 |
|
| |
|
||||
The city of Tallinn is the capital city and main seaport of Estonia. It is located on Estonia's north coast to the Baltic Sea, 80 kilometres south of Helsinki.
Name "Tallinn"Other historical names are Koluvan (Kolõvan, Kolyvan), Lindanise, Lindanisa (Lindanäs), and - as variations of "Reval" - Revalia, Revel and Reveln. The origin of the name "Tallinn" is debated, but it is certainly of Estonian origin; while it is usually thought to be derived from "Taani-linn" (meaning "Danish town"), it may also have come from "talu linn" (meaning "farming town"). The name Tallinn became official in 1918, when Estonia became indipendent. Prevously the name Reval was used instead. HistoryTallinn has historically consisted of three parts:
Historically, the city has been attacked, sacked, razed and pillaged on numerous occasions. Although extensively bombed during the latter stages of World War II, much of the mediaeval old town still retains its charm. Tallinn Old Town became a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1997. At the end of the 15th century a new 159 meter high gothic tower was built for Saint Olaf's Church. This was then one of the highest towers in Europe and possibly the highest building in the world. After rebuilding, following a fire, the tower is 123 meters high. In addition to the native Estonian language (which is of the Finno-Ugric group, closely related to the Finnish language), both Russian and English are widely understood. EducationTallinn is the location of Tallinn University of Technology, as well as other institutions of higher education and science, including:
SportsDuring the 1980 Summer Olympics a regatta was held in Tallinn. Many buildings like the Town Hall, Olympic Hotel, Post Office and Regatta Center were built for the olympics.  PopulationThe population is about 500,400 (2000), registered 387 224 (2003). Population development:
1816: 12,000 According the Eurostat, the statistical agency of the European Union, Tallinn is the city with the largest number of non-EU nationals: 27.8% of its population are not citizens/nationals of a European Union country. TransportAircraftTallinn is served by an airport approximately 1 kilometre outside the city. In addition to regular airplane connections to a variety of European airports, there is an hourly helicopter service to Helsinki at 189 Euros one way, advertised as the fastest capital to capital link in the world. More modestly priced advance bookings for less than 50 Euros are available. Ground TransportThere are train connections to several cities including Tartu, Pärnu, Narva, Riga, Moscow, and Saint Petersburg. Buses are also available to these destinations, as well as to various other parts of Estonia. Tallinn is crossed by Via Baltica motorway to Poland. FerrySeveral ferries connect Tallinn to
OtherTallinn is a major shopping center for Finns, who travel across the Gulf of Finland by high speed ferry. Owing to the extremely high consumption and alcohol taxes in Finland, prices can be substantially lower than in Helsinki, inducing many Finnish shoppers to make single day trips, especially for health goods not covered by the Finnish social services (such as eyeglasses). For the tourist The old town walled town is the place to go. This contains many authentic buildings of great antiquity. These are mostly well kept or undergoing restoration. As the town is a set of ring defenses built around a hill, be prepared to hike and walk. The antique cobblestone paths are rough but have been improved with cut granite sidewalks for safe walking. The tourist will pass through narrow approaches walled in for defensive purposes. ShoppingThe main shopping attraction is the numerous shops carrying high quality knitwear. Prices will vary, with stalls just inside the city wall offering the best values, with a better selection of higher quality goods available in the numerous small shops around town. Some of these are located in the basements of buildings on minor streets. DiningFor dining in the old walled town there is a medieval alehouse that serves boar, elk and bear under authentic conditions - the only artificial light is candlelight. Many, however, feel that there is a Disneyesque, kitsch feeling about "ye olde Hansa" restaurants. The quality of restaurants varies, but superb fine dining on the European level - with prices in the range of $ 100 for a complete menu - includes the 1930s-style Gloria (http://www.gloria.ee/), the French-Estonian Bonaparte (http://www.bonaparte.ee/Viewer/page1.html), and the hip and chique Pegasus (http://www.restoranpegasus.ee/) that is also famous for its stand-up urinals in the Ladies Room. SitesMissing image Tallinn_2002.jpg The view of Tallinn in 2002. A walking trip through old town past the City Hall and up the Toompea hill past several churches will lead to the seat of the Estonian government, high atop Tallinn's central hill. Around the hill are views of both the old town within the walls and the modern urban area. GeographyThe largest lake in Tallinn is Lake Ülemiste. It is the main source of the city's drinking water. A limestone cliff runs through the city. It is exposed, for instance, at Toompea and Lasnamäe. See alsoExternal links
be:Талін da:Tallinn de:Tallinn et:Tallinn es:Talin eo:Talino fr:Tallinn it:Tallinn la:Revalia nl:Tallinn ja:タリン pl:Tallin pt:Tallinn ro:Talin ru:Таллин fi:Tallinna sv:Tallinn tt:Tallinn
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Copyright 2008 WordIQ.com - Privacy Policy
::
Terms of Use
:: Contact Us
:: About Us This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tallinn". |