Tallinn, Estonia

The capital of Estonia, Tallinn is likely one of the most enchanting cities I have every visited. A mix of medieval and modern building, narrow cobble stone streets set beneath spires, domes and churches built in the 12, 13 and 14th centuries. The city is clean and safe, there were many tourist, although not as many as I was expecting. Tallinn is a stop for Baltic cruise ships, usually only for a few hours. It is also a popular destination for stag parties..go figure, cheap booze and great bars. We actually saw a group of young guys drink absinth at 9:00a.m. (Fraser and Salgado would approve).

Yesterday was spent the day visiting museums, churches, cathedrals and eating at some quaint little restaurants. It was only 8C and there was drizzle all day, no heavy rain. Sure, it would have been nice to see the sun but when it rains, tourists stay in their hotel room and cruise ship people don't leave their buffet lines. As a result, we had the city to ourselves. The main square was empty and the bistros too. Had it been sunny, the place would have been packed and lines would have formed to get to the must-see sites.

A highlight for me was the Occupation museum. Estonia was invaded by Russia in 1939 and the fall into the Soviet sphere was not a happy one (as you can imagine). It was so bad that when Nazi Germany invaded in 1941, they were greeted with cheers of joy. By 1944, the Russians has bombed Estonia badly, destroying most of the cities and Germany retreated. After WWII, tiny Estonia was annexed to the Soviet Union and between 1945 to 1989, the percentage of native Estonian dropped from 97% to 62%. For a series of poignant films on this topic, go to the museum's website right here.

After the insightful visit, we started seeing the city through a different lens. For example, St. Olaf Church's spire (the tallest of the city) doubled as the KGB's surveillance centre, 250 steps straight up, feel the burn. Old russian cars were probably owned by some of the city's most prominent communist party members. The way Estonians serve Russian tourists, you can tell the difference (or at least that's what I thought).

Would I recommend a visit to Tallinn or that you add it to the top 10 must sees in your lifetime. For sure, I know that we've been here for three days and would love to stay longer. Get here soon before the rest of the world does!