13.02.2012
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MY TALLINN
TOP 10 Attractions
We've come up with this list of the city's absolute, must-see attractions as a helpful guide to visitors who might be long on curiosity but short on time. Conveniently, most of these sights are clustered together in Old Town, making them easy to fit into a tight itinerary. Keep in mind that you can visit all these attractions for free when you buy the Tallinn Card, the city's all-in-one discount card. The Tallinn Card is available in a discounted, 6-hour version designed especially for cruise passengers.
 Town Hall Square Town Hall Square has been the hub of Old Town for the last eight centuries. Today, the square remains the social heart of the city, a venue for open-air concerts, handicraft fairs and Medieval markets. Notable buildings around the square include the Gothic Town Hall, and the Town Hall Pharmacy, the oldest continuously running pharmacy in Europe.
Town Wall & Towers  A large part of what gives Old Town its character is the system of walls and towers that surrounds it. The current outline of the wall dates to the 14th century. In fact 1.9 km of the wall still stands, as do 20 defensive towers and portions of two of the six outer gates. The best places to see the wall are the Patkuli view platform on Toompea and the Tornide väljak (Tower Square).
Towers open to the public are: Kiek in de Kök, Maiden’s Tower, Fat Margaret’s Tower, The Great Coastal Gate, Viru Gates, and Nunna, Sauna, Kuldjala towers and Epping tower.
 St. Olav’s Church and TowerThis 13th-century church was once the tallest building in the world. But its 159-metre spire turned out to be an effective lightning rod. Throughout the church's history its steeple has been hit repeatedly by lightning, completely burning down the structure three times.
Now its 124-metre steeple still dwarfs most of Tallinn’s buildings and remains an important symbol of the town. From April to October, visitors can climb up to the tower for amazing views.
Cathedral of St Mary  the Virgin (Dome Church) Medieval church that stands at the centre of Toompea hill is the main Lutheran church in Estonia. Historically this was the church of Estonia's elite German nobles, a fact that becomes clear once you step through the doors. The interior is filled with elaborate funereal coats of arms from the 17th to the 20th centuries as well as burial stones from the 13th to the 18th centuries.
Homepage  St. Catherine’s Passage & Masters’ CourtyardEasily the most photogenic of Old Town’s lanes, St. Catherine runs between Vene and Müürivahe streets, along the back of what was St. Catherine’s Church. The street is home to the St. Catherine's Guild, a collection of craft shops where artists create and sell hats, quilts, ceramics, hand-painted silk and other wares.
Not far from there is the beautifully restored Masters’ Courtyard where handicrafts, jewellery and chocolate confections are sold.
 Toompea Castle and Pikk Hermann TowerThe seat of power ever since the German Knights of the Sword first built a stone fortress here in 1227-29. Even these days it’s home to the nation’s Parliament. Most visitors’ first view is the pink, Baroque palace dating to the time of Catherine the Great. A look at its opposite side gives a much more Medieval perspective.
Standing at the southwest corner of the castle is the Pikk Hermann Tower, a vital symbol of Estonian nationhood. Tradition dictates that whichever power flies its flag here rules Estonia.
Homepage  Freedom SquareIn summer of 2009 the residents of Tallinn were given back a vital piece of their city's heritage: Freedom Square (Vabaduse väljak). From the last days of the Tsars and through Estonia's first period of independence, this open area at the edge of Old Town had been a place of national symbolism and civic pride, as well as a favourite public gathering spot.
Its new features are the Monument to the War of Independence and the AHHAA Science Centre.
 The Rotermann QuarterThis sprawling, industrial zone got its start in 1829 when wealthy Baltic-German businessman C.A. Rotermann bought the land and started a covered market. When Estonia regained its independence in 1991, different projects have breathed new life into the area.
The most notable of these is the Rotermann Centre, a trendy shopping and cultural zone, with its central square that's home to an open-air markets, festivals and concerts.
 Kadriorg Park and Palace Kadriorg is a quiet, leafy area within easy walking distance of Old Town. After Russian emperor Peter the Great conquered the Baltics in the early 1700s he established an estate and public park on this spot. He named the area Catherine’s valley (Kadriorg in Estonian) after his wife Catherine I.
Today, this grandiose palace with its’ surrounding manicured gardens is home to the foreign art collection of the Art Museum of Estonia. Another must-see in Kadriorg is the Kumu Art Museum, a modern centre for contemporary art.
 Song Festival Grounds This event venue in Kadriorg has a special place in the hearts of Estonians. It was here in 1988 that the Singing Revolution, a massive, musical demonstration against Soviet rule, set Estonia on its road towards independence. The grounds feature an outdoor concert arena, built in 1959, and host a multitude of large concerts and festivals through the year. Most famously the site is home to the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration.
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