Early this morning, I made the 2-hour ferry journey from Helsinki across the Gulf of Finland to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. After settling into my hotel, I set out on foot to explore Old Town, an exceptionally well-preserved medieval district and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Featuring cobblestone streets, Gothic spires, and a 2-kilometer defensive wall with roughly 20 guard towers, it dates back to the 13th century and offers a real-life fairytale atmosphere.

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the city’s largest and grandest Eastern Orthodox cupola church. Located on Toompea Hill, this stunning Russian Revival structure features iconic onion domes and houses the city’s most powerful ensemble of 11 church bells. Pictured above is my favorite of many photos taken through a hard-to-reach keyhole in the adjacent defensive wall.

Even though I had mapped out several places I wanted to visit, I found myself simply wandering the streets and finding something beautiful to photograph around every turn.

Old Town is so compact that it makes aerial photography a little challenging, especially given the no-fly zone restrictions. Even so, I managed to capture a few images that give an overall sense of the area.

I had dinner at the Raekoja plats (English: Town Hall Square). It is a venue for numerous small festivals and concerts, and home to several bars and restaurants. I watched the World Cup on a big-screen TV setup outdoors while enjoying a fine Italian dinner.