In July 2011, we had 3 one day visits to Helsinki (Finland), Tallinn (Estonia) and Gothenberg (Sweden) during a 14 day cruise of the Baltic on the cruise ship “Jewel of the Seas”. The cruise originally departed from and returned to Harwick in England and also visited Copenhagen (Denmark), Stockholm (Sweden) and St. Petersburg (Russia). This book covers in pictures our 3 days of exploration of these three Baltic cities.


Helsinki (from page 4) is the largest city and Capital city of Finland situated on a peninsular on the southern coast, overlooking the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea. In 2011, it was a predominately modern city with a population of half a million. Little remains of the old town , largely due to the fact that the first buildings were made of timber and over time fire and ravages of war destroyed the wooden structures. Today, Helsinki is a well planned and open spacious city, with many parks and gardens and some neo-classical buildings in the Senate Square, dating from around 1840.


Estonia, the most northern and smallest of the Baltic States, is also the most westernised and lies on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, between Russia and Latvia in the south. Tallinn (from page 62) is the capital city of Estonia, situated only 85 km by sea from Helsinki. With a population in 2011 of 400,000, Tallinn is said to be one of the prettiest cities in the Baltic and was once one of the largest towns in Europe. Set on a hillock above the port, the old town is a medieval enclave with old walls, towers and winding cobbled lanes and buildings dating back to the Middle Ages.


Gothenburg (from page 196) was founded in 1621 by King Gustavus Adolphus. The objective was to open up a window to the rest of the world. Of course, the city has developed considerably since then, from having been just a traditional port and industrial city, and now Gothenburg has evolved into an exciting and modern centre for creativity and innovation.