Arriving on the ferry from Helsinki, two things grabbed my immediate attention about this small, sophisticated, medieval capital city. First, it is one of the most charming and beautiful cities in Europe with its cobble-stoned streets, gorgeous terracotta roofs and church steeples providing for fantastic photos! Secondly, when speaking the native tongue, the locals are impossible to understand!\u00a0 Estonia is a small country – smaller than Tassie – and its population of just over 1 million speak Estonian. Thankfully many also speak English. Our Latvian guide was unable to help with the Estonian instructions for my mobile phone SIM card. \u201cSurely you guys understand each other?\u201d I ask in hope? \u201cNope\u201d was the very definite answer.<\/p>\n
There are\u00a0lots of things to do in\u00a0Tallinn, so allow at least a few days. If you like to stroll at leisure and take photos, you have arrived at the right place. The streets wind their way through the old town in no particular order or direction so getting lost is not hard. However don\u2019t despair, given its relatively small size and that fact it is a walled city, you\u2019re sure to eventually find your way back to where you started. Most streets lead to the beautiful town hall square in the middle of the Old Town. Everywhere you look is another photo opportunity.<\/p>\n
Of particular interest for travellers is the 19th century Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built when the country was part of the Russian Empire. Kadriord Palace (translating to Catherine\u2019s Valley) is another example of Russian architecture and well worth the visit. Today it stands as a museum. Toompea, the hillock in the old town, houses most of the government buildings. It is well worth the visit for the architecture alone.\u00a0 You can see it from most vantage points in town. If you are into art, then the Kumu is another place you need to see. A fantastic museum with a decent caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n