The moment I walked through the Viru Gates, I understood why Tallinn is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This isn't just a well-preserved old town – it's the best-preserved medieval city in all of Europe, and stepping into it feels like crossing through a portal into 1450. The cobblestone streets beneath my feet date to the 13th century, laid down when the Teutonic Order built their castle on what ancient legend claims is the burial mound of King Kalev, the mythical Estonian ruler. Those same streets wind exactly as they did 800 years ago, lined with merchants' houses from the 14th to 16th centuries when Tallinn was the northernmost jewel of the Hanseatic League – a powerhouse trading city where ships from across the Baltic brought amber, fur, and grain.

What makes Tallinn extraordinary is its two-level structure. I wandered the Lower Old Town first – pastel houses, flower sellers, the scent of cinnamon and roasting nuts – then climbed the ancient stone steps to Toompea Hill, rising thirty meters above the city like a natural fortress. Up here stands Toompea Castle, built on the ruins of an 11th century fortress and now home to Estonia's parliament. From the viewing platforms, the entire fairy tale spreads below: an endless sea of orange terracotta roofs punctuated by church spires, all enclosed by medieval walls that still stand at their original height – towering over fifteen meters in places, the same limestone ramparts that protected Hanseatic merchants six centuries ago.

I had lunch at Olde Hansa, a candlelit hall serving bear stew and honeyed beer in clay mugs while musicians played lute. In the afternoon I discovered St. Catherine's Passage, where artisans blow glass and weave exactly as they did 500 years ago. Walking these 13th century lanes, touching walls built when kings wore crowns unironically, I felt the weight of continuity – eight centuries of life flowing through the same passages. The pros: breathtakingly beautiful, surprisingly affordable, and genuinely magical. The cons: cruise crowds at midday, but they vanish if you wander the labyrinth of alleys.