Sunrise Over Tallinn: A Panoramic View from the Upper Town

On our first day in Tallinn, we took a three-hour guided tour around the city, where the guide shared its rich history with us. Since Tallinn isn’t a large city, it was easy to get our bearings. The city is best known for its well-preserved medieval Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Old Town is a maze of cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and defensive walls that date back to the 13th century.
Tallinn’s history has been shaped by various rulers over the centuries. It began as a fortified city in the 12th century and grew into an important trade hub during the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages. Over time, it was ruled by the Danes, the Teutonic Order, the Swedes, and the Russians, with each leaving their mark on the city’s culture and architecture.


In 1918, after the collapse of the Russian Empire, Estonia declared independence, and Tallinn became the capital of the newly independent Republic of Estonia. This period lasted about 22 years, during which the country developed its own national identity and cultural institutions. However, this independence was short-lived, as Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, then by Nazi Germany during World War II, and again by the Soviets in 1944. Estonia remained under Soviet control until it regained independence in 1991.
Today, Tallinn is a fascinating blend of old and new. It has a modern side with a strong focus on technology, especially in the IT and software sectors, which many of the locals we spoke to were involved in. Tallinn is clearly a major tech hub with a strong digital infrastructure.


The morning after our tour, I woke up early to capture some postcard-perfect shots of the Old Town at sunrise.
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Tallinn, Estonia.