Tallinn, 1998
I travelled to Tallinn by ferry in November, 1998. There were some other students going as well, so the ride over was quite enjoyable. Tallinn is a city with a wonderful old town. The streets and building made me feel like I was back in the medieval ages, except that everything was quite clean. Around the old city was the city wall, which was built back in the 1600's and completed in the 1800's. One cannon tower remains from the old wall, and it has been converted into a museum. The museum gives a short but detailed account of the history of Tallinn and the construction of the wall and tower.
On the highest point in town is a small but very beautiful Catholic Orthodox(?)church. The interior is beautiful and many of the carvings and objects are inlaid with gold and silver. The frescoes on the walls and roof are quite stunning. Across the street from the church is the government building. It's not large, and looks more like a mansion.
The prices in Tallinn were fairly cheap and the best haircut I've had so far, while in Europe, was obtained there. Some other sights that I didn't see but have heard of are: the large market, which lies 20 minutes out from downtown, and an old castle/monastery that lies also out of town.
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