Estonia has never been a country I had ever thought of visiting. Before going, I could not have found it on a map. I couldn’t have told you anything about its history, language, or major cities. We, however, were going to St. Petersburg and had to make a long layover in Estonia. We stayed in the capital, Tallinn, and were surprised to find a very beautifully preserved medieval city. We took quite a few pictures, but they really understate the magnificence of the old town.
Estonia is bordered by Latvia to the south and Russia to the east, with a coastline along the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland. Its 1.3 million population’s official language is Estonian. The country is a member of the European Union and NATO.
July 2008
The St. Olaf’s Church stands behind the medieval castle tower and wall. Built in 1267.
Glenna walks through the city wall into Old Town
Stone archways leading to small courtyards and restaurants
The Art Nouveau Building
Built in 1910
C0untless numbers of outside coffee shops and restaurants
Fat Margaret Tower, built to fortify the city wall in 1511.
Now a museum
A mix of architecture throughout the city
Very narrow cobblestoned streets
It was like walking into a ride less Disneyland
Historic doors on many of the buildings
A little coffee shop
After a couple of minutes, we were lost
Pretty awesome