The Medieval City Experience – Tallinn, Estonia

Discovering a medieval city, Tallin, Estonia, is a once-in-a-lifetime esperience that will forever stay with you. In fact, Tallinn is just like a fairytale; a colorful city with ancient castles and magical medieval infrastructures. Here and there, you can spot gardens full of life and color, almost untouched by modern development. You can explore Tallinn on foot or by bicycle; either way, you will definitely have an unforgettable journey through the Middle Ages.

Things to Do

The Town Hall Square

The Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square) is located at the heart of the medieval city of Tallinn, and in general it is a place with a lot of life. It occasionally hosts a market of handicrafts, souvenirs, and local products, and often concerts or large events are held there.

The City Hall

The main tourist attraction of the square, without a doubt, is the imposing City Hall, built in 1404. It is easily recognizable by its 64-meter tower, similar to an Arab minaret. At the top you can see Vana Toomas (soldier Tomás), a symbol of the city since 1530, even though it is a copy of the original.

The interior of the City Hall is open to tourists from the end of June to the end of August. From the windows, you have good views of the square. Another prominent place in the square is the Raeapteek, the City Hall pharmacy. It is, in fact, one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, opening around 1422.

The Walls of Tallinn

Tallin is known for its beautiful walls, locally called Tallinna Linnamüür. Although partially rebuilt, nowadays there are 20 towers, two gates and about 2 km of walls. The original wooden fortification dates back to the end of the 13th century.

The stretch of wall that can be crossed on foot is specifically the one that joins the towers of Nunna, Sauna, and Kuldjala. Besides, the Dannebrog coffee cafe is located in the Gardens of the Danish King, an ideal place to enjoy the fortification. Also, you shouldn’t miss the two doors that are still standing. Above all, the most spectacular is the Puerta Viru, which still keeps two of the towers that formed it. At the end of Pikk Street you can find the Great Coastal Gate, attached to the Paks Margareeta Tower.

The Toompea Hill

The Hill of Toompea extends like an appendix of the old helmet in its southwestern part. From this hill, the numerous foreign powers that have occupied Estonia throughout the centuries exercised their power. It is said that whoever managed to raise their flag in the Pikk Hermann tower of Toompea Castle, automatically ruled the country.

Currently, the castle is the seat of the Estonian Parliament, and the flag they flaunt there today is a national symbol. From the inside of the hill, you can see the baroque façade and from the outside, it has a more medieval feel.

Mirador Patkuli

Tallinn, as you can see, is a city to be enjoyed from different angles. And perhaps the best viewpoint in the city is Patkuli, located in the northern part of Toompea. The views here are simply sublime, with the church of San Olaf in the foreground, the towers and the sea in the background.

Also, a little further south is the viewpoint of Kohtuotsa, another place from which you can see Tallinn in all its splendor. In both viewpoints, you’ll often find seagulls posing for your camera. Then, if you want to go higher, head to the Tallin Television Tower. It is certainly a bit far from the center, but the views are incredible.

Katariina käik

This is a street that runs through the remains of the city, also known as the Sante Catalina Passage. It could certainly be the most picturesque place in Tallinn, with the biggest medieval atmosphere of the city. In addition, you can see several workshops where people work the traditional way; using glass, ceramics and different fabrics.

Kadriorg Place

This colorful Baroque palace, built by order of Peter the Great in 1718, now houses an art museum. Even if you are not interested in visiting the collection, it is worth going there just to admire the beautiful gardens.

Besides, the Kadriorg Park has beautiful fountains, small lakes, trees, and the outdoor amphitheater of Lauluväljak. Then, visit the modern art museum Kumu, awarded in 2008 with the “European Museum of the Year” award.

Tallinn City Museum

The City Museum (Tallinna Linnamuuseum) is spread across several points of the city. However, its headquarters, with the largest permanent exhibition, is located on Vene 17 Street. It surely is the best place to learn about the history of Tallinn and Estonia.

Besides this, another very interesting museum is the Lennusadam Seaplane Harbor, located in a seaplane hangar facing the sea. The exhibition here includes a submarine, a seaplane, the oldest boat in Estonia… The experience is truly fantastic!

How to get there

Several airlines fly to Tallinn; besides, Estonia Air offers very good fares from many of Europe’s major cities, which increased the number of people travelling there.