Tallinn- Sights & Activities

1. Orthodox Cathedral

Standing proud on Toompea, next to the Estonian Parliament building, the dramatic, onion-domed Aleksander Nevski Cathedral is an art nouveau masterpiece that has become a much-loved part of the Tallinn skyline. But it was originally built in the 19th century to reinforce the extent of Russian imperial power upon the city’s inhabitants. Indeed it takes its name from Prince Aleksander Nevski, the Russian hero whose forces famously defeated the Baltic-based German crusaders in the ‘Battle on Ice’ on Lake Peipsi in 1242. Today, it remains the most impressive-looking orthodox church in Estonia and an important place of worship for Tallinn’s extensive Russian population.

The ornate, atmospheric interior is crammed with awe-inspiring golden icons and other work of religious art. There are some stunning mosaics, including one on the south side of the cathedral which depicts Nevski himself and another on the north side which shows Count Vsevlod of Pskov, who led successful raids against the Estonians in the 13th century. The cathedral also operates a small gift shop to the right of the entrance.

2. Dome Church

Officially called the Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin, the majestic looking Dome Church is the oldest in Estonia. It was founded in the 13th century by the first wave of Danish invaders, but rebuilt in a Gothic style during the 14th century. In 1684 it was destroyed by a devastating fire that ripped through the whole of Toompea. Reconstruction took several decades, with the baroque tower being added as late as 1778. The church remains the headquarters of the Lutheran Church of Estonia today.

If you’d like a taste of the buzz that must have animated the Llotja 500 years ago, when the Sala de Contratación echoed with the competing bids of merchants, visit the popular stamp and coin market that is still held there on a Sunday morning.

3. Town Hall Square

Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats), at the centre of the Lower Old Town, has been the social and cultural heart of Tallinn for at least seven centuries. In medieval times it served as the town’s main marketplace and was also the sight of tournaments and festivals. Even today it acts as the chief gathering place for the city’s residents and is invariably packed with umbrella-shaped café terraces in spring and summer. Throughout the year it also hosts scores of concerts and art markets and every winter is home to Tallinn’s Christmas Tree, a tradition that dates back to 1441. In the centre of the square lies a circular stone marked with a rose-shaped compass, which points you in the direction of Tallinn's five most famous spires.

The square is dominated, unsurprisingly, by the late-Gothic Town Hall, which was completed in 1404. Old Thomas (Vana Toomas), the soldier-shaped weather vane perched atop the spire, has been watching over the city since 1530, while the baroque spire itself and the fanciful, dragon-shaped drainpipes both date from 1627.

In the opposite corner of the square to the Town Hall lies the Town Hall Pharmacy. Though a relatively unassuming building, it was first established in 1422 and is one of the oldest continuously running pharmacies in Europe, having passed through 10 generations of the same family. Over the centuries it has cured the ailments of Tallinn’s residents with such novel concoctions as minced bat, burnt bees, snakeskin and powdered unicorn horn. It still operates as a pharmacy, though today its mixtures are somewhat more conventional.

4. Holy Spirit Church

Completed in the 14th century, the monumental Holy Spirit Church is where the very first sermons were given in the Estonian language after the Reformation. It was also a notably charitable institution, distributing alms among the sick and poor. Like many Tallinn landmarks, the building was severely damaged by the fire that ripped through the Old Town in 1684. Two of its most celebrated features – the baroque tower and the ornate, blue-and-gold clock near the main entrance – were added during reconstruction work. Indeed the latter, framed by figures of the apostle, is said to be one of the most photographed objects in Tallinn.

The church’s rich, intricate, wood-carved interior, with its baroque pews and Renaissance pulpit, is perhaps more impressive than these exterior features. Even the painted panels on its side galleries are beautiful. But the church’s best-loved piece is the altar, commissioned from the renowned Lübeck sculptor and painter, Bernt Notke, in 1483. Figures of the Virgin Mary with child, apostles and saints, all painted in bright, clear blue, red and gold, stand at the centre of the cupboard-type altarpiece.

5. Kiek in de Kök

36 metres high, with 4-metre thick walls, ‘Kiek in de Kök’ is a cannon tower, reputed to be the most powerful in the Baltic region and built as part of Toompea’s original fortifications in the 15th century. Its somewhat unfortunate name – a source of ribald humour for generations of visiting schoolchildren – actually means ‘peek into the kitchen’ in Low German, and refers to the fact that soldiers posted here could reputedly see right down the chimneys and into the kitchens of the merchant houses below. The tower was put to the test during the Livonian War (1558–83), when Ivan the Terrible’s forces besieged Tallinn twice. It was damaged but survived. To commemorate this fact, the builders who repaired it set six stone cannon balls in the outer wall. These can still be seen on its south-east side.

The tower’s museum chronicles the history of Tallinn’s defences from the 13th to 18th century and displays military paraphernalia from ancient conflicts with Sweden and Russia. More impressive, however, are the dizzying views from the top floor, accessible via the old staircases that run through the tower’s walls.

6. Museum of Occupations

Located a block outside the Old Town walls, the Museum of Occupations is a high-tech and dramatic introduction to the 1940–91 period, when Estonia was occupied first by the Soviet Union, then briefly by Nazi Germany, then again by the Soviets. Battered suitcases in the entrance hall set the tone, recalling the flight, death and exile of thousands. Further inside the museum features filmed eyewitness testimonials, and hundreds of photographs and artefacts – from tattered prison uniforms to solid-iron prison doors that once slammed behind terrified inmates.One display case shows dissident anti-Soviet literature that had been typed on wispy paper and secretly passed from one reader to another at the risk of jail, even death. Replica locomotives, one stamped with a swastika and the other with a red star, loom in the main hall as a reminder of the human cargo shipped to and fro during the series of occupations. Other exhibits include domestic appliances as well as military and espionage equipment, providing a fascinating glimpse of consumer culture, Soviet-style.

7. Kadriorg Palace

Surrounded by a carefully manicured, 18th-century-style flower garden, with linden groves and fountains, Kadriorg Palace is the best example of Baroque architectural style in Northern Europe. It was built by Peter the Great in 1718 in honour of his wife, Catherine I, after whom it is named (‘Kadri’ means ‘Catherine’ in Estonian). Though it was built as a summer palace, Peter ultimately spent little time here. One can only pity him, since the interior, with its tiled stoves and ornate ceilings, is stunning. Of particular interest is the two-storey main hall, decorated with grandiose paintings and rich stucco work.

As if the apartments’ thousands of sculptures, gems and objets d’art dating from the 1500s weren’t enough, the palace also houses one of the nation’s top art museums. Here, precious paintings by Western European and Russian artists of the 16th to 20th centuries are on display, as are prints, sculptures, superb works in metal and porcelain, and other creations. The museum is particularly strong on Dutch and Flemish old masters and Russian portraiture.

8. Estonian Open Air Museum

Situated in the forested Rocca al Mare Park on the western edge of Kopli Bay, the Estonian Open Air Museum is a recreation of Estonian vernacular architecture and peasant life from the 18th to 20th centuries. It was founded in 1957 and comprises 72 thatch-roofed farmhouses, barns, windmills and water mills transplanted from all around the country. There’s also a church, an inn, a schoolhouse and a fire station. The buildings are divided into four parts, which correspond to the country’s different village types: Western, Northern, Southern and the islands. They all combine to give a vivid impression of what Estonian village life must have been like in times past. To add to the sense of realism, characters dressed in period costume drive horse carts through the park, while others perform chores in the various buildings. Special displays take place on national holidays, while one of the taverns serves traditional dishes, such as Estonian pea soup.

Monday - Friday	:9am - 6:30pm
Saturday	:9am - 5:30pm
Sunday and Public Holidays	:Closed

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