As part of my travels this summer, I visited the historic old town of Tallinn, Estonia, which is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. UNESCO has designated the old town as a World Heritage site under criteria (ii) and (iv).
Criteria (ii) designates places that
“exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design,”
while criteria (iv) applies to places that are
“an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history.”
Tallinn’s old town is not just a great example of northern European medieval architecture – it was also a significant port used by the Hanseatic League starting in the late 1200s. The Hanseatic League began as a group of German merchants who banded together to protect their mutual trading interests. From there, it grew into what some historians postulate was a medieval precursor to the European Union.
While Tallinn has a rich history, it is also a vibrant, modern hub, sometimes referred to as the Silicon Valley of Europe because it has the highest number of start-ups per person and is the home of several tech companies. More broadly, Estonia and the other Baltic states are recognized for how they have embraced e-governance.
Have you visited Estonia or the other Baltic states? Let us know in the comments!
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