Tallinn Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn’s Old Town is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was almost untouched by war and remains a perfectly preserved walled city with 26 watchtowers, each topped by a pointy red roof.

Uphill from Town Hall Square lies Toompea — the lower town’s old rival, and long the seat of the government ruling Estonia. Climbing the stairs from the lower Old Town, you’ll notice that the architecture tells a story. For instance, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was built by Russians in 1900. It faces the pink palace known as Toompea Castle, which now houses the Estonian Parliament. The cathedral is a beautiful building, but as it was clearly designed to flex Russian cultural muscles during a period of Estonian national revival, most Estonians don’t like it. And, I understand why because Estonia is a country that gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.