The last time I was in Tallinn was in 1997 and even back then it looked unexpectedly good. But a lot has changed since then, and for the better.
Historically, Estonia belongs more to Finland than to Russia, as we'd assume. Estonian is very similar to Finnish, and so are the culture, the architecture and how clean everything is. Of course you can spot the Russian influence too, but it doesn't bother you at all.
They put the whole city centre, the whole shebang, on the UNESCO heritage list, and they knew why. What a few nice parts of Malá Strana look like, that's what the entire centre of Tallinn is like. Plus, in the new part of town, a bunch of new glass skyscrapers, architecturally gorgeous pieces. And the museum of modern art is an absolute gem.
I spent 5 days there, I was on my own and had time to walk the whole place, and I completely fell in love with the city. Not to mention how many beauties there are. It's not so much about the total number as about the unbelievable ratio between the gorgeous ones and the ordinary ones. It's pretty risky, my forehead still hurts from the lump I got off a lamppost from constantly turning my head :-)
Another interesting thing is the Estonians' almost obsession with modern technology. They were the first in the world to hold electronic elections. The first in the world the Russians launched an electronic attack on (and they hacked half of the state administration). In Tallinn I didn't find a single spot where there weren't at least 3 free WiFi networks in range.
The cars on the streets are roughly like in downtown Munich. Most taxi drivers drive at least a Superb. And yet everybody drives and generally behaves in a civilised and pleasant way, really like in the developed part of Europe. Not like the rude yokels in Prague and around.
I firmly hope I'll manage to get back there soon. Or I'll just find a job there straight away ;-)
Oh, one more thing. Tallinn is a culinary paradise, as you can see from some of the photos. And it wasn't all that expensive either, plus always pleasant service. Average Miss Europe contestants :-)
