Cities

In 100 AD, the Roman encampment ‘Vindobona’ was built on the site of an old Celtic settlement. In 1155, the Babenbergs made Vienna the capital of their Duchy of Austria. In the 13th century, it became an important cultural and trade centre and residence of the Habsburg dynasty.

Valletta owes its existence to the Knights of St John, who planned the city as a refuge to care for injured soldiers and pilgrims during the Crusades in the 16th century. Until the arrival of the Knights, Mount Sceberras, on which Valletta stands, was an arid tongue of land.

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia and the oldest capital city in Northern Europe, is located in the north-eastern part of the Baltic Sea Region. The city is home to a third of Estonia’s inhabitants (400,000 people).

The Swedish Regent Birger Jarl is said to have founded Stockholm in 1252. He built the necessary fortifications of the city on the island which is now called the Old Town, Gamla stan. The name Stockholm was mentioned for the first time that same year, in a letter written by King Birger Jarl.

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