Tallinn : Estonia

Tallinn Travel : Estonia
The city of Tallinn is the capital city and main seaport of Estonia. It is located on Estonia’s north coast to the Baltic Sea, 80 kilometres south of Helsinki. The largest lake in Tallinn is Lake Ülemiste. It is the main source of the city’s drinking water. Unlike many of the large towns, the only larger river in Tallin is located in Pirita (city district counted as a suburb).
A limestone cliff runs through the city. It is exposed, for instance, at Toompea and Lasnamäe.
For the tourist
Alexander Nevski Cathedral
The old town walled town is the place to go. This contains many authentic buildings of great antiquity. These are mostly well kept or undergoing restoration. As the town is a set of ring defenses built around a hill, be prepared to hike and walk. The antique cobblestone paths are rough but have been improved with cut granite sidewalks for safe walking. The tourist will pass through narrow approaches walled in for defensive purposes. For those ones who wish to stay more than just a day there are numerous hotels, but for a home away from home try furnished apartments. They are more reasonably priced than a hotel.
Shopping
The main shopping attraction is the numerous shops carrying high quality knitwear. Prices will vary, with stalls just inside the city wall offering the best values, with a better selection of higher quality goods available in the numerous small shops around town. Some of these are located in the basements of buildings on minor streets.
Dining
For dining in the old walled town there is a medieval alehouse that serves boar, elk and bear under authentic conditions – the only artificial light is candlelight. Many, however, feel that there is a Disneyesque, kitsch feeling about “ye olde Hansa� restaurants. The quality of restaurants varies, but superb fine dining on the European level – with prices in the range of $ 100 for a complete menu – includes the 1930s-style Gloria, the French-Estonian Bonaparte, and the hip and chique Pegasus that is also famous for its stand-up urinals in the Ladies Room.
Sites
A walking trip through old town past the City Hall and up the Toompea hill past several churches will lead to the seat of the Estonian government, high atop Tallinn’s central hill. Around the hill are views of both the old town within the walls and the modern urban area.