I felt very cold even in October, cannot imagine the true Winters 🙂
Location in the World map …
Some interesting tidbits about Estonia …
1st Country to approve online voting.
Estonia has over 2000 islands!
Estonia has 100% digitized its Government Services.
Estonia is home to various “Unicorn Companies” (Valued over 1B$) and has a strong StartUp Culture. Skype (Core technology by Estonians), Bolt and Wise/TransferWise (Cofounded by two Estonians) are the most famous ones.
Estonia is very strong in Cyber Security.
Estonia has some of the cleanest air in the World.
Over 50% of Estonia is covered by forests.
Estonia has a high percentage of Meteorite Impact per Area.
Sauna is an integral part of Estonian Culture, with many houses with its own Sauna.
Estonia has 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: (1) Tallinn Old Town (2) Struve Geodetic Arc.
Estonia has a very low Population Density.
Estonian Men/Women are among the tallest in the World!
Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Timeline:
One of the last Pagan Countries (“Pagan” == Not Christian/Muslim/Jewish) to adopt Christianity after the 13th Century Crusades >>> Sweden control during 16th & 17th Centuries >>> Estonia declared Independence in 1918 >>> Annexed by Soviet Union in 1940 >>> Regained Independence in 1991 (After the collapse of Soviet Union).
Capital: Tallinn
Largest City: Tallinn
Population: 1.4M (Tallinn: 0.45M)
Language: Estonian (Similar to Finnish) (50% speak English)
Religion: Christianity (55%+ claim to follow no religion, though)
Currency: Euro (1E == 101.51 INR)
GDP (Nominal): 41.3 Billion USD
National Animal: Wolf (Canis lupus)
My 1st impressions:
Used Bolt for the 1st time and what better place to do it in 🙂
Air Baltic was highly impressive. Sparkling plane with a light green interior (Including lighting) and energetic staff. They have been around 30+ years!?
My Experiences
It was really cold … 0C! Had to return to my room to wear gloves before heading out again! Tallinn, Estonia.St. Olaf’s Church. Baptist Church built in the 14th century, with a 124m tower which survived several lightning strikes. Old Town Tallinn, Estonia.The entrance to St. Olaf’s Church. Old Town Tallinn, Estonia.For those who want their car to match their iPhone 17 Pro 😁 Tallinn, Estonia.View from Toompea Hill … Old Town Tallinn, Estonia. A modern track right next to the Old Town.View from Toompea Hill … Old Town Tallinn, Estonia.Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia. Eastern Othodox Church from 1900. Tallinn Old Town is always filled with tourists (Saw a large Indian tour group as well) and this church was definitely the most popular. When I went inside, I forgot to take off my beanie cap and one of the staff came over and requested me to do so … 🙂Colorful rooftops … Old Town Tallinn, EstoniaThe high and mighty walls of Old Town Tallinn, Estonia.Hmmm … A bit scary. Reminds me of the Hindi movie “Stree” 🙂The high and mighty walls of Old Town Tallinn, Estonia.Longer-distance trains … Tallinn Railway Station, Estonia.Local tram … Tallinn, Estonia.One of the gates into the Old Town … Tallinn, Estonia. Understandably, the Old Town was teeming with tourists.Another luxury car … Old Town Tallinn, Estonia.Porshe … New Car in Old Town 🙂 Old Town Tallinn, Estonia.Saku … The most popular local beer brand. Tallinn, Estonia.Estonian flag … Old Town Tallinn, Estonia.The restaurant had a rustic ambience … I arrived quite early and it was less crowded. By the time I left, it was buzzing.Sausages with sides … With local dark beer.Cake with fruit sauce … A bit too sweet for my taste.Isn’t that pretty? It was a cloudy day, wish there was more sunlight. Old Town Tallinn, Estonia.“Peppersack” … The restaurant where I had my dinner. Liked the ambience and the service. Food was so-so (For me). Old Town Tallinn, Estonia.Town Hall Square … Old Town Tallinn, Estonia. Lot of cafes and restaurants.Right next to the Viru Gate (The entrance to Old Town of Tallinn) are these 8-10 flower shops, side-by-side … Did not see anyone (Including guys who were with a lady 😁) buying these flowers, but for sure there were a zillion tourists photographing them …Some of the nice buildings in the Old Town … Tallinn, Estonia. Old Town Tallinn is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (One of 2 in Estonia).Had this Yogurt … Tallinn Bus Station, Tallinn, Estonia.This cake was coyly calling out to me … Finally I gave in 🙂 Yummy Coconut Cake. Tallinn Bus Station, Tallinn, Estonia.There is a cafe, a convenience store, restrooms, baggage storage, ticket counters Etc. Tallinn Bus Station, Tallinn, Estonia.Tallinn Bus Station, Tallinn, Estonia.Ah … This is new 🙂 Tallinn Bus Station, Tallinn, Estonia.That is me … Bus #1234 🙂 Tallinn, Estonia.My bus from Tallinn, Estonia to Riga, Latvia. FLiXBUS is a German company and they also operate trains in some parts of Europe. Smooth and exactly-as-per-schedule trip. It was raining throughout the 4.5hr journey. Tallinn Estonia.
