Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Tallinn shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Tallinn offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Tallinn at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Tallinn? Wrong! If the Tallinn is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Tallinn then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Tallinn? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Tallinn and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Tallinn wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Tallinn then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Tallinn site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Tallinn, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Tallinn, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.





{{Infobox City|official_name = City of Tallinn|native_name = Tallinn|nickname =|motto =|image_skyline = Tallinn old town-700px.jpg|imagesize =|image_caption = Tallinn old town|image_flag = Flag of Tallinn.svg|image_shield = Tallinn greater coatofarms.png|image_map = Tallinn location.png|mapsize =|map_caption = Location of Tallinn in Estonia|subdivision_name = [Estonia|subdivision_name1 = [Harju County|leader_name = [Edgar Savisaar|utc_offset = +2|timezone_DST = [Eastern European Summer Time|utc_offset_DST = +3|latd=59 |latm=26 |lats= |latNS=N|longd=24 |longm=45 |longs= |longEW=E|elevation_m =|elevation_ft =|postal_code_type =|postal_code =|website = www.tallinn.ee|footnotes =-->Tallinn (historically known by the German language and Swedish language name Reval, among #Historical names) is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It lies on the northern coast of Estonia, along the Gulf of Finland. The city is an important industrial, political and cultural center, and seaport.

Etymology In 1219 Valdemar II of Denmark, leading the Danish Fleet in connection with the Northern Crusades, landed in an Estonian town of Lindanisse SALMONSENSKONVERSATIONSLEKSIKON at (Latin) Revelia (Estonian) Revala or Rävala, the adjacent ancient Estonian county. The Danish Army defeated the Estonians at the Battle of Lyndanisse. The German language and Swedish language name Reval (Latin: Revalia) originated from the ancient Estonian name of the county.The origin of the name "Tallinn(a)" is certain to be Estonian language, although the original meaning of the name is debated. It is usually thought to be derived from "Taani-linn(a)" (meaning "Denmark-castle/town"; Latin: Castrum Danorum) after the Danes built the castle in place of the Estonian stronghold at Lindanisse. However, it could also have come from "tali-linna" ("winter-castle/town"), or "talu-linna" ("house/farmstead-castle/town"). The element -linna, like Germanic languages -burg and Slavic languages -Grad (geography) / -gorod, originally meant "fortress" but is used as a suffix in the formation of town names.

Tallinna replaced the previously used official German name () in 1918, when Estonia became independent. In the early 1920s, the official spelling of the city name was changed from Tallinna to Tallinn, making the new name notable since Estonian-language place names generally end with a vowel (denoting the genitive case). However, somewhat confusingly to non-Estonian speakers, the word Tallinna still appears in modern Tallinn as the -a suffix can denote the genitive case (thus Tallinna Lennujaam translates literally as Tallinn's Airport).

Historical names The German language and Swedish language name Reval (, earlier Swedish language: Räffle) originated from the 13th century Estonian name of the adjacent Estonian county of Rävala. Other known ancient historical names of Tallinn include variations of the Estonian Lindanisse Reval's ältester Estnischer Name Lindanisse, Verhandlungen der gelehrten estnischen Gesellschaft zu Dorpat. Band 3, Heft 1. Dorpat 1854, p. 46–47 (see Battle of Lyndanisse), such as Lyndanisse in Danish language, Lindanäs in Swedish, and Ledenets in Old East Slavic language. Kesoniemi in Finnish language and Kolyvan (Колывань) in Old East Slavic are other historical names.

The Ancient Arabic and Russian name Kolyvan was first mentioned in 1154 when the Arab geographer Al-Idrisi used it in his map of the world."A glance at the history and geology of Tallinn" by Jaak Nõlvak. In Wogogob 2004: Conference Materials

Geography Tallinn is situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, in north central Estonia.

The largest lake in Tallinn is Lake Ülemiste (covers 9.6 Square kilometre). It is the main source of the city's drinking water. Lake Harku is the second largest lake within the borders of Tallinn and its area is 1.6 km². Unlike many other large towns, the only significant river in Tallinn is located in Pirita (a city district counted as a suburb). The river valley is a protected area because of its natural beauty.

A limestone cliff runs through the city. It is exposed, for instance, at Toompea and Lasnamäe. However, Toompea is not a part of the cliff, but a separate hill.

The highest point of Tallinn, at 64 meters above the sea level, is situated in the district of Nõmme, in the south-west of the city.

The length of the coastline is 46 kilometres. It comprises 3 bigger peninsulas: Kopli peninsula, Paljassaare peninsula and Kakumäe peninsula.

{{Infobox Weather|metric_first= Yes|single_line= Yes|location = Tallinn|Jan_Hi_°C = -2.9 |Jan_REC_Hi_°C = 9.2|Feb_Hi_°C = -3.0 |Feb_REC_Hi_°C = 10.2|Mar_Hi_°C = 0.8 |Mar_REC_Hi_°C = 15.9|Apr_Hi_°C = 7.3 |Apr_REC_Hi_°C = 27.2|May_Hi_°C = 14.0 |May_REC_Hi_°C = 29.7|Jun_Hi_°C = 18.8 |Jun_REC_Hi_°C = 31.2|Jul_Hi_°C = 20.8 |Jul_REC_Hi_°C = 32.3|Aug_Hi_°C = 19.9 |Aug_REC_Hi_°C = 31.2|Sep_Hi_°C = 14.9 |Sep_REC_Hi_°C = 28.5|Oct_Hi_°C = 9.0 |Oct_REC_Hi_°C = 21.8|Nov_Hi_°C = 3.3 |Nov_REC_Hi_°C = 13.4|Dec_Hi_°C = -0.2 |Dec_REC_Hi_°C = 10.7|Year_Hi_°C = 8.6 |Year_REC_Hi_°C = 32.3

|Jan_Lo_°C = -8.2 |Jan_REC_Lo_°C = -31.4|Feb_Lo_°C = -8.7 |Feb_REC_Lo_°C = -31.0|Mar_Lo_°C = -5.6 |Mar_REC_Lo_°C = -26.2|Apr_Lo_°C = -0.2 |Apr_REC_Lo_°C = -17.2|May_Lo_°C = 4.9 |May_REC_Lo_°C = -4.3|Jun_Lo_°C = 9.9 |Jun_REC_Lo_°C = 0.0|Jul_Lo_°C = 12.5 |Jul_REC_Lo_°C = 4.4|Aug_Lo_°C = 12.0 |Aug_REC_Lo_°C = 1.7|Sep_Lo_°C = 8.0 |Sep_REC_Lo_°C = -4.7|Oct_Lo_°C = 3.7 |Oct_REC_Lo_°C = -10.5|Nov_Lo_°C = -0.9 |Nov_REC_Lo_°C = -21.3|Dec_Lo_°C = -4.9 |Dec_REC_Lo_°C = -32.2|Year_Lo_°C = 1.9 |Year_REC_Lo_°C = -32.2

|Jan_Precip_cm = |Jan_Precip_mm = 45|Feb_Precip_cm = |Feb_Precip_mm = 29|Mar_Precip_cm = |Mar_Precip_mm = 29|Apr_Precip_cm = |Apr_Precip_mm = 36|May_Precip_cm = |May_Precip_mm = 37|Jun_Precip_cm = |Jun_Precip_mm = 53|Jul_Precip_cm = |Jul_Precip_mm = 79|Aug_Precip_cm = |Aug_Precip_mm = 84|Sep_Precip_cm = |Sep_Precip_mm = 82|Oct_Precip_cm = |Oct_Precip_mm = 70|Nov_Precip_cm = |Nov_Precip_mm = 68|Dec_Precip_cm = |Dec_Precip_mm = 55|Year_Precip_cm = |Year_Precip_mm = 667|source = Pogoda.ru.net{{cite web| url = http://pogoda.ru.net/climate/26038.htm | title = Pogoda.ru.net| accessmonthday = September 7| accessyear = 2007| publisher = | language = Russian-->|accessdate = 7.09.2007-->|accessdate2 = -->-->

History falling from the sky in the 1219 Battle of LyndanisseThe southern coast of the Gulf of Finland is thought to have been settled by Finnic-speaking tribes already in the 2nd millennium BC.

Supposedly, in 1154 Tallinn was placed on the world map of the Almoravid cartographer Muhammad al-Idrisi as Kolyvan. Tallinn - Medieval Capital

As an important port for trade between Russia and Scandinavia, it became a target for the expansion of the Teutonic Knights and Kingdom of Denmark during the period of Northern Crusades in the beginning of the 13th century when Roman Catholic Church was forcibly imposed on the local population. Danish rule of Tallinn and Northern Estonia started in 1219.

(Oleviste kirik) was once the tallest building in the world

In 1285 the city became the northernmost member of the Hanseatic League - a mercantile and military alliance of Germans-dominated cities in Northern Europe. The Danes sold Tallinn along with their other land possessions in northern Estonia to the Teutonic Knights in 1346. Medieval Tallinn enjoyed a strategic position at the crossroads of trade between Western and Northern Europe and Russia. The city, with a population of 8,000, was very well fortified with city walls and 66 defence towers. (1530)A weather-wane, the figure of an old warrior called Old Thomas was put on top of the spire of the Tallinn's Town Hall in 1530 that became the symbol for the city.

With the start of the Protestant Reformation the Germans influence became even stronger as the city was converted to Lutheranism. In 1561 Tallinn politically became a Dominions of Sweden of Sweden.

During the Great Northern War the Swedish troops based in Tallinn capitulated to Russian Empire in 1710, but the local self-government institutions (Magistracy of Reval and Chivalry of Estonia) retained their cultural and economical autonomy within Imperial Russia as the Duchy of Estonia. The Magistracy of Reval was abolished in 1889. The 19th century brought industrialization of the city and the port kept its importance. During the last decades of the century Russification measures became stronger.

On 24 February 1918, the Independence Manifesto was proclaimed in Tallinn, followed by German Empire occupation and a Estonian Liberation War with Russia. On 2 February 1920, the Treaty of Tartu (Russian–Estonian) was signed with Soviet Russia, wherein Russia acknowledged the independence of the Estonian Republic. Tallinn became the capital of an independent Estonia. After World War II started, Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union (USSR) in 1940, and later occupied by Nazi Germany from 1941-44. After Nazi retreat in 1944, it was occupied by the USSR again. After Occupation of Baltic Republics into the Soviet Union, Tallinn became the capital of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic.

During the 1980 Summer Olympics a regatta was held at Pirita, north-east of central Tallinn. Many buildings, like the hotel "Olümpia", the new Main Post Office building, and the Regatta Center, were built for the Olympics.

In August 1991 an independent democratic Estonian state was re-established and a period of quick development to a modern European capital ensued. Tallinn became the capital of a de facto independent country once again on August 20, 1991.

Tallinn has historically consisted of three parts:



Historically, the city has been attacked, sacked, razed and pillaged on numerous occasions. Although extensively bombed by Soviet air forces during the latter stages of World War II, much of the medieval Old Town still retains its charm. The Tallinn Old Town (including Toompea) became a UNESCO World Heritage Site site in 1997.

At the end of the 15th century a new 159 m high Gothic architecture spire was built for St Olav Tallinn. Between 1549 and 1625 it was the List of tallest churches. After several fires and following rebuilding, its overall height is now 123 m.


Administrative districts {| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=5 align="right"|-!District!Area!Population|-| Haabersti ] || 28.0 km² || 34,985|-| Kristiine ] || 30.0 km² || 108,644|-| Mustamäe ] || 28.0 km² || 35,043|-| Pirita ] || 17.3 km² || 52,573|}For local government purposes, Tallinn is subdivided into 8 administrative districts (Estonian language: linnaosad, sg. - linnaosa). The district governments are city institutions that fulfill, in the territory of their district, the functions assigned to them by Tallinn legislation and statutes.

Each district government is managed by an Elder (Estonian language: linnaosavanem). He or she is appointed by the City Government on the nomination of the Mayor and after having heard the opinion of the Administrative Councils. The function of the Administrative Councils is to recommend, to the City Government and Commissions of the City Council, how the districts should be administered.


Population (Raekoda){| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" align="right"|+Population development| Year| Population|-| 1372| 3250|-| 1772| 6954|-| 1816| 12,000|-| 1834| 15,300|-| 1851| 24,000|-| 1881| 45,900|-| 1897| 58,800|-| 1925| 119,800|-| 1959| 283,071|-| 1989| 478,974|-| 1996| 427,500|-| 2000| 400,378|-| 2005| 401,694|-| 2006| 399,108|-| 2007| 400 911|}Tallinn's population is registered 400,200 (as of May 2007).

According to Eurostat, the statistical agency of the European Union, of all EU member states' capital cities, Tallinn has the largest number of non-EU nationals: 27.8% of its population are not EU citizens. This is because planned immigration from other Republics of the Soviet Union during the period of Soviet Union control (1944-1991) brought large numbers of non-Estonians, mostly Russians, to Tallinn and other areas of Northern Estonia. These immigrants and their offspring do not qualify automatically for Estonian citizenship.

{]|align=right|54.9%|-|Russians|align=right|3.6%|-|[Belarusians|align=right|0.9%|-|Others|align=right|3.1%|}

In addition to the native [Estonian language (which is of the Finno-Ugric languages group, closely related to the Finnish language), Finnish language, Russian language and English language are widely understood in Tallinn.


Economy In addition to longtime functions as seaport and capital city, Tallinn has seen development of an information technology sector in recent years; in its 13 December 2005, edition, The New York Times characterized Estonia as "a sort of Silicon Valley on the Baltic Sea." One of Tallinn's sister cities is the Silicon Valley town of Los Gatos, California. Skype is one of the best-known of several Tallinn IT start-ups, and a first venture capital firm was founded in 2005. Many are housed in the Soviet-era Institute of Cybernetics, which is said to been one of the seeds for Estonian adoption of computing technology. Despite this, the most important economic sectors of Tallinn are the light, textile, and food industry, as well as the service and government sector.

Education Tallinn is the location of many institutions of higher education and science, including:



Tourism built in 1894-1900.Since independence, improving air and sea transport links with Western Europe and Estonia's accession to the European Union have made Tallinn easily accessible to tourists. The picturesque old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the current novelty of the destination attract many tourists and facilities (hotels, restaurants) have developed to meet their needs. English is widely spoken within the tourist areas.

Estonia has made rapid economic progress since independence and this is reflected in local prices. Although not extortionate, neither are prices as cheap as in other former Eastern Bloc countries.

The local tourist office sells the "Tallinn Card" which gives the holder free local public transport and entry to most attractions. Although the economics of this may be marginal, it is convenient to use. Local walking tours offer short-cuts to understanding the city.

The main attractions are in the two old towns (Lower Town and Toompea) which are both easily explored on foot. Eastern districts around Pirita and Kadriorg are also worth visiting and the Estonian Open Air Museum (Eesti Vabaõhumuuseum) near Rocca al Mare, west of the city, preserves aspects of Estonian rural culture and architecture.

Toompea This area was once a separate town (Dom zu Reval), the residence of the Chivalry of Estonia, Roman Catholic Church bishops of Tallinn (until 1561) and Lutheranism superintendents of Estonia, occupying an easily defensible site overlooking the surrounding districts. The major attractions are the walls and various bastions of Castrum Danorum, the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn (built during the period of Russian Empire, the church was built on a site that formerly housed a statue of Martin Luther) and the Lutheran Cathedral (Toomkirik).

Lower Town This area is one of the best preserved old towns in Europe and the authorities are continuing its rehabilitation after years of neglect. The "must-see" sights include Raekoja plats (Town Hall square), the town walls and towers (notably "Fat Margaret" and "Kiek in de Kök") and St Olav Tallinn tower (124 m).

Kadriorg This is 2 kilometres east of the centre and is served by buses and trams. The former palace of Peter I of Russia, built just after the Great Northern War, now houses (part of) the Art Museum of Estonia, presidential residence and the surrounding grounds include formal gardens and woodland.

The new residence of the Art Museum of Estonia: KUMU (Kunstimuuseum, Art Museum) was built several years ago.

Pirita This coastal district is a further 2 kilometres north-east of Kadriorg. The marina was built for the 1980 Summer Olympics, but for the less capable, boats can be hired on the Pirita river. Two kilometres inland are the Botanic Gardens and the Tallinn TV Tower.
Transport City transport The city operates an extensive system of bus (64 lines), tram (4 lines) and trolley-bus (8 lines) routes to all districts. Fares are reasonably-priced and a flat-fare system is used. Payment is made either by pre-purchase of tickets at street-side kiosks or by a purchase from the transport veichle.

Air Tallinn Airport is about four kilometres from Raekoja plats (Town Hall square), there is a local bus connection between the airport and the edge of the city centre (bus no. 2). Nearest railway station Ülemiste is only 1.5 km from airport. The terminal building is a small but modern, convenient and clean building.

Several airlines (e.g. easyJet, Estonian Air, Finnair, KLM, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Air Baltic and Scandinavian Airlines System) operate between Tallinn and European cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Helsinki, London, Kiev, Manchester, Milan, Moscow, Prague, Stockholm, Warsaw, Riga, Vilnius, Oslo, Barcelona and, in a regular charter basis, to Faro Airport (Algarve) in Portugal. Domestic flights to Kuressaare and Kärdla are operated by Avies.

The construction of the new section of the airport has begun in 2007 and is scheduled to end in summer 2008.

There used to be an hourly helicopter service to and from Helsinki operated by Copterline. This route was advertised as the fastest capital-to-capital link in the world (one way took 12 minutes). Copterline lost one of their helicopters in 10 August 2005 helicopter crash near Tallinn. This, together with decreasing amount of passengers and mechanical trouble with the one remaining helicopter, led to a decision to cancel the helicopter route. It is possible that flights may start again in 2007 or later with a new fleet. The company is calling the inactivity as a temporary break on its web page Copterline web page. The Copterline Tallinn terminal is located adjacent to Linnahall, only five minutes from the city center.

Rail and road The Edelaraudtee railway company operates train services from Tallinn to Tartu, Valga, Estonia, Türi, Viljandi, Tapa, Estonia, Narva, Orava, Estonia, and Pärnu. Buses are also available to all these and various other destinations in Estonia, as well as to St Petersburg in Russia and Riga in Latvia. The GO Rail company operates a daily international sleeper train service between Tallinn-Moscow and Tallinn-St Petersburg.

Tallinn also has a commuter rail service running from Tallinn's main rail station (Balti jaam) in two main directions: east (Aegviidu) and to several western destinations (Pääsküla, Keila, Riisipere, Paldiski, Klooga and Kloogaranna). These are electrified lines and are used by the Elektriraudtee railroad company. The trains are a mixture of modernised older Soviet EMU's and newly built units. The first electrified train service in Tallinn was opened in 1924 from Tallinn to Pääsküla, a distance of 11.2 kilometres.

The Via Baltica motorway (part of European route E67 from Helsinki to Prague) connects Tallinn to the Lithuanian/Poland border through Latvia.

Frequent and affordable long-distance bus routes connect Tallinn with other parts of Estonia.

Ferry Ferry to Helsinki See also: Ports of the Baltic Sea Several ferry operators, Viking Line, Silja Line, Linda Line Express, Tallink, Eckerö Line and Nordic Jet Line, connect Tallinn to



The most popular passenger lines connect Tallinn to Helsinki (80 kilometres north of Tallinn) in approximately 90 minutes by fast ferries or 2-3.5 hours by Baltic Sea cruiseferries.

Partner cities Tallinn participates in international town twinning schemes to foster good international relations. Partners include:

Tallinn also has a mutual friendship with the city of Portland, Oregon, United States and Kotka, Finland

See also

Gallery Image:Toompea ordulinnus 2005.jpg|Castrum DanorumImage:Tallinn_oldnew2.jpgImage:Statue of Anton Hansen Tammsaare, Tallinn.jpg|Statue of Anton Hansen Tammsaare, TallinnImage:Tallin-markt.jpg|Medieval city centre of Tallinn with Town Hall and marketplaceImage:Tallinn-hafen.jpg|Another view from the Finnish Gulf to Old TallinnImage:DSCF2025ew2007.JPG|The city center (winter 2007)Image:Viru_Hotel_from_Tammsaare_park.jpg|Viru HotelImage:Tallinn_skylinefar.jpg

References

External links General Travel Photos and Videos

Maps Other





{{Infobox City|official_name = City of Tallinn|native_name = Tallinn|nickname =|motto =|image_skyline = Tallinn old town-700px.jpg|imagesize =|image_caption = Tallinn old town|image_flag = Flag of Tallinn.svg|image_shield = Tallinn greater coatofarms.png|image_map = Tallinn location.png|mapsize =|map_caption = Location of Tallinn in Estonia|subdivision_name = [Estonia|subdivision_name1 = [Harju County|leader_name = [Edgar Savisaar|utc_offset = +2|timezone_DST = [Eastern European Summer Time|utc_offset_DST = +3|latd=59 |latm=26 |lats= |latNS=N|longd=24 |longm=45 |longs= |longEW=E|elevation_m =|elevation_ft =|postal_code_type =|postal_code =|website = www.tallinn.ee|footnotes =-->Tallinn (historically known by the German language and Swedish language name Reval, among #Historical names) is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It lies on the northern coast of Estonia, along the Gulf of Finland. The city is an important industrial, political and cultural center, and seaport.

Etymology In 1219 Valdemar II of Denmark, leading the Danish Fleet in connection with the Northern Crusades, landed in an Estonian town of Lindanisse SALMONSENSKONVERSATIONSLEKSIKON at (Latin) Revelia (Estonian) Revala or Rävala, the adjacent ancient Estonian county. The Danish Army defeated the Estonians at the Battle of Lyndanisse. The German language and Swedish language name Reval (Latin: Revalia) originated from the ancient Estonian name of the county.The origin of the name "Tallinn(a)" is certain to be Estonian language, although the original meaning of the name is debated. It is usually thought to be derived from "Taani-linn(a)" (meaning "Denmark-castle/town"; Latin: Castrum Danorum) after the Danes built the castle in place of the Estonian stronghold at Lindanisse. However, it could also have come from "tali-linna" ("winter-castle/town"), or "talu-linna" ("house/farmstead-castle/town"). The element -linna, like Germanic languages -burg and Slavic languages -Grad (geography) / -gorod, originally meant "fortress" but is used as a suffix in the formation of town names.

Tallinna replaced the previously used official German name () in 1918, when Estonia became independent. In the early 1920s, the official spelling of the city name was changed from Tallinna to Tallinn, making the new name notable since Estonian-language place names generally end with a vowel (denoting the genitive case). However, somewhat confusingly to non-Estonian speakers, the word Tallinna still appears in modern Tallinn as the -a suffix can denote the genitive case (thus Tallinna Lennujaam translates literally as Tallinn's Airport).

Historical names The German language and Swedish language name Reval (, earlier Swedish language: Räffle) originated from the 13th century Estonian name of the adjacent Estonian county of Rävala. Other known ancient historical names of Tallinn include variations of the Estonian Lindanisse Reval's ältester Estnischer Name Lindanisse, Verhandlungen der gelehrten estnischen Gesellschaft zu Dorpat. Band 3, Heft 1. Dorpat 1854, p. 46–47 (see Battle of Lyndanisse), such as Lyndanisse in Danish language, Lindanäs in Swedish, and Ledenets in Old East Slavic language. Kesoniemi in Finnish language and Kolyvan (Колывань) in Old East Slavic are other historical names.

The Ancient Arabic and Russian name Kolyvan was first mentioned in 1154 when the Arab geographer Al-Idrisi used it in his map of the world."A glance at the history and geology of Tallinn" by Jaak Nõlvak. In Wogogob 2004: Conference Materials

Geography Tallinn is situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, in north central Estonia.

The largest lake in Tallinn is Lake Ülemiste (covers 9.6 Square kilometre). It is the main source of the city's drinking water. Lake Harku is the second largest lake within the borders of Tallinn and its area is 1.6 km². Unlike many other large towns, the only significant river in Tallinn is located in Pirita (a city district counted as a suburb). The river valley is a protected area because of its natural beauty.

A limestone cliff runs through the city. It is exposed, for instance, at Toompea and Lasnamäe. However, Toompea is not a part of the cliff, but a separate hill.

The highest point of Tallinn, at 64 meters above the sea level, is situated in the district of Nõmme, in the south-west of the city.

The length of the coastline is 46 kilometres. It comprises 3 bigger peninsulas: Kopli peninsula, Paljassaare peninsula and Kakumäe peninsula.

{{Infobox Weather|metric_first= Yes|single_line= Yes|location = Tallinn|Jan_Hi_°C = -2.9 |Jan_REC_Hi_°C = 9.2|Feb_Hi_°C = -3.0 |Feb_REC_Hi_°C = 10.2|Mar_Hi_°C = 0.8 |Mar_REC_Hi_°C = 15.9|Apr_Hi_°C = 7.3 |Apr_REC_Hi_°C = 27.2|May_Hi_°C = 14.0 |May_REC_Hi_°C = 29.7|Jun_Hi_°C = 18.8 |Jun_REC_Hi_°C = 31.2|Jul_Hi_°C = 20.8 |Jul_REC_Hi_°C = 32.3|Aug_Hi_°C = 19.9 |Aug_REC_Hi_°C = 31.2|Sep_Hi_°C = 14.9 |Sep_REC_Hi_°C = 28.5|Oct_Hi_°C = 9.0 |Oct_REC_Hi_°C = 21.8|Nov_Hi_°C = 3.3 |Nov_REC_Hi_°C = 13.4|Dec_Hi_°C = -0.2 |Dec_REC_Hi_°C = 10.7|Year_Hi_°C = 8.6 |Year_REC_Hi_°C = 32.3

|Jan_Lo_°C = -8.2 |Jan_REC_Lo_°C = -31.4|Feb_Lo_°C = -8.7 |Feb_REC_Lo_°C = -31.0|Mar_Lo_°C = -5.6 |Mar_REC_Lo_°C = -26.2|Apr_Lo_°C = -0.2 |Apr_REC_Lo_°C = -17.2|May_Lo_°C = 4.9 |May_REC_Lo_°C = -4.3|Jun_Lo_°C = 9.9 |Jun_REC_Lo_°C = 0.0|Jul_Lo_°C = 12.5 |Jul_REC_Lo_°C = 4.4|Aug_Lo_°C = 12.0 |Aug_REC_Lo_°C = 1.7|Sep_Lo_°C = 8.0 |Sep_REC_Lo_°C = -4.7|Oct_Lo_°C = 3.7 |Oct_REC_Lo_°C = -10.5|Nov_Lo_°C = -0.9 |Nov_REC_Lo_°C = -21.3|Dec_Lo_°C = -4.9 |Dec_REC_Lo_°C = -32.2|Year_Lo_°C = 1.9 |Year_REC_Lo_°C = -32.2

|Jan_Precip_cm = |Jan_Precip_mm = 45|Feb_Precip_cm = |Feb_Precip_mm = 29|Mar_Precip_cm = |Mar_Precip_mm = 29|Apr_Precip_cm = |Apr_Precip_mm = 36|May_Precip_cm = |May_Precip_mm = 37|Jun_Precip_cm = |Jun_Precip_mm = 53|Jul_Precip_cm = |Jul_Precip_mm = 79|Aug_Precip_cm = |Aug_Precip_mm = 84|Sep_Precip_cm = |Sep_Precip_mm = 82|Oct_Precip_cm = |Oct_Precip_mm = 70|Nov_Precip_cm = |Nov_Precip_mm = 68|Dec_Precip_cm = |Dec_Precip_mm = 55|Year_Precip_cm = |Year_Precip_mm = 667|source = Pogoda.ru.net{{cite web| url = http://pogoda.ru.net/climate/26038.htm | title = Pogoda.ru.net| accessmonthday = September 7| accessyear = 2007| publisher = | language = Russian-->|accessdate = 7.09.2007-->|accessdate2 = -->-->

History falling from the sky in the 1219 Battle of LyndanisseThe southern coast of the Gulf of Finland is thought to have been settled by Finnic-speaking tribes already in the 2nd millennium BC.

Supposedly, in 1154 Tallinn was placed on the world map of the Almoravid cartographer Muhammad al-Idrisi as Kolyvan. Tallinn - Medieval Capital

As an important port for trade between Russia and Scandinavia, it became a target for the expansion of the Teutonic Knights and Kingdom of Denmark during the period of Northern Crusades in the beginning of the 13th century when Roman Catholic Church was forcibly imposed on the local population. Danish rule of Tallinn and Northern Estonia started in 1219.

(Oleviste kirik) was once the tallest building in the world

In 1285 the city became the northernmost member of the Hanseatic League - a mercantile and military alliance of Germans-dominated cities in Northern Europe. The Danes sold Tallinn along with their other land possessions in northern Estonia to the Teutonic Knights in 1346. Medieval Tallinn enjoyed a strategic position at the crossroads of trade between Western and Northern Europe and Russia. The city, with a population of 8,000, was very well fortified with city walls and 66 defence towers. (1530)A weather-wane, the figure of an old warrior called Old Thomas was put on top of the spire of the Tallinn's Town Hall in 1530 that became the symbol for the city.

With the start of the Protestant Reformation the Germans influence became even stronger as the city was converted to Lutheranism. In 1561 Tallinn politically became a Dominions of Sweden of Sweden.

During the Great Northern War the Swedish troops based in Tallinn capitulated to Russian Empire in 1710, but the local self-government institutions (Magistracy of Reval and Chivalry of Estonia) retained their cultural and economical autonomy within Imperial Russia as the Duchy of Estonia. The Magistracy of Reval was abolished in 1889. The 19th century brought industrialization of the city and the port kept its importance. During the last decades of the century Russification measures became stronger.

On 24 February 1918, the Independence Manifesto was proclaimed in Tallinn, followed by German Empire occupation and a Estonian Liberation War with Russia. On 2 February 1920, the Treaty of Tartu (Russian–Estonian) was signed with Soviet Russia, wherein Russia acknowledged the independence of the Estonian Republic. Tallinn became the capital of an independent Estonia. After World War II started, Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union (USSR) in 1940, and later occupied by Nazi Germany from 1941-44. After Nazi retreat in 1944, it was occupied by the USSR again. After Occupation of Baltic Republics into the Soviet Union, Tallinn became the capital of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic.

During the 1980 Summer Olympics a regatta was held at Pirita, north-east of central Tallinn. Many buildings, like the hotel "Olümpia", the new Main Post Office building, and the Regatta Center, were built for the Olympics.

In August 1991 an independent democratic Estonian state was re-established and a period of quick development to a modern European capital ensued. Tallinn became the capital of a de facto independent country once again on August 20, 1991.

Tallinn has historically consisted of three parts:



Historically, the city has been attacked, sacked, razed and pillaged on numerous occasions. Although extensively bombed by Soviet air forces during the latter stages of World War II, much of the medieval Old Town still retains its charm. The Tallinn Old Town (including Toompea) became a UNESCO World Heritage Site site in 1997.

At the end of the 15th century a new 159 m high Gothic architecture spire was built for St Olav Tallinn. Between 1549 and 1625 it was the List of tallest churches. After several fires and following rebuilding, its overall height is now 123 m.


Administrative districts {| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=5 align="right"|-!District!Area!Population|-| Haabersti ] || 28.0 km² || 34,985|-| Kristiine ] || 30.0 km² || 108,644|-| Mustamäe ] || 28.0 km² || 35,043|-| Pirita ] || 17.3 km² || 52,573|}For local government purposes, Tallinn is subdivided into 8 administrative districts (Estonian language: linnaosad, sg. - linnaosa). The district governments are city institutions that fulfill, in the territory of their district, the functions assigned to them by Tallinn legislation and statutes.

Each district government is managed by an Elder (Estonian language: linnaosavanem). He or she is appointed by the City Government on the nomination of the Mayor and after having heard the opinion of the Administrative Councils. The function of the Administrative Councils is to recommend, to the City Government and Commissions of the City Council, how the districts should be administered.


Population (Raekoda){| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" align="right"|+Population development| Year| Population|-| 1372| 3250|-| 1772| 6954|-| 1816| 12,000|-| 1834| 15,300|-| 1851| 24,000|-| 1881| 45,900|-| 1897| 58,800|-| 1925| 119,800|-| 1959| 283,071|-| 1989| 478,974|-| 1996| 427,500|-| 2000| 400,378|-| 2005| 401,694|-| 2006| 399,108|-| 2007| 400 911|}Tallinn's population is registered 400,200 (as of May 2007).

According to Eurostat, the statistical agency of the European Union, of all EU member states' capital cities, Tallinn has the largest number of non-EU nationals: 27.8% of its population are not EU citizens. This is because planned immigration from other Republics of the Soviet Union during the period of Soviet Union control (1944-1991) brought large numbers of non-Estonians, mostly Russians, to Tallinn and other areas of Northern Estonia. These immigrants and their offspring do not qualify automatically for Estonian citizenship.

{]|align=right|54.9%|-|Russians|align=right|3.6%|-|[Belarusians|align=right|0.9%|-|Others|align=right|3.1%|}

In addition to the native [Estonian language (which is of the Finno-Ugric languages group, closely related to the Finnish language), Finnish language, Russian language and English language are widely understood in Tallinn.


Economy In addition to longtime functions as seaport and capital city, Tallinn has seen development of an information technology sector in recent years; in its 13 December 2005, edition, The New York Times characterized Estonia as "a sort of Silicon Valley on the Baltic Sea." One of Tallinn's sister cities is the Silicon Valley town of Los Gatos, California. Skype is one of the best-known of several Tallinn IT start-ups, and a first venture capital firm was founded in 2005. Many are housed in the Soviet-era Institute of Cybernetics, which is said to been one of the seeds for Estonian adoption of computing technology. Despite this, the most important economic sectors of Tallinn are the light, textile, and food industry, as well as the service and government sector.

Education Tallinn is the location of many institutions of higher education and science, including:



Tourism built in 1894-1900.Since independence, improving air and sea transport links with Western Europe and Estonia's accession to the European Union have made Tallinn easily accessible to tourists. The picturesque old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the current novelty of the destination attract many tourists and facilities (hotels, restaurants) have developed to meet their needs. English is widely spoken within the tourist areas.

Estonia has made rapid economic progress since independence and this is reflected in local prices. Although not extortionate, neither are prices as cheap as in other former Eastern Bloc countries.

The local tourist office sells the "Tallinn Card" which gives the holder free local public transport and entry to most attractions. Although the economics of this may be marginal, it is convenient to use. Local walking tours offer short-cuts to understanding the city.

The main attractions are in the two old towns (Lower Town and Toompea) which are both easily explored on foot. Eastern districts around Pirita and Kadriorg are also worth visiting and the Estonian Open Air Museum (Eesti Vabaõhumuuseum) near Rocca al Mare, west of the city, preserves aspects of Estonian rural culture and architecture.

Toompea This area was once a separate town (Dom zu Reval), the residence of the Chivalry of Estonia, Roman Catholic Church bishops of Tallinn (until 1561) and Lutheranism superintendents of Estonia, occupying an easily defensible site overlooking the surrounding districts. The major attractions are the walls and various bastions of Castrum Danorum, the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn (built during the period of Russian Empire, the church was built on a site that formerly housed a statue of Martin Luther) and the Lutheran Cathedral (Toomkirik).

Lower Town This area is one of the best preserved old towns in Europe and the authorities are continuing its rehabilitation after years of neglect. The "must-see" sights include Raekoja plats (Town Hall square), the town walls and towers (notably "Fat Margaret" and "Kiek in de Kök") and St Olav Tallinn tower (124 m).

Kadriorg This is 2 kilometres east of the centre and is served by buses and trams. The former palace of Peter I of Russia, built just after the Great Northern War, now houses (part of) the Art Museum of Estonia, presidential residence and the surrounding grounds include formal gardens and woodland.

The new residence of the Art Museum of Estonia: KUMU (Kunstimuuseum, Art Museum) was built several years ago.

Pirita This coastal district is a further 2 kilometres north-east of Kadriorg. The marina was built for the 1980 Summer Olympics, but for the less capable, boats can be hired on the Pirita river. Two kilometres inland are the Botanic Gardens and the Tallinn TV Tower.
Transport City transport The city operates an extensive system of bus (64 lines), tram (4 lines) and trolley-bus (8 lines) routes to all districts. Fares are reasonably-priced and a flat-fare system is used. Payment is made either by pre-purchase of tickets at street-side kiosks or by a purchase from the transport veichle.

Air Tallinn Airport is about four kilometres from Raekoja plats (Town Hall square), there is a local bus connection between the airport and the edge of the city centre (bus no. 2). Nearest railway station Ülemiste is only 1.5 km from airport. The terminal building is a small but modern, convenient and clean building.

Several airlines (e.g. easyJet, Estonian Air, Finnair, KLM, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Air Baltic and Scandinavian Airlines System) operate between Tallinn and European cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Helsinki, London, Kiev, Manchester, Milan, Moscow, Prague, Stockholm, Warsaw, Riga, Vilnius, Oslo, Barcelona and, in a regular charter basis, to Faro Airport (Algarve) in Portugal. Domestic flights to Kuressaare and Kärdla are operated by Avies.

The construction of the new section of the airport has begun in 2007 and is scheduled to end in summer 2008.

There used to be an hourly helicopter service to and from Helsinki operated by Copterline. This route was advertised as the fastest capital-to-capital link in the world (one way took 12 minutes). Copterline lost one of their helicopters in 10 August 2005 helicopter crash near Tallinn. This, together with decreasing amount of passengers and mechanical trouble with the one remaining helicopter, led to a decision to cancel the helicopter route. It is possible that flights may start again in 2007 or later with a new fleet. The company is calling the inactivity as a temporary break on its web page Copterline web page. The Copterline Tallinn terminal is located adjacent to Linnahall, only five minutes from the city center.

Rail and road The Edelaraudtee railway company operates train services from Tallinn to Tartu, Valga, Estonia, Türi, Viljandi, Tapa, Estonia, Narva, Orava, Estonia, and Pärnu. Buses are also available to all these and various other destinations in Estonia, as well as to St Petersburg in Russia and Riga in Latvia. The GO Rail company operates a daily international sleeper train service between Tallinn-Moscow and Tallinn-St Petersburg.

Tallinn also has a commuter rail service running from Tallinn's main rail station (Balti jaam) in two main directions: east (Aegviidu) and to several western destinations (Pääsküla, Keila, Riisipere, Paldiski, Klooga and Kloogaranna). These are electrified lines and are used by the Elektriraudtee railroad company. The trains are a mixture of modernised older Soviet EMU's and newly built units. The first electrified train service in Tallinn was opened in 1924 from Tallinn to Pääsküla, a distance of 11.2 kilometres.

The Via Baltica motorway (part of European route E67 from Helsinki to Prague) connects Tallinn to the Lithuanian/Poland border through Latvia.

Frequent and affordable long-distance bus routes connect Tallinn with other parts of Estonia.

Ferry Ferry to Helsinki See also: Ports of the Baltic Sea Several ferry operators, Viking Line, Silja Line, Linda Line Express, Tallink, Eckerö Line and Nordic Jet Line, connect Tallinn to



The most popular passenger lines connect Tallinn to Helsinki (80 kilometres north of Tallinn) in approximately 90 minutes by fast ferries or 2-3.5 hours by Baltic Sea cruiseferries.

Partner cities Tallinn participates in international town twinning schemes to foster good international relations. Partners include:

Tallinn also has a mutual friendship with the city of Portland, Oregon, United States and Kotka, Finland

See also

Gallery Image:Toompea ordulinnus 2005.jpg|Castrum DanorumImage:Tallinn_oldnew2.jpgImage:Statue of Anton Hansen Tammsaare, Tallinn.jpg|Statue of Anton Hansen Tammsaare, TallinnImage:Tallin-markt.jpg|Medieval city centre of Tallinn with Town Hall and marketplaceImage:Tallinn-hafen.jpg|Another view from the Finnish Gulf to Old TallinnImage:DSCF2025ew2007.JPG|The city center (winter 2007)Image:Viru_Hotel_from_Tammsaare_park.jpg|Viru HotelImage:Tallinn_skylinefar.jpg

References

External links General Travel Photos and Videos

Maps Other



Tallinn - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tallinn (historically known by the German and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names) is the capital and largest city in Estonia.

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