Art & Design

This creative, cutting-edge city has plenty of intriguing galleries in which art lovers can absolutely lose themselves, but it may be best to begin at the historic beginning, in the Niguliste Museum, where a fascinating collection of medieval church art is on display. Here you can see the nation’s most famous painting, Lübeck painter Bernt Notke’s eerie, 15th-century masterpiece, Danse Macabre.

Next door is the Adamson-Eric Museum, devoted to the works of one of the most prolific Estonian artists of the 20th Century.

Tallinn Art Hall nearby, hosts the city’s most captivating temporary exhibitions, while the extensive Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design and Museum of Estonian Architecture are must-sees for anyone interested in design.

The city’s biggest collections, however, are found in the park-like Kadriorg district, home to the beautiful, baroque Kadriorg Palace and the adjacent Mikkel Museum, both dedicated to foreign art. Estonian art is on display at the nation’s newest and largest art museum, Kumu Art Museum, just up the street. 

The Hop-on hop-off Tallinn City Tour takes you from the town centre to the Kadriorg park. Alternatively, you can get a complete introduction to the area by taking the Art Tour of Tallinn.

If after visiting these museums you feel like picking up some artistic creations – either traditional or modern – to take home, be sure peruse the excellent handicraft and design shops around town.  

Free with Tallinn Card: 
public transport
Hop-on hop-off Tallinn City Tour
Niguliste Museum
Adamson-Eric Museum
Tallinn Art Hall
Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design 
Museum of Estonian Architecture
Kadriorg Palace - Kadriorg Art Museum
Mikkel Museum
Kumu Art Museum