Tallinn, Estonia, has one of Northern Europe’s finest medieval Old Towns. Old Town is walled off from the rest of Tallinn, a high-tech modern city that boasts a booming economy attributable to its information technology industry. Estonia is noted for having the fastest internet in the world. A result of the country’s proximity to the former USSR, most western intelligence agencies have a large presence here. Estonia was once primarily an agricultural economy, but the Estonian service sector now employs 60% of the country’s work force.
We tootled around Old Town in the morning and admired the creative Baltic-amber jewelry on display in its shops and then traveled by bus (80 km) to the Kasmu Peninsula countryside for a hike. This area dates back to the 16th century where it was a winter port for long-distance seafaring ships and home to the “captains’ village.”
Before lunch we toured Palmse Manor House, a fine example of an old country estate. Most of these well-turned out estates were not owned by Estonians but were built for foreign captors, such as the Germans and Swedes. Today Palmse Estate grows its own grapes and makes its own wine, both red and white varieties. Next to the main residence we were served an authentic Estonian lunch at a rustic country inn.
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