We have plotted a loop around Tallinn that will let us see as much of the old town as we can on foot
Great Coastal Gate and Fat Margaret’s Tower
St. Olaf’s Church
Eppingi Tower
Nunna Torn, Sauna Torn, & Kuldjala Torn Patkuli Viewing Platform Tallinn Toompea Castle Maiden Tower Museum Kiek in de Kök Museum and Bastion Tunnels Tallinn Museum of Occupation
Tallinn Freedom Square Vabaduse (väljak)
Estonian National Opera
KGB Museum
Tallinn Viru Gate
Hellemann Tower and Town Wall Walkway
Dominican St. Catherine’s Monastery Holy Spirit Church
Tallinn Town Hall Square
Estonian history Museum-Great Guild Hall
House of the Brotherhood of the Black Heads Details on the sites to come soon!
Optional Tallin Card: free entry into 40 exhibits €36 each with free sightseeing tour, or €25 without tour https://www.visittallinn.ee/eng/visitor/tallinncard#get_tallinn_card_now
The items we plan to walk past, and perhaps visit…
Great Coastal Gate and Fat Margaret's Tower were built to protect the city from the seaside, but also to impress quests arriving by sea. The Great Coastal Gate (built at the same time with the city wall) is located in the northern part of the Old Town of Tallinn near the port. In the 16th century, during the reconstruction of the gate, the Fat Margaret's artillery tower was built nearby.
Today, the Fat Margaret houses Estonian Maritime Museum. The Museum exhibits a remarkable collection of ship models from different eras. The viewing platform on the roof of the tower offers a view over the Old Town and the Bay of Tallinn. 6 € Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00 - 18:00 Monday closed
https://www.visitestonia.com/en/great-coastal-gate-and-fat-margarets-tower
St Olaf's Church in Tallinn, the city's biggest medieval structure, took its name from the sainted Norwegian king Olav II Haraldsson. The church was first mentioned in 1267. It became one of the main churches in the Lower Town and formed its own congregation, which at first mostly comprised Scandinavian merchants and craftsmen and few Estonians.
The evangelical preachings of the then chaplain of the church, Zacharias Hasse, led to the start of the reformation in Tallinn in 1523. Free
https://www.visitestonia.com/en/st-olafs-church-in-tallinn
The development of Tallinn's fortifications and medieval arms and armour are the focus in this renovated tower from the 15th century. Six floors of interesting exhibits make this a great stop for the entire family. Visitors are invited to try on a selection of chainmail and armour, as well as handle medieval replica weapons. Visitors can also make a copy of Tallinn's first coin as a souvenir. Epping tower offers a fun and educational experience for the whole family. We also welcome tour groups. All displays are in both English and Estonian. €6.00 Sat & Sun 11:00 - 16:00
http://www.epping.ee/
Nunna Torn, Sauna Torn, Kuldjala Torn: The Walls of Tallinn are the medieval defensive walls constructed around the city of Tallinn in Estonia.
The first wall around Tallinn was ordered to be constructed by Margaret Sambiria in 1265 and for that reason, it was known as the Margaret Wall. This wall was less than 5 metres (16 ft) tall and about 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) thick at its base. Since that time it has been enlarged and strengthened. The walls and the many gates are still largely extant today. This is one of the reasons that Tallinn's old town became a World Heritage Site. The walls were enlarged in the fourteenth century, and citizens of Tallinn were required to turn out for guard duty, which meant to wear their armour and demonstrate their readiness to face off invaders.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walls_of_Tallinn
Maiden Tower, first mentioned as early as in 1373, has been reconstructed several times, but its unique architecture is still based on its trapezoidal floor plan.
The name comes from the name of the tower commander at that time, Hinse Meghe, and was later adapted into Maiden Tower in English.
A defense passage running from the Maiden Tower to the cannon tower of Kiek in de Kök and Bastion Passages is a unique opportunity to explore the large renovated part of medieval and modern defence zone of Tallinn during one visit.
In the course of its history, the building has been a defense tower, a residential building and a café – some say it is still haunted! 2 € Tuesday–Sunday: 11:00 - 18:00 Monday closed
https://www.visitestonia.com/en/maiden-tower-museum
Kiek in de Kök Strong medieval fortification tower Kiek in de Kök (Germ. "peek in the kitchen") got its name from a legend about some soldiers in the tower who liked to peek from the top of the tower into the windows of Lower Town kitchens.
Nowadays, the tower houses a museum that introduces the genesis of Tallinn, its development, as well as the most important war events from the 13th to the 18th century. On the basement floor, there are temporary photography exhibitions; in the armoury, you can explore various weapons and have a go on a shooting simulator.
The café on the sixth floor affords one-of-a-kind views of Toompea, the Lower Town and the harbour.
Guided tours of bastion passages also start at Kiek in de Kök. 5 € Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00 - 17:30 Monday closed
https://www.visitestonia.com/en/kiek-in-de-kok-museum
Freedom Square is Tallinn's grandest public space. The monument to the War of Independence was unveiled here on Victory Day (23 June) in 2009.
Over the years the square has gone by many names: the Straw Market, Peter's Square and Victory Square among them. It was first named Freedom Square in 1939, remaining that way until 1948. The name was readopted in 1989.
Its location in the city centre right next to the Old Town has made Freedom Square a popular place for people to get together and spend time.
https://www.visitestonia.com/en/freedom-square-in-tallinn-and-the-monument-to-the-war-of-independence
Estonian National Opera Designed by A. Lindgren and W. Lönn and completed in 1913, the art nouveau/classicist Estonia theatre and opera house was the largest building of its kind in Tallinn at the time.
One of its two wings was designed as a theatre, and the other as a concert hall. The original building was destroyed during the Soviet bombings in March 1944. However, it was renovated in the latter half of the 1940's.
Good to know: The first Estonian parliament convened in the concert hall on 23 April 1919. Advance bookings only
https://www.visitestonia.com/en/estonian-national-opera-opera-house
The barbican of Viru Gate was part of the defense system of Tallinn city wall built in the 14th century.
A couple of centuries later, it already had 8 gates that consisted of several towers and curtain walls connecting them. The main tower of a gate was always square and the barbicans were equipped with one or two small round towers.
As the entrances to the Old Town were widened, several gates were demolished. The Viru Gate had to pay its dues to a horse-drawn tram route that connected the Old Market with Kadriorg.
However, the corner towers were preserved; also, you can still see a part of the bastion that is called Musumägi. Viru Street with its many shops and restaurants has become one of the busiest pedestrian streets in the Old Town. Observed from distance
https://www.visitestonia.com/en/viru-gate
Hellemann Tower and Town Wall Climb this 14th-century tower and stroll atop its 200m stretch of Town Wall for fantastic views of Tallinn's medieval defences.
The three-story tower, which stands adjacent Müürivahe street next to Old Town's knit market, dates back to the 14th century and at different times was used as a prison and a weapons store.
Nowadays it serves far more peaceful purposes: in addition to being a curiosity history-minded visitors, it houses an art gallery. 4.00€ Mon-Sun 10-18
https://www.visittallinn.ee/eng/visitor/see-do/sightseeing/pid-177029/hellemann-tower-and-town-wall
Catherine's Alley Catherine's Alley, formerly known as the Monk's Alley, winds its way from Vene Street past the southern end of the Dominican monastery to Müürivahe Street. St Catherine's church, from which the alley took its name, is thought to have been built here more than 700 years ago. The southern side of the alley is lined with predominantly 15th-17th century residences. The alley as a whole retains its medieval atmosphere. It was last restored in 1995.
A number of handicraft workshops can be found here, in which you can watch the artists at work – creating ceramics, hats, glass and more.
https://www.visitestonia.com/en/catherines-alley
Church of the Holy Spirit in Tallinn
Built in the 14th century with timber interior and a hexagonal tower, the bright white Church of the Holy Spirit is one of the oldest and finest structures in Tallinn. Before entering the church, take a look at the façade with a clock that has been measuring time since the 17th century. The treasures inside include a unique altar created by Berndt Notke in the 15th century and the pulpit built in 1597.
In medieval times, it was the main sanctuary for commoners. After the Reformation, the first Estonian sermons instead of German ones were held here, and Johann Koell's Catechism, written by the pastor of the church and published in 1535, is considered the first book in Estonian. 1.5 € Monday–Friday: 12:00 - 14:00, Saturday 10:00 - 16:00, Sunday closed
https://www.visitestonia.com/en/church-of-the-holy-spirit-in-tallinn
Town Hall Square has been a market place and the centre of this old Hanseatic town since the Middle Ages. It became the centre of the Lower Town at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries.
As a square it plays an important role today as well - in summer it is filled with outdoor cafes, plays host to the Old Town Days and other medieval festivals, is a venue for open air concerts and fairs and more. In winter it becomes a magical Christmas market, the centerpiece of which is a towering spruce tree. The tradition of celebrating Christmas festivities here dates back to 1441, when the Brotherhood of the Blackheads are thought to have erected the world's very first Christmas tree. Free
https://www.visitestonia.com/en/tallinn-town-hall-square
Estonian History Museum — Great Guild Hall The mediaeval Great Guild Hall has always played an important role in the life of the city. The permanent exhibition at the History Museum "SPIRIT OF SURVIVAL. 11,000 years of Estonian History" (opened in 2011) helps to understand the singularity of the people who have lived in Estonia and introduces historical events that have affected them the most. The exhibition discloses the story of Estonian past through rooms with different topics, such as the Gun Room that tells about wars, the exhibition "Power of the Elite" that talks about the Great Guild and mediaeval trade. You can also see different currencies and take part in historical events in the interactive time capsule. 5 € Monday–Tuesday, Thursday–Sunday: 10:00 - 18:00 Wednesday closed
https://www.visitestonia.com/en/estonian-history-museum-great-guild-hall
House of Blackheads The House of Blackheads is the only surviving Renaissance building in Tallinn. A residence probably existed at this location already in the 14th century.
The Brotherhood of Blackheads bought the property in the first half of the 16th century, when they also built a new hall without vaults.
A major reconstruction took place in 1597, when the façade was redesigned in the spirit of the Renaissance architecture from the Netherlands, with its rich ornamentation and carved decorations.
One of Tallinn’s most eye-catching painted doors dates from the 1640s. The two-nave, arched guildhall bought from the Olav Guild dates from the 15th century. Advance bookings only
https://www.visitestonia.com/en/house-of-blackheads