Tallinn in a day: what to see

The Upper Town (Toompea) opens the day: the hill that has hosted power for centuries offers from its viewpoints, such as the Kohtuotsa Viewing Platform, a view over the red roofs of the lower city stretching to the sea.

On the same hill stands the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, with its Russian-style onion domes, next to the Toompea Castle, today home to the Estonian parliament.

Descending to the lower town you reach Town Hall Square, surrounded by coloured buildings and dominated by Tallinn Town Hall, northern Europe's oldest still-functioning one.

For lunch, restaurants around the square offer Estonian cuisine, often served by waiters in medieval costume in themed venues.

The Church of Saint Olaf, with its bell tower, was for a time the world's tallest building, and remains climbable for an alternative view of the city.

The surviving city walls, with their defensive towers bearing curious names like Kiek in de Kök, allow you to walk literally inside medieval fortifications.

Dining among the venues around Town Hall Square, with the lights of Gothic houses glowing, is the simplest way to close the day.

Toompea Hill, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and the Town Hall Square are enough to convey Tallinn's medieval soul, while the afternoon choice between Saint Olav's Church and the city walls adds its religious or defensive side.

The creative neighborhood of Telliskivi, carved out of a former industrial area, and a ferry trip to Helsinki, a little over two hours of navigation, remain chapters for a second visit. Seeing the Gothic towers of the lower town framed by medieval walls is perhaps the sharpest memory of Tallinn.