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Travel to Tallinn, Estonia
By TJ Tierney

Estonia is a lowland country situated in North Eastern Europe. It borders on the Baltic Sea, and the gulf of Finland in the north, Latvia to the south and Russia in the east. Estonia has a flat, unharmed landscape with more than one thousand lakes and has over seven thousand rivers and streams. Nearly half of its landscape is covered by woodland and forest.

For someone who enjoys skating or ice fishing, Estonia in the winter can be a great place to visit. Its winters can get very cold, but thanks to the North Atlantic Gulf Stream the summers remain quite mild. The best time to visit Estonia is during the months of May through to September, July usually being the warmest month of the year.

Tallinn is the capital of Estonia and is well suited to all travellers needs. Tallinn is situated on the north coast of Estonia along the Gulf of Finland. It the largest city in Estonia and is an important industrial, political and cultural centre. It is also an extremely busy seaport with regular ferries to the Scandinavian countries.

Estonian Air is the national carrier and offers special weekend packages for tourists. The main international airport of Estonia is about four kilometres from Tallinn centre, with a local bus connection between the airport and the edge of the city centre.

Tourism accounts for fifteen percent of Estonia’s GDP - mainly due to people visiting Tallinn.

For anyone interested in shopping in Tallinn, the local currency is the Estonian Kroon. The main shopping centre is located in the Kristiine district - here you can shop ‘til you drop at very affordable prices. The centre also boasts a large number of cafes and restaurants. Good bargains can also be got in the department stores in the city centre.

Travelling around Tallinn is easy with a great bus, tram and rail service. The city operates a wide-ranging bus system to all districts of Tallinn. Fares are reasonably priced and tickets are easily purchased through street-side kiosks.

For anyone interested in visiting the main attractions of Tallinn a single card can be bought from the local tourist office which allows entry to most attractions - this card also allows free public transport around the city. The card is called the Tallinn Card.

The main attractions are in the old part of the city, which should be explored on foot. Local walking tours offer a great understanding of the citys culture and architecture. Two kilometres east of the city centre is the former palace of Peter the Great, which now houses the National Art Museum of Estonia and is also the presidential residence.

There is a wide range of restaurants, cafes and bars in the city of Tallinn as well as dynamic nightclubs, which attract parties from all over Europe.

The Estonian speciality is smoked fish, particularly trout. Veal is also a very common dish in Estonia, it is normally served roasted and is well accompanied with the local beer: Saare beer. Restaurant bills usually include a tip, but extra tips should be added when the service is special.

Tallinn is a beautiful medieval city that offers terrific value. It has all the modern comforts of Western Europe at Eastern Europe prices.

TJ Tierney is an award winning photographer and a freelance writer. To find out more information on Estonia visit his travel guide or his travel directory