Its name, derived from the Estonian for Danish Fort is a reminder of the fact that the Danes founded the city at the beginning of the thirteenth century. Since that period political control has almost always been in the hands of foreigners however Mediaeval Tallinn regained its freedom after the break up of the Soviet Union. Since that time, Tallinn has made huge changes, developing into an important political and business centre as well as one of Northern Europes most popular Tourist destinations. Tallinn's charming old town with its kilometres of winding cobblestone streets and storybook medieval houses is virtually untouched by the 20th century.

On arrival theres no reason to be intimidated in Tallinn and quickly getting to where you need to go is just as manageable. The airport, bus and train stations are smallish, rarely ever crowded and increasingly passenger friendly.

The best places to find quality fashion, shoes, perfume and the like are the elegant boutiques along Old Towns and the department stores and malls that have recently been appearing all over Tallinn. A required stop on any shopping tour of Tallinn is the outdoor knit market, where craftswomen sell their knitted products in the shadow of the town wall. Even more intriguing for the adventurous shopper is the Katariina Passage. Here in medieval style workshops run by the Katariina Guilds artists, onlookers watch as glasswork, ceramics, leather goods, quilts and other items are created right before their eyes.

A selection of centrally located hotels in Tallinn is available ranging from budget to luxury.

July and August are the warmest months, with daily highs reaching around 30 the winter months December to March are cold. The best time to visit the country is in the late spring April and May and summer June to early September when the weather is mild.

The language is closely related to Finnish. Its notoriously difficult, thanks in no small part to its 14 case ending. English is overtaking Russian as the most widely spoken second language so the linguistically challenged can virtually always get by with English alone. However picking up some phrases can be useful and is certain to charm and flatter local Estonians.

Take a trip.