[ESTONIA] Tallinn

Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The city lies on the Gulf of Finland and the Old Town is on a rocky hill, known as Toompea. The bishops and nobleman in upper town were separated from the merchants and craftmen in the lower town by a wall, much of which still remains.

After checking in to Hotel Metropol, I walked to explore the Old Town of Tallinn.

I entered the Old Town through Viru Gate. Viru Gate meaning “clay gate” in German and Viru Street, which links it to the lower town marketplace received their German names due to their proximity to clay pits located nearby. It was constructed during the 14th to 15th centuries.

Viru Street is now Tallinn’s popular shopping street with lots of restaurants and shops lining along the street.

This is the Town Hall Square in the heart of Old Town.

The Town Hall Square has been a marketplace since the Middle Ages. In summer, it’s filled with outdoor cafes and a venue for open air concert. In winter, it transforms into a magical Christmas Market.

Plenty of cafes and restaurants at Town Hall Square are perfect for people watching. However the price to dine here is unsurprisingly expensive as compared to other places in Old Town.

The Town Hall in Tallinn is the only surviving Gothic town hall in Northern Europe. It was first mentioned in 1322. The present day building was completed in 1402 – 1404. The Town Hall was the seat of local government until 1970. Today it is still used for ceremonial and cultural purpose.

The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber. It is a popular souvenir to buy in Baltic region.

Passed by St Nicholas Church.

St. John’s Church is built on Freedom Square. There’s a stairs leading to Toompea Hill besides the Freedom Square.

This tower is called Kiek in de Kok canon tower. It was built as part of the impressive fortification that surrounds the town. Its walls are 4 meters thick, designed to stand up against canon fire.

This is the Maiden Tower. The name of Maiden Tower might seem ironic because the tower was once used as a prison for prostitutes. Until 1960s, the tower comprised living quarters and studio. Since 2013, after having being closed for a decade, the thoroughly renovated Maiden Tower welcomes visitors again, this time as a museum cafe.

Layout of the upper town at Toopea Hill.

Throughout the centuries, the Short Leg Gate Tower next to the Danish King’s Garden has kept the lower town of Tallinn separate from Toompea Hill. The gate used to be locked at night to stop the common people of the lower town from bothering the nobles. Apparently, the gate was also supposed to stop ghosts who were trying to sneak up to Toompea Hill from the Danish King’s Garden.

These eerie monk statues can be seen in the Danish King’s Garden.

Flowers blooming in Danish King’s Garden.

Back to the lower town.

Tallinn Legends, the city below Tallinn.

Time to have dinner.

After travelling for a whole day from Riga to Tallinn, we were famished. Ordered a Special Mixed Grill, Gilled Elk Sausage with Sauerkraut and Potatoes and a chicken chop.

Came back to Tallinn Old Town again in the next morning, this time with a local guide. The Old Town seemed quiet in early morning and the shops were still closed.

These tombstones are from the Church of St Catherine of Alexandria and belonged to the members of the Magistrate of Tallinn, the Brotherhood of Blackheads, the Great Guild and the others. In the mid 19th century, the western part of the ruined church was restored and the best preserved tombstones were displayed on the wall.

St. Catherine’s Church was probably completed after first half of the 15th century – at that point, it was the largest church in town. After the fire of 1531, the church was left in ruins.

Catherine’s Passage is a charming old street.

Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul was built between 1841 and 1844.

There is a small fountain in the courtyard of the church.

The altar painting “Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heavan” was supposedly a gift from the Bavarian King Ludwig I.

Interior of Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul.

A fancy car parked in front of Schlossle Hotel (the yellow building with three flags) in Old Town Tallinn. It’s a small luxury hotel in the heart of Old Town.

Church of the Holy Spirit is located opposite the Great Guild and Maiasmokk, Tallinn’s oldest cafe.

Most noteworthy of the exterior of the church is a clock made by Christian Ackermann.

Today Great Guild Hall houses the Estonian History Museum .

Maiasmokk, Tallinn’s oldest cafe, beloved meeting point since 1864.

The Tallinn Brotherhood of Black Heads was established in 1399.

Estonian State Puppet Theatre.

Next, we were at the Path of History. 1997 is the year Old Town of Tallinn added to the UNESCO World Heritage list and 2004 is the year Estonia joined the European Union.

The Long Leg Gate was originally built to allow a direct connection between Toompea Hill and the harbour. Its winding path up the slope was suitable for riders and horse-drawn carts while the steeper ascent called the Short Leg Gate only could be used by pedestrians.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is an Orthodox church in Old Town. It is located on the top of Toompea hill. It was built between 1894 and 1900, during the period when the country was part of the Russian Empire.

This cathedral was left to decline during USSR period but was restored since Estonia regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Interior of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

Located opposite the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the Toompea Castle, which now houses the Parliament of Estonia.

This is St. Mary’s Cathedral also known as Dome Church. It is the only building in Toompea which survived a 17th-century fire.

It was originally a Roman Catholic cathedral. It later became Lutheran in 1561.

Interior of St. Mary’s Cathedral.

Nearby is a good view point in Toompea Hill overlooking Tallinn Old Town.

What a view! It would have been better if the weather was sunny like the day before.

The Short Leg Gate was intended as a quick shortcut between the lower town and Toompea for pedestrians. It is rumoured to be one of the most haunted places in Tallinn. There have been sightings of an infamous executed black monk, a lion and a ghostly galleon floating through the tower walls with its transparent sails flowing. So it’s best to go through this gate before sunset, haha.

I descended the Toompea Hill through Short Leg Gate.

And this concludes my visit to Tallinn.

Lastly, our guide fetched us to the harbor where we took a ferry to Helsinki.