Tallinn, Estonia
OVERVIEW – On this page you can see information about Tallinn and some suggestions of Things to Do. We reflect on our visits where we look at the history of this amazing city and the unusual bar you can find there.
Video(s) of our visit(s) accompany at the foot of this page.
ABOUT
The first archaeological traces of a small hunter-fisherman community’s presence in what is now Tallinn‘s city centre are about 5,000 years old.
Tallinn received Lubeck city rights in 1248 and it was one of the last “pagan” civilisations in Europe to adopt Christianity. It was claimed by Denmark in 1219 following a raid by King Vlademar II and this was followed by a succession of Scandanavian and Teutonic rulers.
Due to the strategic location by the sea, its medieval port became a significant trade hub, especially in the 14–16th centuries, when Tallinn grew in importance as the northernmost member city of the Hanseatic League. Tallinn Old Town is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Today Tallinn is a major industrial city with a focus on metal, technology, business services and of course Tourism.
Population is approximately 461,000
Currency is the Euro
THINGS TO DO
Things to do in the City of Tallinn include visiting museums, boat tours, walking tours, nature/wildlife tours even brewery tours.
However, most people visiting the City are there to view the beautiful buildings. Taking a walk through the old town you pass by historic buildings on the way to the hilltop viewing points.
View Points
The Nunna, Sauna, and Kuldjala Towers are three of the remaining 26 towers that surround the Old Town of Tallinn. In the late 14th century, a massive project was started to build a fortified wall around the city to protect against invaders. By the 16th Century, the walls were raised to sixteen meters high with a thickness of 3 to 4 meters. This made it possible to defend against cannon fire. During the 16th century, Tallinn was one of the most fortified cities in the entire world. The wall stretched 4 kilometers around old Tallinn.
Because these areas are still accessible to the public it is possible to get a real sense of the city’s past.
OUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO
History is one of Lindsey’s favourite subjects and there is certainly no lack of it here in Tallinn. Although we have visited the city on more than one occasion there is still lots to see. Winding through the streets it is easy to get caught up in Tallinn’s history and take in the amazing buildings that have survived for centuries.
THE PLATE TOWER
The tower was built at the beginning of the 15th Century. It was named after Herbord Plaete who was the supervisor at the time.
There are three floors in the tower.
Ammunition storage was on the ground floor, accessible from the street as well as the upper part of the tower.
This 13m vaulted room was divided into two parts with a wooden ceiling. There were 3 openings for artillery and a fireplace in the lower defence floor. The watertight floor of the battlement platform enabled it to function without a roof.
The tower was restored twice in the 20th Century and latterly in 2013.
NUN’s TOWER
The Tower was built at the beginning of the 14th Century in the wall section that encircles the St Michael’s Cistercian nunnery. Again this tower was primarily a defensive measure for the City.
Traces of the original tower can be seen in the lower level of the current tower.
The 8.4m high turret with a rectangular layout protruding from the wall was supported by two corbels.
The new tower with the three quarter circular layout dates from the 15th Century.
It contains a high storage floor and two defence floors.
The tower has been restored in the late 1950’s, 1989 and 2004.
SAUNA TOWER
The Sauna Tower was built in the second half of the 14th Century and got its name from the sauna in the St Michael’s nunnery.
Yet again, it’s main purpose was that of defence.
Initially it was 8m high and had only one defence floor. The final version had two defence floors and was completed in the 15th Century.
It has been restored on more than one occasion. In the late 1950’s the area between the Nun’s Tower through to the Sauna Tower were restored.
The most recent refurbishment was in 2004.
Maiden Tower
The Medieval part of Tallinn is particularly interesting. We took a guided walk on our stop at the port in 2025. This took us through parts of the city we had not seen before. It included stops at the Maiden Tower or Neitsitorn which is situated near the Danish Kings’s Garden. Whilst we did not have time to go in, there is a museum at this site featuring exhibits on the town defense and tower history.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Close by is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. This Russian Orthodox cathedral was built between 1894-1900 in typical Russian style. It is quite a feat of engineering. It is dedicated to The Grand Prince of Kiev and later Russian Orthodox saint, Alexander Nevsky.
The Monk Sculptures
Standing in the King of Denmark Garden these sculptures reference the stories and legends of the historically important courtyard.
Erected in 2015 they are the result of a competition held in the city and reflect the ghostly stories of the past.
Three bronze monks with a height of 2.5 metres are standing in the King of Denmark Garden: Ambrosius the “Waiting Monk”, Bartholomeus the “Praying Monk” and Claudius, the “Observing Monk”.
The return walk to the to the lower level of the hill was somewhat easier than going up! When we got there, we found our two travelling companions and had a look around the central square before heading to a theme bar for some local grog.
Tallinn Square
Located under the 12th Century Raekoda (Town Hall) building in the main square of Old Town Tallinn, Kolmas Dragon (or the Third Dragon) is a small medieval-themed tavern. Often referred to as Ill Draakon. Unfortunately the inn was not serving food at the time we visited but the staff were very polite. When the tavern is in full swing its very different and fun. The photo opportunities were fun though.
Accompanying Videos
To check out our experiences in Tallinn just click the videos below – and if you enjoy the content simply ‘Like’ and ‘Subscribe’ to see more (subscription is free).