Estonia Guide
Introduction to Estonia
It's a tribute to the resilience of the Estonians that since the Declaration of Independence in August 1991 they've transformed their country from a dour outpost of the former Soviet Union into a forward-looking, economically stable nation. The creation of a go-ahead, technologically advanced nation-state is even more impressive in light of the fact that Estonians have ruled their own country for barely thirty years out of the past eight hundred. Estonia's capital, Tallinn, is a fascinating combination of quaint medieval town and glitzy, go-ahead metropolis, with a choice of bars, restaurants and clubs wide enough to bring out the hedonist in anyone. Its old town is a tightly packed maze of narrow streets overlooked by proud merchants' housees and medieval church spires. Meanwhile, the leafy park of Kadriorg, laid out by Peter the Great for his mistress, is now home to the finest art museum in the Baltics.