View of Tallinn City

Little known gems are often the most precious and alluring. Estonia's ancient seacoast capital is just that kind of jewel. Tallinn, which at one time or another has fallen under Danish, German, Swedish or Czarist Russian rule, has retained more remnants of its past and in a more complete state than most other cities in Europe. The old city's inclusion on UNESCO's prestigious World Heritage List was dramatic acknowledgment of that.

You can see, feel and touch history everywhere in this overwhelmingly romantic city: it's in candlelight casting shadows on a cavernous stone wall in an old town merchant house, it's in the tree-lined parks that were once the strolling grounds for the aristocracy, and in a Baltic Sea breeze slapping waves at your feet along a shorefront promenade.

This is also a city that has won worldwide acclaim for its forward-thinking, state-of-the-art services. A thriving nightlife has also sprung up in Tallinn, the center of economic and cultural activity in the country; it's also a hub for major festivals and concerts throughout the year. Amid all the advances, this inspiring city also hasn't become overly developed or refined: there's a touching genuineness to Tallinn.

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Europe / Estonia

Lat: 59° 26' 15" N
Long: 24° 44' 32" E

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: Unknown / Undeclared.

Taken with an Canon 300D digital SLR, Sigma Fisheye 8mm. Mounted on a Manfrotto 303SPH. Stitched with Panorama Tools.