The old town in the capital city of Talinn is Europe's best-restored medieval town with streets and buildings that recall the days of the Hanseatic League but whose cafes, art galleries, hotels, and restaurants today appeal to both sophisticated as well as first-time travelers. Venture into the countryside of Estonia, to the large island of Saaremaa and the much smaller island of Muhu, where you'll find windmills, thatch-roofed farmhouses and quiet waters. Of special interest is a candid interview with Mart Laar, the prime minister who took over a country that was an economic and psychological basket case following the withdrawal of Soviet troops and-with the help of a flat tax-turned Estonia into one of Europe's most dynamic and forward-thinking little countries.
