Talinn, Estonia from Cruise

If you are not familiar with Estonia, one of the Baltic States, you are not alone.

Estonia, along with Latvia and Lithuania, has been largely ignored by the West. Only Germany and Russia took notice as they played violent tug-of-war with these nations. Ravaged by WWII, they were first invaded by the Russia, then Germany, then were forced into the Soviet Union. They waited patiently to be rescued by NATO-- who pledged to fight back against encroaching communism—but NATO never came. The Baltic States eventually had to rescue themselves.

As soon as these nations threw off the Soviets, they all declared independence in 1991. Soon after, they quickly joined both the EU and NATO to help with economic stability and defense.

They are best known for:
Estonia---The well preserved medieval town of Tallinn—one of the best preserved in Europe. It’s tradition of Song.
Latvia—Beachfront vacation getaways; Riga, (it’s lively capital full of artists, chic restaurants, and a wild nightlife); and Mikhail Baryshnikov
Lithuania—Once co-ruled much of Europe with Poland. Black Markets and Mafia presence. Spirited resisters of the Soviet occupation.


Ethnicities, languages, and culture vary greatly among The Baltic States. The languages are so dissimilar that if an Estonian speaks with a Latvian or a Latvian speaks with a Lithuanian, they must rely on their English or Russian language skills.

Famous Estonian Saying There really is no summer here; just 3 bad months for skiing. (not for us today. It felt like at least 80° by midday).

Estonia is the smallest and most northern of the Baltic States with a population of 1.4 million.

It is internet savvy, has a high HIV positive rate, and like the Finns, they have wife-carrying contests.LOL!

Of note, Estonia is the first country to establish a flat tax of 26%.

My Tallinn visit—July 3, 2010

What struck me as our ship approached Tallinn was how picturesque this town of churches, towers, and a hill is. It took my breath away. I photographed it obsessively.

Today, after a nice breakfast, I headed into the beautiful town of Tallinn, Estonia. A bazaar of local vendors selling a variety of wares (sweater, metal works, woolens, symbols of Estonia, leather goods, ceramics, amber (very popular in Northern Europe), furry hats/gloves,etc) was there to greet us. I purchased a beautiful guide book ($12US) with excellent photos (to accompany all my maps and book chapters) I was surprised they were ready to accept ALL currencies. I paid in $US.

Just as I was heading to town on foot, in search of the famous old town, I saw the HopOnHopOff HOHO buses. For 12Euros, I hopped on and connected the headset. I toured stops 1-6 that included the modern downtown area, some suburbs, and the park with the Song Festival band shell, etc. (I would never have scene modern Tallinn had I not taken this tour.)

By the time I descended in the Upper Town near the Toompea Castle, at 1020AM, it was 75° and sunny. Perfect. (We have had perfect warm and sunny weather so far on our cruise).

Old town is divided into upper and lower town. The lower town was inhabited by craftsmen and free citizens. The upper town housed the knights, gentry, and clergy. Each city had its own laws and the two rarely mixed except in conflict. Both are designed with an intricate labyrinth of red-roofed buildings and cobblestoned streets, some of which lead up to Toompea Hill or down to the Town Hall Square. First I visited the upper town sites of the magnificent Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Toompea Castle, Holy Ghost Church, and Kiek in de Kok Tower.

I took the Pikk yalg (long leg path) down to the Town Hall Square passing numerous crafts shops, restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops along the way. The town takes “re-living medieval times” seriously. Vendors everywhere are dressed in ye olde garments. It is quite funny. I bought a little Viking for my collection of miniatures from around the world. I felt perfectly comfortable in town.

I took a delightful visit of the City Museum (Venne street) that houses artifacts from the 14th century till present, including tools, clothing, coats of arms, pottery, and replicas of scenes from everyday life complete with sound effects. There were life-size models of crafts folk, families, clergy, and nautical men. There are also interactive maps and videos contemporary videos demonstrating Estonian solidarity against Soviet Rule. I read it was the best museum, so I went. It was the first place I encountered that only takes Estonian currency. So I paid the $5 (or so) with a credit card.

After 4 hours (total) I headed for my HOHO bus to take me back to the ship.

What a delightful visit to a picture perfect town.