Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is one of the best retained medieval European towns. With its web of winding cobblestone streets, which developed in the 11th to 15th centuries, it has been preserved nearly in its entirety. The Old Town of Tallinn has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The golden era in Tallinn’s history lies in the period between the early 15th and mid 16th centuries. Tallinn had attained fame and a powerful role in the Baltic Sea area through its membership in the Hanseatic League. Economic might carried with it both the need to defend the city and the opportunity for a rich period of architectural and artistic creativity.

You can see, feel and touch history everywhere in this overwhelmingly romantic city: it's in candlelight casting shadows on a cavernous stone wall in an old town merchant house, it's in the tree-lined parks that were once the strolling grounds for the aristocracy, and in a Baltic Sea breeze slapping waves at your feet along a shorefront promenade.

This is also a city that has won worldwide acclaim for its forward-thinking, state-of-the-art services. A thriving nightlife has also sprung up in Tallinn, the center of economic and cultural activity in the country; it's also a hub for major festivals and concerts throughout the year. Amid all the advances, this inspiring city also hasn't become overly developed or refined: there's a touching genuineness to Tallinn.

Practical information

Location
Tallinn, the capital of the Republic of Estonia, lies in the northeast corner of the Baltic Sea region, in Northern Europe. Estonia shares land borders with Latvia and Russia, and lies across the Baltic Sea from Finland and Sweden.

Distance from Tallinn to Other Major Cities in Europe
City	Distance from Tallinn (by plane, km)							City	Distance from Tallinn (by plane, km)
Berlin	1030							Vilnius	530
Copenhagen	860							Stockholm	380
Moscow	860							Riga	280
Warsaw	830							Helsinki	82

Climate
The climate in Tallinn is characterised by a rather cold winter, a cool spring with little rain, a relatively warm summer and a long, warm autumn. Winter temperatures average between 0 and -10 Celsius. Summer months average 15-20 Celsius.

Time
Difference between Estonia’s local time and GTM is +2 hours.

Population
Tallinn’s population is 401 821 (01.04.2005). 53,7% of the inhabitants are Estonians, 36,5% Russians, 3,7% Ukrainians, 2,0% Byelorussians and 4,1% others in their nationality.

Religion
Estonia is 95% Lutheran, while other believers are also represented.

Language
The official language is Estonian, which, along with Finnish and Hungarian and a host of smaller
languages, belongs to the Finno-Ugric family of languages. English, Russian and Finnish are the most widely spoken foreign languages among Estonians, but German, French and Swedish are also spoken to some extent.

Money
Estonian kroon (EEK) was re-introduced in 1992, after having been in use from 1927 to 1940 during the first period of Estonian independence. 1 Euro = 15,65 EEK according to the Bank of Estonia’s rate on the 21st of August, 2001. Euros are not legal currency in Estonia yet as Estonia won’t join the common currency at least until 2007.

http://www.tallinn.ee/eng

Highlights

• The medieval citadel of Dome Hill;
• Dome Cathedral with a valuable collection of coats-of–arms and tombstones;
• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with it’s onion domes;
• fortified town wall with 25 towers from the 14th-15th centuries, viewing platforms with beautiful panoramic views;
• medieval guild houses (Great Guild, Brotherhood of Blackheads etc.) of the Hanseatic lower town;
• the medieval Town Hall;
• Holy Ghost Church with the famous Bernd Notke altar;
• Rocca-al-Mare Open Air Museum;
• Song Festival Amphitheatre

Sightseeing options

• City tour, 3 hrs - combines 2 hrs walking in Old Town and 1 hour by car/coach through the outskirts of Tallinn;
• Walking tour of Old Town, 2.5 hrs;
• Bus tour of the surroundings of Tallinn, 1.5 hrs;
• Rocca-al-Mare Open Air Museum, 2 hrs - combines drive and walking in the museum of 18-19 th century authentic rural architecture;
• Guided tour of Tallinn Town Hall – 1 hour. At request for extra charge concert possible;
• Guided tour of Kadriorg Palace - Peter the Great`s Summer Palace (now Art Museum of West European Medieval Art).
• Hop on - hop off City Tour - excursion will take place with an audio guide in 8 different languages: in Estonian, English, German, French, Finnish, Swedish, Russian and Spanish by double decker buses. 
  The excursion will introduce the most significant objects near the route and give an overview of the most interesting events and facts in the history of Tallinn and Estonia. 1,5hrs.