Imagine a city with a virtually untouched medieval village, red roofs and old fortified walls, noble palaces, narrow streets with craft stores, an imposing basilica, a castle. This is Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, a
Imagine a city with a virtually untouched medieval village, red roofs and old fortified walls, noble palaces, narrow streets with craft stores, an imposing basilica, a castle. This is Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, a trendy but never excessive, open and relaxed destination. Small (you can get around in a few hours) but with so much to see, it’s the ideal destination for a weekend away from the classic European cities. And if you don’t know which places to visit there, relax! We’ve got you covered. In this article, we list the must-see places of that city! Enjoy your discovery!
The City Walls
More than 2 kilometers of the original walls surrounding the old town are another of the most impressive places to see in Tallinn. To complete the defense of the city, 35 large circular watchtowers were built, connecting the different pieces of wall, 25 of which are preserved with their characteristic red cone-shaped roof. In addition, the wall had six access gates, including the spectacular Viru Gate, which you can’t miss.
One of the best experiences in the city is to walk along the wall from the Nunna Torn or Torre de la Monja to the Sauna Torn or Torre de la Sauna.
Pikk Street
Walking through the Old Town of Tallinn, a World Heritage Site, full of charming corners, is like being in a fairy tale. Its medieval buildings, especially in the lower part of the city, are among the best preserved in Europe, and Pikk Street is one of them.
At number 71 of this street you will find one of the most famous and oldest medieval houses in the city, known as the Three Sisters, on the list of places to see in Tallinn. In addition to this unique house, you will find in this street several buildings that were the headquarters of the main guilds of the city.
At the end of Pikk Street is one of the most beautiful gates in the city wall, the Costera Gate, and the Torre de Margarita la Gorda, which houses the Maritime Museum.
St. Olaf Church
The Church of St. Olaf, built in the twelfth century, stands out for its 123-meter high tower. When made, it reached 159 meters, which was unconventional in the Middle Ages, and was the highest building in the world from 1549 to 1625.
The best thing about the church is undoubtedly the climb up the tower, where the exhaustion of reaching its highest point turns into joy when experiencing the 360 degree views of Tallinn.
Kadriorg Palace and Park
By taking streetcar lines 1 or 3 from Narva Maantee Avenue, you will arrive in about 10 minutes at Kadriorg Palace and Park, another of the must-see places in Tallinn .
This large public green space extends around the 18th century baroque Kadriorg Palace, built as a summer residence for Tsar Peter the Great of Russia. Inside the palace there are several museums and art galleries and the outside is a quiet place worth visiting to walk among the trees, ponds and monuments.
A good option to get to Kadriorg if you don’t have much time is to book the sightseeing bus, which also stops at the main points of interest in the city.
Alexander Nevski Cathedral
The magnificent Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral, located on the castle square at the top of Toompea Hill, is another must-see site in Tallinn.
The cathedral, a World Heritage Site, was built between 1894 and 1900, when Tallinn and the rest of Estonia were part of the Russian Empire. Although it was thought for a long time that it would be destroyed, in order to eliminate any memory of Russian rule, it was fortunately preserved, but also restored, and today it is splendid with its famous domes.
Those are some places that you should not miss when visit Tallinn. Do you want to know more must-sees? Come back to check out the second part of our article.
Until then, what was the most beautiful place that you’ve ever visited? Share your experience with us in the comments below.