Down the sleepy, narrow streets of Tallinn's old town, there's a quiet little Irish bar where the locals meet and greet every Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Across the way, a cozy coffee shop is filled with pastries and serves mulled wine to warm your bones on a cold winter evening, and, a little further down the lane, there's a store selling handmade mittens, scarves and stocking caps. That's all.

I hate to say it, but, apart from the picturesque medieval city that is downtown Tallinn, there is nothing to see or do, with the exception of a handful of noticeably empty casinos and strip clubs, especially in the winter. Finns and Swedes flock to their Estonian neighbor for the affordable booze, but Muscovites will find little more than peace and quiet for the weekend. Tallinn is the sort of city that you might imagine raising your kids in, retiring to as a grizzled old writer or maybe eloping to for an extended weekend with a lover.
In terms of historic value, there's plenty to see in the tight space. After you escape from the Soviet-era train station or drive past the new construction on your way in from the airport, the real history lesson begins. The old city walls are remarkably well-preserved, and any signs of collapse or decay are rapidly being repaired. Even the old walkways for patrolling soldiers are still in place - unfortunately, the stairs leading to the top of the wall are invariably closed to the public.

Toompea - the city's old castle - overlooks the city with an excellent view of the harbor and surrounding landscape to watch for would-be invaders. The castle is now the seat of the Estonian parliament and easy to find with the impressive Alexander Nevsky Cathedral nearby and Pikk Hermann, the city's tallest tower, dominating the view.
It's easy to see why the city's founders chose to put Tallinn where they did. It seems to be the only elevated land for kilometers around. In fact, walking up the steps to Toompea, or trekking up the walls, may be the only exercise you get.

Unfortunately, all its defenses never did much to keep out invaders. For most of its very long history - at least 1,000 years of it - non-Estonians have ruled Tallinn. Of course, as a language, Estonian was only recorded in print for the first time in 1525. It is probably thanks to Swedish allowance for cultural freedom that the locals ever developed a national identity. Sweden allowed the construction of Tartu University in 1632 and ushered in a relative period of cultural growth. Throughout most of the people's history, Estonians were usually subject to serfdom and enforced military service. In fact, once Russia gained control of the region from Sweden in 1710, most Estonians lived in the same miserable conditions as the rest of the serfs, although they were liberated earlier from 1856 to 1863. Thus, it's not difficult to understand why Estonians were so eager to throw off Soviet rule and embrace NATO membership, if you look at the many years of oppression they suffered under Russian hegemony.

In the town square, you can take a few minutes to appreciate the city's treasured Town Hall - the oldest surviving town hall in Europe, according to some guidebooks, built in the 14th century. When I was there, they were busy shoveling dirt out of the top floor. I guess you accumulate a lot of dust after 500 years.

To the right of the Town Hall is Dunkri Street, which will lead you to Cat's Well, so named because, supposedly, the locals used to throw cats and other animals in it to appease the evil well spirit. Visitors may want to take a trip to the nearby Harley Davidson bar (11 Dunkri/9 Rataskaevu) for a cheap pizza. It's billed as a biker bar, but, apart from the decor, it has little to do with motorcycles. Those in search of authentic local culture will be relieved to find that it is one of the only bars in town not full of expats watching the latest football game. By the second day, I was so tired of pleasant cafes and restaurants that I popped into the Finnish fast-food chain Hessburger in an act of defiance. The cheap orange furniture and menu with big pictures had a soothing effect on my Moscow soul. Back in town, I joined the tourists near the town square for a coffee and tried to compel myself to try the local liqueur Vana Tallinn (Old Tallinn), but the smell put me off. Cheesy Estonian music and television helped me feel better.

Finding a place to stay is easy, but booking can be difficult due to demand. Ample options abound from $30 $300 a night. At 22 Uus St., the Old House Guesthouse is a good option (Tel: 372-641-1464). I stumbled on Eeslitall (the Donkey's Stable, 4 Dunkri, Tel: 372-631-3755) after a short walk from the train station and settled in. However, make sure you pick a room without a window on the street, unless you want to listen to tourists make merry at the bar next door until early in the morning.