ESTONIA - EASTERN EUROPE - HOTELS & SELF-CATERING ACCOMMODATION
TALLINN TRAVEL & LODGING GUIDE

ESTONIA TRAVEL INFORMATION

Visiting Tallinn   by Orson Johnson

Tallinn is a lot more than just another former Russian town; the name itself - taani Linn means 'Danish city', and one of its great attractions is the number of medieval buildings and structures which still stand, looking today as they did 400 years ago. The area known as the 'Lower Town' is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe, and well worth going to see- the wall tower known as 'fat Margaret' is astonishing, and it is easy to see why it got that name. For those with an interest in other periods of history, there is the Palace of Peter the Great, which houses part of the Estonian Museum of Art, and fantastic woodlands and formal gardens. It is also possible to visit the fantastic churches in the area, which range from unaltered 13th century chapels to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built at the end of the nineteenth century, and a fantastic piece of Russian-style architecture in white and red.

Tallinn's tourist board knows this well, and has created an all-inclusive 'city card', which allows you free access to Tallinn's main tourist sights, and tours that are available (including the Tallinn Official Sightseeing Tour), discounts in restaurants and stores, and other freebies and offers. The price is still quite cheap (60 EEK, which converts to about 5 dollars, for 6 hrs free access), and this more than pays for itself at each historic site, and it is very convenient to use, which is always a plus. Since UNESCO made Tallinn a World Heritage Site at the end of the last century, and the fantastic historic town, Tallinn has become a tourist haven, and English is very common amongst people working in the tourist industry, As well as a fascinating history, Tallinn is also notable for its exciting night life. It's brilliant clubs and attractions make Tallinn's party scene a magnet for people all over Europe. Just a short trip from Helsinki, Tallinn is a frequent host to scores of Finns who head over every year on 'booze cruises' in order to take in Tallinn's cheaper alcohol. Whether your idea of a party is sipping cocktails with Scandinavian tourists, watching Rugby in an English-themed bar, or visiting the cool strip club, Tallinn has a place for every kind of party-goer.

It has become very popular with the English crowd, and there are travel agencies dedicated to promoting partying. Walking down the streets of the Old Town, you are likely to come across British partiers, moving between the beer halls, or going to one of the adventure sessions the travel agencies provide, such as parachute jumping and shooting galleries. If neither medieval splendour nor wild nights out interest you, then there are plenty of other reasons to visit the exciting city of Tallinn. The capital is developing a name for itself as the host of film festivals like no other. The Black Nights Film Festival ('Poff' in Estonian), is held around November/December every year, and its films are a mixture of all kinds of world cinema. If you consider yourself a film buff, that is definitely one event you won't want to miss out on Tallinn Black Night Film Festival. 

There are other cultural specials available in Tallinn as well, from the famous Opera House to the Art Museum of Estonia (which is actually scattered over the town, with even the foreign paintings collection containing nearly 1000 pieces of art.

Whatever you do in Estonia, you should realise that you will be starving by the time you sit down to dinner. Walking around the medieval streets can certainly take it out of you! The good news is that Tallinn boasts some great restaurants, as well as some very, um, interesting ones. If you're feeling brave, then you might want to head down to a restaurant that serves Estonian food - and if you like blood sausage and smoked herring, then you can't go wrong. For the less brave, there are extravagant restaurants such as the 'Olde Hansa', which provides a medieval banquet that no-one will ever eat all of, or you could try the fusion food heaven of 'Pegasus', which is as ambitious as the name sounds.

There is a new emphasis upon cuisine in the Estonian capital, and there are restaurants to cater for every taste, from Mexican to Japanese. While you are in Tallinn, it would be a shame not to visit one of the great Russian Restaurants, such as 'Nevskij', a beautiful restaurant which can only take you back to the luxury of Tsarist Russian empire, truly in keeping with a place where history and the modern travel experience unite.

Tallinn, Estonia. A Great Place to Visit for Vacation or Business   by Michael Johnson

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is well known for her fully preserved medieval Old Town and a pulsating nightlife. Recently many stylish places for eating and drinking have sprung up in Tallinn, many of them offering decent quality food, and it is not hard to find a place for dancing. Those who travel out of the city will get acquainted with our beautiful countryside (for instance, Estonia is known as the land of 1000 islands), the long seashore, the picturesque Baltic German manor houses etc. And there are not many cities whose face is designed by the 21st century rather than the 18th or 19th.

Situation

Tallinn is situated in Northern Europe in the northeastern part of the Baltic Sea region. Its unique position between the high-tech Nordic countries and Russia, which her huge natural resources as well as an enormous market, has made the city an attractive place for investors from all over the world. Foreign investments into Estonia amounted to 189.7 billion kroons as of June 2004, making Estonia the most successful country in Eastern Europe in this respect Distances from some European cities (by plane):
* Helsinki 82km
* Riga 280km
* St Petersburg 315km
* Stockholm 380km
* Copenhagen and Moscow 860km
* Berlin 1030km.

Tallinn Top Culture Events

The top summer event in Tallinn is the Old Town Days in the first week of June; in December the Black Nights Film Festival brings the best of the year's European films to Tallinn, and there are a lot of other annual cultural events like Jazzkaar, Orient, NYYD, and more,

Economic Life

About half of the GDP of Estonia is produced in Tallinn (and its Suburbs) and more than half of the foreign-owned companies reside here. The economy is boosted by close relations with Finland and Sweden and a liberal economy that is favorable to foreign investments. Rapid development of the communications infrastructure has created a situation where mobile technologies and the Internet are used more widely than in some larger and wealthier EU countries (e.g. Internet banking is used by more than 10% of the population, active users of the Internet are more than 50% of the whole population, every second Estonian has a mobile phone etc, e-government and e-tax system are working etc). The projected economic growth for this year is 5.9% The GNP per capita Estonia in 2004 was 40% of the EU average (39% in Lithuania, 34% in Latvia)

Inhabitants

Tallinn has about 400,000 inhabitants, half of whom are Estonians 40% Russians and 10% other nationalities. You probably didn't know that there are over 120 nationalities living in Estonia. The major ethnic groups are Russians, Byelorussians, Ukrainians, Finns, Tatars, Latvians, Poles, Jews, Lithuanians, Germans and Armenians. Basically every third inhabitant of Estonia speaks some other language.

Short History

* 10th century: ancient Estonians have already established the central trading point on the coast of the Gulf of Finland.
* 1219: Northern Estonia is conquered by the Danes. led by King Waldemar 2nd, who later establishes a stone castle at Toompea -multinational town grows around it.
* 1248: Tallinn acquires town rights.
* 1219-1346: the Danish period. A network of streets is formed inside the town wall, with a guild house, churches and convents, warehouses and defense buildings.
* 1347-1561: the Livonian Order acts as the sovereign; the building of the Old Town with its principal stone buildings is completed * 1561-1710: the Swedish period Tallinn's trading success has faded because of long lasting wars.
* 1710: Tallinn capitulates to the Russian Army (Great Northern War).
* 1857: An important evolution in the town's development was caused by the loss of stronghold status and the building of a railway connection to St Petersburg. Rapid industrial development begins, resulting in the swift growth of the town.
* February 24. 1918: the Estonian Salvation Committee declares the independent democratic Republic of Estonia. The new government immediately has to organize a defense against the attacking Russian bolshevist troops and the Estonian War of Independence begins. It ends in 1920.
* 1920: Tallinn becomes the capital of the independent Republic of Estonia.
* June, 1940: Soviet troops occupy Estonia, abolishing its independence and establishing Soviet order.
* 1944-1991: Estonia belongs to the Soviet Union.
.1st August 20, 1991: the Supreme Soviet of Estonia declares re-establishment of the independence of Estonia based on legal continuity.
* August 29. 1994: the last troops of Russian army are withdrawn from Estonia. The Second World War has come to an end for Estonia.
* May 1. 2004: Estonia joins the European Union.

Vacation apartments for rent at www.this-way.org/tallinnapartment .

About the Author: Michael Johnson lives in Tallinn he welcomes you to stay in one of his Tallinn studio apartments in the city center where modern interiors and security blend with old town charm. Enjoy the best of Tallinn for less than the cost of an hotel!