TALLINN

Medieval spirit in pristine nature

Tallinn is situated on the northern coast of Estonia on the Finnish Gulf shore. Although there is a mentioning of the city from the second millennium B.C., the city was officially founded in 1219 by the Danish invaders that explain its name that in Estonian means “Danish city”. They were followed by the Teutonic horsemen of German origin, whose descendants formed the main part of the population till the 19th century. In spite of the fact that it was a part of Sweden from 1561 and a part of Russia from 1710, the main part of the population remained of the German origin, that influenced both the architecture and the religion, mostly Lutheran. After the independence, returned in 1991, Tallinn has been reconstructed and nowadays is one of the most beautiful European capitals. The city will fascinate you with its old houses, narrow streets, cathedrals and its spires, stretching into the sky. Here is one unique fact about Tallinn. Like in the good old days, fireplaces and chimneys in the historical part of the city are cleaned by the real chimney-sweeps. A good omen in Tallinn is to see a chimney sweep on the street. If you make a wish and manage to touch his polished buttons, your wish will surely come true.