Lower town
Town Fortifications
The city of Tallinn has been under siege or threat of siege for most of its history, spurring near-constant reinforcement of the town walls. With 46 towers, medieval Tallinn was known as 'one of the most fortified burgs in all Northern Europe'. Today only 20 towers survive, many serving as museums, such as Fat Margaret, and Kiek in de Kok, and restaurants, including Hellemann Tower and Neitsitorn. Others are office and residential space. The oldest towers, Nunna, Sauna and Kuldjala, are open to the public in summer.
Town Hall Pharmacy (Raeapteek)
One of the oldest continuously running pharmacies in Europe is on Town Hall Square. No one knows exactly when it opened, but records show that the Raeapteek was already on its third owner in 1422. In Medieval times patients could buy mummy juice and burnt bees for treatment, and healthy folks could even drop in for a glass of spiced wine. Keeping up with the times, the pharmacy sells the usual aspirin and condoms, but part of the shop is also a museum, displaying old medical instruments and other curiosities.
Address : Raekoja plats 11
Tel : 631 48 60 Fax: 631 48 61
Open daily :09:00-19:00
except:
Saturday: 09:00-17:00
Sunday: Closed
St. Olaf’s Church (Oleviste Kirik)
St. Olaf's 124m spire is a Tallinn landmark, and some say that it was once the tallest building in Europe. An old legend claims that the church was built to attract more merchant ships to the town by a mysterious craftsman who promised to work for free if the townspeople discovered his name (Olev). In reality, the church took its name from the canonised Norwegian king, Olav Havaldsson. The first mention of the church dates to 1267, but the interior dates to 1840 and reflects that era's Historicist bent.
Address : Pikk 48
Tel : 641 22 41 Fax: 641 22 16
Website : www.oleviste.ee
Open daily :10:00-14:00
Dominican Monastery (Dominiiklaste klooster)
Tallinn's oldest existing building is this monastery founded 1246. The monastery is now a museum displaying 15th- and 16th-century stone carvings, including works by Arent Passer, who had a hand in decorating the Dome Church and the House of the Blackheads. Visit the downstairs room that houses the 'energy pillar' to see whether you feel its purported mysterious power. Admission 25kr.
Vene 16
Tel: 644 46 06
Holy Spirit Church (Puhavaimu kirik)
This awe-inspiring, 13th-century church adjacent Town Hall Square sports an impressive Baroque tower as well as an ornate, outdoor clock that's said to be one of the most photographed objects in Tallinn. The real treasure however is the intricate, wood-carved interior, which includes Baroque pews and a Renaissance pulpit (the oldest in Tallinn). Founded by the Order of the Holy Spirit, the church was always close to the people - It was the most active in providing alms to the sick and poor, and it was here that the first sermons were given in Estonian after the Reformation. Services in Estonian Sun 10:00, in Finnish 13:00, in English 15:00. Classical music hour, Mon 18:00.
Puhavaimu 2
Tel: 644 14 87
Fax: 644 14 87
10:00-16:00
Niguliste Church - Museum
Tallinn's most famous work of art, a wall-sized fragment of Bernt Notke's spooky, 15th-century masterpiecel Dance Macabre, has its home in this 13th-century Gothic church-turned art museum. Destroyed during World War II and rebuilt during Soviet times, the church now houses a fascinating collection of medieval religious art, with altars from the 15th and 16th centuries, a collection of Baroque and Renaissance chandeliers, and a 'silver chamber.' The church is also known for its acoustics - organ concerts are held here every Saturday and Sunday at 18:00. Admission 35kr.
For tours call tel. 644 99 03.
Niguliste 3
Tel: 644 99 11
10:00-18:00
except:
Mon: Closed
Tue: Closed
Sat: 11:30-18:00
Sun: 11:30-18:00
Town Hall (Raekoda)
Tallinn's civic life has been centred here at the southern edge of Town Hall Square since 1341, but the imposing Gothic building of today dates to 1404. Old Thomas, the weather vane who symbolises Tallinn, has been keeping watch since 1530. The town hall is still used for state functions and is generally closed to the public this time of year, but tours can be arranged by phoning in advance.
Exhibition Hall (cellar) open 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun.
Raekoja plats 1
Tel: 645 79 00
Town Hall Square (Raekoja Plats)
As a medieval market and a modern meeting place, Town Hall Square, has been the heart of city life for seven centuries. With the Town Hall at your back, you can survey some of the most impressive examples of Gothic architecture in Tallinn. The most significant may be the unassuming building at Raekoja plats 11, the town's apothecary since 1422, passing through 10 generations of the same family. Hunt for an L-shaped stone marking the spot of a notorious 17th-century execution.
Toompea Hill
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Toompea's dominating landmark is the Russian Orthodox cathedral named for the duke who attacked southeastern Estonia and Pskov in the early 13th century. Tsar Alexander III ordered the cathedral designed in 1894 by St. Petersburg master Mikhail Preobrzhensky and it was completed in 1900. According to legend, the cathedral was built on the grave of Estonian hero Kalevipoeg and has suffered structurally as a result
Lossi plats 10
Tel: 644 34 84
Fax: 644 34 84
08:00-19:00
Dome Church (Toomkirik)
Also called St. Mary’s Church, the oldest church in Estonia was founded in 1219 by the first wave of Danish forces. The Gothic exterior dates to the 14th century, but the interior was rebuilt after the 1684 fire. The Baroque pulpit (1686) and organ loft (1780) are worth a look. As you enter be sure to step on the tomb of Otto Johann Thuve, who asked that his grave be placed in this humbling location. Please be considerate and visit after the Sunday service. Services in Estonian Sun 10:00 and in Latvian every third Sunday of the month at 13:00. Organ music Sat 12:00.
Toomkooli 6
Tel: 644 41 40
Fax: 644 41 40
09:00-17:00
except:
Mon: Closed
Kiek in de Kok (Peep into the Kitchen)
Built 1475 - 1481, this 45m, six-storey cannon tower played a key role in the Livonian War and still has nine of Ivan IV's cannonballs embedded in its walls to prove it. Medieval soldiers joked that from its top, they could see right into the kitchens of the houses below - hence the odd name. The tower now operates as a city museum (see History Museums).
Komandandi 2
Tel: 644 66 86
10:30-18:00
except:
Mon: Closed
Sat: 10:30-16:30
Sun: 10:30-16:30
Toompea castle
The ‘castle’ itself is actually a 20th-century building with a pink Art Nouveau facade built on the foundations of a medieval convent. It now houses the Riigikogu, Estonia’s parliament. Fittingly, the parliament rests solidly on an embankment of limestone, one of Estonia’s most plentiful resources. On one corner of the castle you can see Pikk Hermann tower with the blue, black and white tricolour flag waving above it. It’s commonly recognised that whoever’s flag flies on top of this tower is the ruler of Estonia. For a more castle-like view of this building, head behind it, down the opposite side of the hill
View platforms
The Kohtuotsa and Patkuli view platforms are usually the first place that tourists want to see when they visit Tallinn. From here, sweeping views of the town, its red-tiled roofs, its towers, its walls and all of its charm open up. Get your camera ready.
The capital's curiosities
Cat's Well
Before you complain about the chalky taste of Tallinn's tap water, you might want to stop to consider what the town's Medieval residents had to put up with. This wheel well on the corner of Rataskaevu and Dunkri in the Old Town was once one of the main sources of water for the Tallinn. According to legend, some of the locals got it into their heads that an evil water spirit lived in the well and threatened to make all the town's wells run dry if it wasn't given regular animal sacrifices. To keep the spirit happy, some cattle and sheep carcasses were thrown down the well, but the main victims were stray cats, who were rounded up and tossed, sometimes live, down the shaft. This practice was so common that the locals started calling this watering hole 'Cat's Well.' In a sense, the sacrifices worked - the town's wells never ran dry. But the practice of throwing animals down the well didn't do much for the water quality, and the Cat's Well had fallen into disuse by the mid 19th century. Rest assured that nowadays Tallinn's water is much safer to drink, and the cats of Old Town no longer live in fear.
L Marks the Spot
Look for two long cobblestones that make the letter 'L' in the corner of Town Hall Square nearest the Raeapteek. This spot marks one of the more bizarre tales from Tallinn's medieval history. In the late 1600s, so the story goes, a priest named Panicke walked into an inn and ordered an omelette. What he got was 'hard as the sole of a shoe,' so he sent it back. The next two that the waitress brought were even worse, and after an argument, the priest decided to make his point by killing the waitress with an axe. For this unusually violent crime, the priest was swiftly hauled out to the square and beheaded, and the spot was marked for the convenience of future tourguides. Service in Tallinn's restaurants has improved since then, but still lags behind Western Europe. For more conventional ways to encourage good service, see our notes on tipping in 'The Basics.'
Pinocchio’s Grave
No, it's not the final resting place of the famous Italian puppet, though that's what a younger generation of Tallinners has nicknamed it. Some locals also call it 'Impotent's Dream.' Most just call it ugly. In reality, the pointed obelisk alongside the highway to Pirita beach is part of the 'Marjamae War Memorial,' and is similar in its imposing style to other large complexes created throughout the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 70s. The spire was, ahem, erected in 1960 in memory of Russians who died in 1918, while the surrounding inspirational concrete and iron figures were added in 1975 to honour Soviet soldiers killed in an unsuccessful attempt to fend off the Nazi invasion of 1941. Since the events of 1991 made Soviet patriotism passe, the memorial site doesn't get many visitors, barring the occasional picnicker or roller-skater. The city has no plans for dealing with this collection of giant concrete abstractions and looming amphitheatres, so nowadays they sit quietly awaiting their inevitable takeover by cracks and weeds.
Pirita tee
Soviet Tallinn
Architectural Elements
With the exception of the Officer’s House, few visible sickles and hammers are left on Tallinn’s buildings. There are a couple places where you can still see some rather Soviet-looking stars though. One of them is on the corner of Suur-Karja and Vana-Posti, in a building which used to house some offices of the Soviet navy. On the same square you can see the Soprus cinema with more socialist design elements near the roof.
House on Tartu mnt.
Tallinn was never given the gift of one of those colossal, multi-tiered wedding cake buildings that were so praised during the Soviet 1950s (Riga and Warsaw were not so lucky). Instead, it has a much smaller corner building built in a similar style, with a spire and star at the top. There’s nothing special about the house itself (it was just a residential building), but it is the strongest representative of that style in Tallinn. You can find it by going to the Stockmann department store and looking across the road, or try to pick it out in the skyline when gazing out over Tallinn from the lookout on Toompea hill. Somewhat ironically, it now houses a casino.
Tartu mnt 24
KGB Headquarters
The only thing that sets this Old Town building apart from it’s neighbours are the bricked-up basement windows and a somber-looking plaque in Estonian which reads, ‘This building housed the headquarters of the organ of repression of the Soviet occupational power. Here began the road to suffering for thousands of Estonians.’ Originally the Estonian War Department during the 1920s and 30s, it was taken over by the NKVD when the Soviets invaded the first time in 1940. It was here that perceived enemies of the regime were interrogated and either shot or sent to Siberian work camps. After Stalin’s death people were still hauled in and questioned about possible subversive activities. Interestingly, the KGB used the tall spire of the nearby 13th-century St. Olaf’s Church to send radio transmissions.
Pagari 1, at the corner of Pikk 59
Linnahall
Like the TV tower, the Linnahall was built in the 1980s as part of a campaign to impress visitors coming for the Olympic games. The event centre is a perfect example of a much-criticised Soviet building practice - overuse of concrete. The hall can best be described as a cross between a parking garage and a somewhat flattened Mayan pyramid. Linnahall is easy to visit by foot since it’s so close to the centre. We suggest you hurry though, it’s crumbling rather fast.
Mere pst. 20
Maarjamae War Memorial
It’s hard to miss the pointed obelisk alongside the highway to Pirita Beach - it’s part of the Maarjamae War Memorial complex, a cement-filled park similar in its imposing style to other large complexes created in the USSR in the 1960s and 70s. The spire was put up in 1960 in memory of Russians who died in 1918, while the surrounding inspirational concrete and iron figures were added in 1975 to honour Soviet soldiers killed trying to fend off the Nazis in 1941. Ironically, this was also the site of an earlier German cemetery, as the solemn groups of crosses behind the complex remind us.
On the highway to Pirita
Naval Officers' club
An odd relic of Soviet times which has remained almost unchanged to this day is this imposing Stalin-era building on the edge of Old Town. Built in 1952 as a recreational club for Soviet officers, it was handed over to the local Russian community in the early 1990s and is now home to the Russian Cultural Centre. Not only is the building one of the last to sport a sickle and hammer on its facade (look way up high), it’s also retained many of the traditional, propogandistic design elements in the interior. If the doors are open, poke your way around the inside of the building to find them.
Mere pst. 5
The Bronze Soldier
Originally put up in 1947, this monument in front of the National Library, Tonismagi 2, commemorated Soviet soldiers who died fighting in WWII. It served as a kind of ‘tomb of the unknown soldier,’ at one point having an ‘eternal flame’ buring in front. Since it was with the Soviets’ defeat of the Germans that Estonia fell into Soviet hands,Estonians have long looked at the monument as a symbol of conquest. After the Soviet Union fell, the monument was one of the few of its kind to survive, mainly due to objections by the local Russian-speaking population (which now makes up about half of Tallinn). So many million Russians died during that war that almost everyone has a relative who never returned from the front lines. But even though the plaques that now flank the soldier simply read ‘For those fallen in World War II’ with no reference to nationality, there’s fresh talk of moving the monument, still viewed by many Estonians as a symbol of the oppressor, out of the centre to another part of town. For Russians, the monument isn’t so much a political symbol as it is just a place where they can lay flowers to honour their dead relatives. Both sides have a legitimate claim, and the debate doesn’t look like it’s going to end anytime soon.
Tonismagi
TV Tower
Officially opened on November 7th (Soviet Revolution Day) in 1980, the 314m tower was, and is, an imposing example of Soviet engineering. From its observation deck at the 170m level, you can see Finland on a clear day. Once you pay your 40kr entrance fee and ride up the lift, you’re entering a world that hasn’t changed much in the last 24 years.The furnishings are the same, and last time we were here we saw some folks that look like they came for the grand opening and never left - or at least they hadn’t updated their wardrobes. While you’re here, be sure to try the Galaxy restaurant which, in its own way, is also a trip back in time.
Kloostrimetsa 58a
Churches
Church of Our Lady of Kazan (Kaasani Jumalaema Sundimise kirik)
Built in 1721, this small, cross-shaped Russian Orthodox church is the oldest wooden structure in Tallinn. Extensive repairs in the 19th century gave the building a Classicist facade and brought a Classicist feel to the interior. Plaques commemorate the casualties of the Napoleonic wars and the Russo-Japanese War.
Liivalaia 38
Tel: 660 63 73
08:00-14:00
Church of the Transfiguration of Our Lord (Issandamuutmise kirik)
Originally belonging to St. Michael's Convent of the Cistercian Order (located next door and now housing the Gustavus Adolphus School), the church was given to an Orthodox congregation in 1716. The church has retained its original form, save the addition of a Baroque spire in 1776 and exterior renovations in the early 1800s. The carved-wood iconostasis is one of the most impressive of its kind. Services in Estonian Sat 17:00, Sun 10:00.
Suur-Kloostri 14-1
Tel: 646 40 03
St. Charles’ Church (Kaarli Kirik)
Built in pseudo-Romanesque style on the site of a 17th-century wooden church, St. Charles' is an excellent example of the use of one of Estonia's greatest resources - limestone. In all, construction took 20 years (1862 - 1882), but painter Johann Koler completed Estonia's largest mural here, Come to Me, in just ten days. The church is also home to Estonia's largest church organ. Services in Estonian Sun 10:00.
Toompuiestee 4
Tel: 611 91 00
Fax: 631 13 63
10:00-17:00
except:
Mon: 16:00-18:00
Wed: 16:00-18:00
Fri: 10:00-17:00
St. John’s Church (Jaani kirik)
One of two churches begun in 1862, testifying to Tallinn's population boom at that time. Built for a local congregation, St. John's boasts the first bell inscribed in Estonian. Renovations have transformed St. John's from a grey spectre into a bright yellow landmark. Services in Estonian Sun 10:00.
Vabaduse valjak 1
Tel: 644 62 06
Fax: 641 84 17
except:
Tue: 10:00-14:00
Wed: 10:00-18:00
Thu: 10:00-14:00
Fri: 10:00-14:00
St. Michael’s Swedish Lutheran Church (Rootsi-Mihkli Kirik)
Originally built as a hospital in the 16th century, St. Michael's also housed a spinning factory where fallen women worked. Then it was transformed into a church for local Swedes. After serving as a weightlifting room under the Soviets, the church was returned in 1993 to the Swedish congregation, whose efforts to fundraise for renovation of the church have paid off. Services in Swedish every Sunday 12:00 and in Finnish every Sunday 10:00.
Ruutli 9
Tel: 644 19 38
Fax: 644 19 38
St.Nicholas' Orthodox Church (Puha Nikolai Imetegija kirik)
The present Classical building dates to the 1820s, but a Russian Orthodox church stood here in the early 1400s. The young church houses many objects of artistic value predating it, including 16th-century icons. Services in Russian Fri 18:00, Sat 09:30, 18:00, Sun 09:30.
Vene 24
Tel: 644 19 45
10:00-18:00
except:
Fri: 10:00-18:00
Sun: 10:00-15:00
Sts. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church (Rooma Katoliku Kirik)
A relative newcomer as far as Tallinn's houses of worship go, this pseudo-Gothic church was built in on the former refectory of the Dominican Monestary from 1841 - 1844. Drop by to look at the interior. If the door is locked, go to the office and knock. Services in Estonian Mon - Fri 08:00, 18:00 and Sun11:30, in Russian Tue 19:00 and Sun 18:00, in Latin Sat 08:00, in Polish Sun 10:00, in English Sun 16:00.
Vene 16
Tel: 644 63 67
Fax: 644 46 78
17:00-19:00
except:
Mon: 07:00-10:00
Wed: 07:00-10:00
Fri: 07:00-10:00
Sat: 07:00-10:00
