Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is located in Northern Europe in the Baltic Sea Region. The first mention of a settlement on the site of Tallinn dates from 1154, when the Arab geographer Abu Abdallah Muhammad al-Idrisi placed the town on his world map under the name of Qualawen, however the first reliable account of Tallinn's history comes from The Chronicle of Latvian Henrik, wherein Henrik describes the landing of the Danish fleet, led by King Valdemar II, in June of 1219. The Danes quickly snapped up Tallinn as their own and built a large fortress on Toompea Hill. The name 'Tallinn' is actually derived from the Estonian words “taani linnus”, meaning Danish castle.
Tallinn has a temperate climate, with warm summers and severe winters. Temperatures range from a summer average of 21°C (70°F) to an average in winter of -8°C (18°F). Tallinn enjoys warm summers with temperatures ranging between 8°C and 21°C (46°F and 72°F) and unexpected rain showers. The winter is cold, expect temperatures between -6°C and 4°C (22°F and 40°F).
Tallinn is the centre of Estonian political and business life. The capital is the driving force of the country's economy. The city is home to about half of all Estonian companies, which are responsible for ca 50-60% of GDP and nearly 3/4 of total business profit. The economy is closely connected with the neighbouring Scandinavian countries. This has attracted extensive foreign investments, facilitated the acquisition of modern expertise and boosted trade. The industrial landscape of Tallinn is a fair reflection of the transition period in the economy where some sectors are waning and others are growing. Tallinn has both traditional and new branches of industry. Some of the machine building, metal processing, and textile, food and furniture industries date back more than a hundred years and their production lines continue to be competitive abroad. Electronics and apparatus plants represent the new industrial generation, strongly oriented to exports.
Public transport in Tallinn consists of bus, tram, trolleybus, train, and ferry services. Tallinn public transport offers also 1 and 2-hour tickets as well as 1 and 3-day tickets. Visitors can purchase the Tallinn Card, which provides unlimited use of public transport along with entry to various attractions. Taxi stands are located at major intersections and in front of bigger hotels, taxis can be also ordered by phone or hailed on the street. Velotaxis (bicycle taxis) provide a fun and environment-friendly way of getting around the centre of Tallinn.
Pre-school education, until the age of 7, is voluntary, pre-school establishments include creches (until the age of 3) and kindergartens (3–7 years) which are maintained either publicly or privately. General education is divided into two parts: basic education (9 years: age 7 to 16) which is compulsory for all children in Estonia and secondary general education. General education is mainly taught at municipal schools (basic school classes at primary, basic and secondary schools). Higher education has been divided into vocational higher education, education with diploma, Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree and Doctor’s degree studies. The usual duration of studies is three to four years. The most significant centre of national higher education is the University of Tartu.
The winding, cobbled streets of Tallinn's historic centre are the focus for most visitors to the city and the hub of the major tourist attractions. The cobble-stoned Old Town is the main attraction, the walled old town is divided into two parts: Toompea Hill andLower Town operated independently. The Toompea was the highest hill on the old city grounds, and it was fortified separately from the rest of the city. Since 1997, the Old Town of Tallinn has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox Cathedral was built in a typically flamboyant Russian style at the very end of the 19th century and stands atop Toompea Hill. The architect of the church was Mikhail Preobrazhenski from St. Petersburg.
The symbol of the city is the Town Hall, which dates from the 15th century. The Town Hall was established on the central square, probably at the beginning of 13th century. The Tallinn Town Hall is two-storied, built of local limestone with a tall saddle roof and an octagonal console tower. The Late Renaissance spire with open galleries as well as the dragonhead waterspouts through a decorative parapet along the top of the façade.
Tallinn's magnificent Botanical Garden covers 110 hectares and contains more than 8,000 plant species. The Garden is located in the north-eastern part of the city of Tallinn – the garden town of Pirita. It is 9 kilometres from the city center. The majority of plants growing in Estonian gardens and green areas may be found here, complemented by rather unique or new decorative and resistant to the local climate species. Specialised exhibits change every month, and thematic tours are offered all year round, the most popular being the summer night aroma tours, and the rose days.
Many celebrations take place throughout the year in Tallinn and the biggest festivals often have a strong Estonian theme, a lot of the festivals are world famous and unique and its likening isn’t to be found elsewhere. These events include the Estonian Music Days in April, the Day of Tallinn each May, the Old Town Days held in the beginning in June, and The Medieval Market in early July every year.
