CAPITAL TALLINN - POPULATION 1.3 MILLION - AREA 45,226 SQ KM -OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ESTONIAN
Post-independence, Estonia got a run on its Baltic neighbors thanks to thirsty Finns nipping over for Tallinn's bargain booze and funding a fledgling tourism industry. Consequently, the medieval capital has always been the star of the show (even if the booze has become more expensive). But things are changing. Travelers now venture out to the spas at Haapsalu (bathing is a serious business around the Baltic), to the historic university town of Tartu and to the wild islands of Saarema and Muhu. Eyes will return to Tallinn in July, however: the All-Estonian Song Festival, which explodes with traditional folk tunes every five years, is scheduled for 2009.
|
