Talin, Estonia is absolutely beautiful. A hidden gem that no one talks about.
I’m an ignorant American, so when I looked at the map I kinda figured Estonia would have some really strong Eastern European vibes, but I was shocked how Nordic/Scandinavian it was. Incredible infrastructure, extremely walkable, fascinating history as a major Baltic Sea trade route, tons of old medieval architecture…
And the people were so friendly! The language is beautiful, the education system is top notch, they have a great national parks system, they’ve pumped out a ton of tech startups, they’re vehemently anti-Soviet (I love that they celebrate their Independence from Russia beginning in 1920 and consider the Soviet years an occupation). The topography and flora is really beautiful. Silent forests covered in pine needles, bogs, lakes, rivers and a gorgeous coastline.
It’s just the coolest place and I wish more people visited.
Edit: Oh, and Pub Kompressor serves the best damn pancakes/crepes I’ve ever had.
If you think about it, latitude wise they’re closer to the Nordic countries. Estonia (and Latvia and Lithuania) have quite close ties to the Nordic countries both in terms of history and politics. Culturally, there’s also some overlap in terms of food and way of life.
Thank you for mentioning Estonia though! Makes my heart happy.
