Photo of the Day – Tallinn, Estonia
Town Hall Square, Tallinn
Just a 90-minute hi-speed ferry ride from Helsinki across the Gulf of Finland, Tallinn is an engaging blend of high-tech conveniences and medieval charm. While most visitors are drawn to Tallinn’s astonishingly well-preserved (and UNESCO World Heritage-listed) Old Town, what may surprise you is that Tallinn is one of the most high-tech cities on the planet. It’s the birthplace of one of my favorite technologies, Skype, and leads the world in free public wi-fi. Tallinn is also home to the best developed e-government system anywhere. Tech-savvy locals enjoy a multitude of services from banking to parking at the touch of their mobile phones. Visitors can also take advantage of these services with hotel, restaurant and sight-seeing information available right from their mobile phones. My visit to Tallinn was a mix of luxurious high-tech amenities at the Swissôtel Tallinn and hours spent exploring the cobbled streets of Old Town. A climb up the never-ending spiral staircase to the top of St. Olaf’s Church for panoramic views of the town was the highlight of my two-day visit. Tallinn is a city that will surprise you and a worthwhile side trip on any visit to Scandinavia.
