You can stop in Katariina Gild to see leather bookmakers, weavers and potters at work, and then buy the finished products. Although definitely on the brochure, this is a delightful passage to browse, while observing Estonian arts and crafts from the Middle Ages in the making. ![]() Catherine’s Passage), a narrow passageway with local artisan shops lining the ancient monastery walls. ![]() Wander up Vene to Müürihave Street to spend a couple of Krooni on Katariina Käik (St. For a complete list, visit OUT AND ABOUTįollow a cobblestone road down to Raekoja plats (Town Hall Square), where Town Hall still serves a Gothic centerpiece hearkening back to a medieval time-when Tallinn was the strategic port on the Hanseatic League trade route between east and west. Most hotels and libraries also have coverage. Look for the Wi-Fi signs in orange and black, and sip beer at a pub while surfing the Internet. Tallinn isn’t called the “Baltic Vegas” for nothing.Įstonia is plugged in and wired at every stop, with 364 national hot spots and counting from gas stations, car washes, grocery stores, buses, and bars. Revelers crowd in the cobblestone streets until late, intoxicated by the dreamy summer spell … and Estonian beer. The best (yet most crowded) time to visit is in the summer, where the days are bright and the nights stay light. Tallinn is the “It” place to be, wireless and booming with a young and “paperless” government Skype-ing in medieval headquarters.Ī compact city that is easy to navigate, Tallinn boasts perfectly preserved medieval turrets, towers and red-roofed buildings. Finally freed from Russian rule in 1991, Estonia lost no time getting hip to a new start. Wirelessly.Ī beacon of ancient and modern, Estonia’s energetic capital is both a medieval wonderland and technology Mecca. Alternatively, see them in situ at Kadriorg Palace, built for Peter the Great and surrounded by 200 acres of gardens, or explore the charming old town.Perched high on the Baltic Sea, Tallinn, Estonia is a spirited city with a vivid past and an electric future-a siren calling visitors to port. The Estonian Open Air Museum is situated in a pleasant coastal woodland and showcases architectural highlights from around the country. Kuldse Notsu Kõrts, translating to “Little Piggy Inn”, does a great line in hearty comfort food. Swissôtel gives unparalleled views from the highest building in the business district Telegraaf is an extremely fine offering in the old town with its own Tchaikovsky restaurant and the Merchant House Hotel is centrally located in medieval Tallinn.Įesti Maja serves some of the city’s finest local cuisine while Egoist also has a fantastic reputation with local food-lovers. ![]() The modern business district is an impressive demonstration of the city’s aspirations yet as you sit in another gorgeous cafe beside a beautiful cobbled parade you’ll be thankful that a large part of its heart is still very much in its past. ![]() Yet explore the numerous boutiques that line the winding old streets and you’ll discover a growing contemporary art scene and boundary-pushing fashion from a generation of young and forward thinking designers.Īs one of the premier ports in the region, sea trade and industry continue to be important to the city yet there’s also a growing technology sector that has led the New York Times to describe it as a “Silicon Valley on the Baltic Sea”. Of all the former communist capitals Tallinn’s cityscape is one of the most untouched by twentieth century rebuilding projects, making the World Heritage old town as one of the most beautifully preserved medieval centres in the world. Few cities manage such a perfect balance of old and new as the Estonian capital.
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