Hotels in Tallinn

Tallinn (officially Reval until 1918) is the capital of Estonia and lies at the Finnish Bay of the Baltic Sea, approximately 80 km from Helsinki. Tallinn was founded as an Estonian settlement with the name Lindanise. In 1219 it was conquered by the Danish and expanded into a city. Where the name Tallinn comes from is not yet known. It might come from the old Estonian word "taani linna" (castle of the Danish) or "tali linna" (castle of the winter). The term "Reval" comes from the old Estonian word for region, "Rävala". In 1285 Reval became a member of the Hanseatic League and gets included into the trading of the Baltic Sea. At the historical heart of the city is the hill of Toompea, covered in cobbled streets and filled with medieval houses and alleyways. The lower town spreads out from the foot of the hill, still protected by the remnants of a city wall. Around the city wall is a series of well-maintained green parks, great for strolling. While the old town has been astonishingly well-preserved and is now in better shape than ever, the new town sprawling all around is largely built in typical concrete Soviet style. Recently, Tallinn has received a boom in tourism, especially by daytrippers from Helsinki.