Our
5-week, 5-country (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia), 1600-mile bike
trip came to an end yesterday (Friday). We can think of no better final
location than the extraordinary city of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, where
we have spent a day and a half of touring before packing for our flight home on
Sunday.
The
origins of Tallinn date back to the 13th century, and it is the oldest capital city in Northern Europe. Tallinn's Old Town, very
popular with tourists from around the world, is on the list of UNESCO World
Heritage Sites. UNESCO's explanation of what made the Old Town qualify for this
designation include: "The
Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn is an exceptionally complete and
well-preserved medieval northern European trading city.”; "… preserves ... narrow winding streets, many of
which retain their medieval names …";
"The site preserves to a remarkable extent the medieval urban
structure of building plots, streets and squares, set out in the 13th century..."
"…well endowed with buildings from the 14th-16th centuries…".
The Old Town is surrounded by the much larger
modern city. Tallinn has numerous gleaming, modern buildings, as well as a 100-year-old
factory area -- the Rotermanni quarter – that has been renovated into upscale
shops and apartments. Beyond buildings, Tallinn is renowned as a high-tech
center. "The Age" magazine, which has compiled a list of the 10
"most digital" cities in the world based on criteria that include
high-speed internet access, technology adoption and culture, and government
support for technology magazine, has included Tallinn as one of the 10. Tallinn,
where Skype was developed, is a major high-tech startup center.
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| Arriving at our final destination in Tallinn |
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An old gazebo beside our hotel
Sites in the Old Town |
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| St. Olaf's Church, which was the tallest building in the world from 1549 to 1625 |
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| On the observation deck at St. Olaf's Church, reach via a climb of 258 steps |
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| Edward Snowden must have been here (actually, Tallinn is only about 150 miles from Russia,) |
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| One of the Rotermanni Quarter renovated buildings, beautifully combining the old and new |
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| A modern building in Tallinn |
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