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Tallinn's tiny Old Town, the most impressive in all of the Baltic states, has romantic towers, ankle-wrenching cobblestone streets, cozy nooks, city-wall cafés, and a dozen other attractions—all within 1 square km (½ square mile). In the 1990s, Vanalinn (the lower Old Town)—historically the domain of traders, artisans, and ordinary citizens—sprouted glitzy neon signs in otherwise charming alleys and sights. The stately, sedate Toompea (Upper Town), a hillock that was the site of the original Estonian settlement, is on the burial mound of Kalev, the epic hero of Estonia. Toompea Castle, crowning the hill, is now the seat of the country's parliament and is not open to visitors. Summer visitors can experience the unforgettable white nights, when the sun never completely sets.
The stocky guardian of the northernmost point of the Old Town, Paks Margareeta (Fat Margaret) is a 16th-century fortification, allegedly named for a particularly hefty cannon it contained. Now it houses the Maritime Museum and a roof with a view of the Old Town. Also part of the Maritime Museum is the historic Seaplane Harbour at Vesilennuki tee 6, as well as two historic ships.
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