"Medieval beauty" Tallinn by Stevieboy

Well, I finally started a page about this wonderful city (after two visits + one with a digital camera).

Tallinn is truly a peculiar city! Extremely charming and breathtaking in the medieval inner city and at some other assorted spots, buzzing of new development and enthusiastic change.

Tallinn is not very big for a capital city. It holds about 400.000 people, of which only about half are ethnic Estonian – the rest being Russians, Ukranians, … Note that these figures might change a bit in the near future. The city has launched a campaign to get people to register in Tallinn and is linking this registration to a couple of benefits (e.g. cheaper public transport).

Historically a “Hansaic” city, the medieval centre is in most parts wonderfully preserved (mostly because of the lack of real estate development in soviet times). It is rapidly growing though, including dense traffic around and skyscrapers just outside of the centre. Nevertheless, the centre itself is a sightseers jewel and for the biggest part a pedestrian zone with typical cobblestone streets and alleys.

Tallinn in winter_02

Pretty cheap taxis, an abundance of affordable bars, teahouses and restaurants, very good accessibility and department shops that open until 10-11 p.m. all make this a very accommodating city (I couldn?t tell you about the hotels though). So, this is a place to visit if you like an authentic atmosphere, a historic setting in which you can feel history come alive, lingering in caf?s and teahouses and dining out. If you don?t mind the ****-freezer temperatures in winter, it is also a wonderful place to spend a white Christmas ? snow is a (relative) certainty!

I?m not going to try and stun you by writing down all practical information. The guys of ?Tallinn in your pocket? are much better at that and you?ll be sure to get updated info (more on that in this general tip) and most other things you can find on the excellent pages of Barcodex.

Tips and travelogues on these pages are only on things I did myself or visited personally. I won?t tell you about ALL the wonderful spots in this city. Some places are just best kept secret, as you probably well know, and I wouldn?t want to spoil the fun of discovering places yourself. Still, I try to put as much tips as possible on these pages.

Tallinn in winter_03

Winter is a dark time of the year over there - having daylight only between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. is ok if the sky is open or if there is snow to make things brighter, but it makes for a pretty gloomy place on a snow-deprived overcast day. The picture was taken around one in the afternoon, if you would wonder...

Luckily there's almost always snow this time of year, so if you don’t mind the four-star-freezer temperatures in winter, it is also a wonderful place to spend a (relatively certain) white Christmas!

As always, don’t hesitate to send me a mail if you think I’m misrepresenting or just downright wrong about something, or have tips about improving.

• Pros:Medieval beauty
• Cons:Less friendly outside the centre
• In a nutshell:A wonderful place to linger!