SOMP2010 Excursion to Tallinn Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia

SOMP2010 Excursion to Tallinn Old Town

Old Town

From SOMP2010 Excursion to Tallinn Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia

From SOMP2010 Excursion to Tallinn Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia

About Old Town

Passages under Old Town

Medieval Old Town | Lower Town | Medieval churches | Latin Quarter| Town wall, towers & gates | Upper Town | Beyond the Old Town | Twisting cobblestone lanes and iron street lamps. Gothic spires and medieval markets. Cappuccino and Wi-Fi. This is the city's famous Old Town. If you're looking for that mix of historic ambience and cutting-edge culture that defines Tallinn, you'll find it here. Built up from the 13th to 16th centuries, when Tallinn – or Reval as it was known then – was a thriving member of the Hanseatic trade league, this enclosed neighbourhood of colourful, gabled houses, half-hidden courtyards and grandiose churches is, quite rightly, the city's biggest tourist draw. And the fact that it's all neatly packaged within a mostly-intact city wall and dotted with guard towers gives it an extra dose of fairytale charm. The Old Town - Lower Town Town Hall Square The square in front of Tallinn’s Town Hall functioned as a marketplace for centuries, dating back to times even before the Town Hall itself was built. Through the years this served as a place of celebrations as well as executions...

Tallinn Town Hall is the best-preserved Medieval town hall in Northern Europe. The Town Hall was first mentioned as early as 1322, when it appears to have been in its present site on the Town Hall square. It was reconstructed and given the external appearance we see today, however, in 1402-1404...

Town Hall Pharmacy is one of the oldest pharmacies still functioning in its original spot in all of Europe. The pharmacy, which stands on the corner of the Town Hall Square, was first mentioned in historical documents in 1422...

Great Guild Hall was the second largest secular building after the Town Hall in Medieval Tallinn. The Great Guild was an organization uniting the city's wealthy merchants, and intended for protecting its members' common interests. Tallinn's mayor and the city fathers were also chosen from among the members of the Great Guild...

House of the Brotherhood of Black Heads is nearly the only preserved Renaissance building in Tallinn. The Brotherhood of Black Heads emerged in 1399. The Brotherhood united the young, single merchants before they could be accepted into the Great Guild, as well as foreign merchants who were residing in Tallinn for longer periods but not permanently...

Medieval Churches St. Olav’s Church was the tallest church in Medieval Europe. The earliest data on St. Olav’s Church come from 1267. Little is known about the building of this Gothic style church and its early years, but there may have been a church on this location as early as the 12th century, alongside the Scandinavian market yard. ...

St. Nicholas’s Church has three of the four most important Medieval works of art in Estonia on display. German merchants from the island of Gotland built this church to St. Nicholas, the protector of sailors. It was originally built in the early 13th century, when the church was like a fortress...

Church of the Holy Ghost is the only sacred building from the 14th century in Tallinn that has preserved its original form. The simple, humble Church of Holy Ghost was completed in the 1360's and, but for the exception of the baroque spire, it has retained its original medieval exterior...

Latin Quarter Dominican Monastery Museum is the oldest cloister in downtown Tallinn. St. Catherine's monastery was founded in 1246. The structure of the building is that of a typical Catholic cloister. The most powerful building in the cloister complex is the church...

Dominican Monastery Claustrum The fascinating inner chambers of the Dominican Monastery once included three wings, together called Claustrum, of which the east wing still remains...

St. Catherine's Passage is a landmark combining master craftsmen's workshops with a medieval atmosphere. Catherine's Passage (Katariina käik) connects Vene and Müürivahe streets. You can see the remaining portions of St. Catherine's Church in the northern part of the passage...

Masters’ Courtyard Hidden in a quiet, Old Town courtyard is this site dedicated to the master craftsmen of old. Here visitors can shop for handicrafts and jewellery, view art exhibitions, and sample the heavenly confections created in the popular Chocolaterie Café...

Tallinn City Museum’s exhibition covers the history of the city from the 13th century to the 1990’s. Located in the home of a medieval merchant in the heart of the Old Town, the City Museum introduces Tallinn with a completely new, attractive permanent exhibition, which is called “The City Which will Never be Completed”...

Town Wall, Towers and Gates Nunna, Sauna and Kuldjala Towers These three medieval towers, and the portion of the wall that connects them, are among the few towers open to tourists. Visitors can climb up and imagine what it felt like to guard the town against would-be invaders, but the wall is even more popular  for its picturesque view of the red-tiled roofs of Old Town and Toompea hill...

Kiek in de Kök was the most powerful cannon tower in 16th-century Northern Europe. It is written in the chronicles that Kiek in de Kök was once the most powerful tower along the Baltic shores. The round cannon tower, built in the latter part of the 15th century, had a diameter of 17 meters...

Maiden Tower (Neitsitorn) was used in the Middle Ages as a prison for prostitutes. The 'Maiden Tower' was built in the second half of the 14th century, together with the city wall. It has suffered under attacks many times through its history, and has been rebuilt several times...

Great Coastal Gate (Suur Rannavärav) and Fat Margaret's Tower (Paks Margareeta) were built as a defense on the seaward side of town, but also for impressing visitors coming in from the sea. The Great Coastal Gate, built along with the city wall, is situated on the northern side of the Old Town, near the harbour...

Viru Gates were built in the 14th century, but the towers that now remain are only part of what was originally here. The Viru Gates are in the eastern section of the city wall. The main tower of the gates was originally built in the years 1345-55..

The Old Town - Upper Town Toompea Castle & Tall Hermann’s Tower is one of Estonia's oldest and grandest architectural groupings. The castle is situated on the steep limestone coast, 50 meters above sea level. It is one of the most potent symbols of reigning power, conquered over the centuries by various nations. Today, the Estonian Parliament is housed here...

Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin (Dome Church) is the main Lutheran church in Estonia and one of three functioning medieval churches. The present appearance of the Cathedral is the result of much rebuilding. The original temporary wooden church is thought to have been built on Toompea Hill in 1219, and was first mentioned in 1233...

Danish King's Garden is situated next to Toompea Hill. Old legends tell us the Danes received their national flag in Tallinn. On the brink of losing the battle on the 15th of July, 1219, the flag was handed down to them from the skies, and the battle tide turned...

Beyond the Old Town St. Bridget’s Convent was the largest convent of Old Livonia. Established by Tallinn’s wealthy merchants in 1407, construction was begun on the convent itself immediately. It is a typical example of late Gothic churches in Tallinn...