:Becoming more expensive
• In a nutshell:Best preserved medieval city