TALLINN, Estonia -- If you have half a day to spare, it's well worth zipping across the Gulf of Finland for a stroll around this 13th-century capital, which has been enjoying a post-Soviet renaissance.
Take a high-speed catamaran or hydrofoil from Helsinki's ferry terminal a short walk from Market Square ($43 each way). In roughly 90 minutes you will be in the middle of a medieval fantasy land of twisting cobblestone streets and towers.
Virtually all of what you would want to see in Tallinn is in the walled Old Town. Enter under the archway next to Fat Margaret Tower and stroll up Pikk to Raekoja Plats , the sprawling square where merchants sold their goods and public executions were staged.
The 15th-century Town Hall, with its gargoyles and dragons, is the centerpiece and a natural backdrop for musical performances. All around the square are canopied restaurants with outdoor tables serving hearty Estonian specialties. The Revalia Grill House , for example, offers elk, wild boar, and salmon.
From Raekoja Plats, it's a steep but rewarding hike up Pikk Jalg to the upper town called Toompea , with its 800-year-old castle and imposing Tall Herman tower from where residents defiantly replaced the hammer-and-sickle flag with the blue-black -and-white Estonian banner when the Soviet Union was teetering in 1989 . Estonia regained full independence in 1991, but Russian resentment over the flag-raising lingers .
From spacious Lossi Plats , you can see the tsarist-era Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with its red brick exterior and black onion domes topped with gold and the pink-hued Parliament building across the way. A short walk brings you to the Kohtuotsa platform, which offers a stunning view of the lower town, the city beyond, and the harbor and islands.
On the way back to the ferry, make a diversion to Viru and Vene streets for some shopping: Knitted goods, linens, wooden items, and amber jewelry are specialties. Shopkeepers understand English, credit cards are widely accepted, and ATMs dispense Estonian kroons worth 11 to the dollar.
Even with ample dawdling time built in, you can leave Helsinki after breakfast and be back in plenty of time for dinner. Though the recent boom in day-tripping tourists has Tallinn teetering on the verge of becoming a Hanseatic theme park, it's well worth the passport stamp. No visa required.
JOHN POWERS 
