If you’re labouring under the misconception that ‘former Soviet’ means dull and grey and that all tourist traps are soulless, Tallinn will delight in proving you wrong. This city has charm by the bucketload, fusing the modern and medieval to come up with a vibrant vibe all of its own. It’s an intoxicating mix of church spires, glass skyscrapers, baroque palaces, appealing eateries, brooding battlements, shiny shopping malls, run-down wooden houses and cafes set on sunny squares – with a few Soviet throwbacks in the mix.
Tallinn’s medieval Old Town (Vanalinn) is without doubt the country’s most fascinating locality. It's divided into Toompea (the upper town) and the lower town, which is still surrounded by much of its 2.5km defensive wall.
Toompea
According to legend, Toompea is the burial mound of Kalev, the mythical first leader of the Estonians. When Tallinn was a German town (known as Reval), this large fortified hill was the preserve of the bishop and the feudal nobility, literally looking down on the traders and lesser beings below. A couple of wonderful lookouts offer sumptuous views across the Lower Town rooftops to the sea.
St Mary's Lutheran CathedralCHURCH
Tallinn's cathedral (now Lutheran, originally Catholic) was founded by at least 1233, although the exterior dates mainly from the 15th century, with the tower added in 1779. This impressive, austere building was a burial ground for the rich and titled, and the whitewashed walls are decorated with the coats-of-arms of Estonia’s noble families. Fit viewseekers can climb the tower.
Alexander Nevsky Orthodox CathedralCHURCH
The positioning of this magnificent, onion-domed Russian Orthodox cathedral (completed in 1900), opposite the parliament buildings, was no accident: the church was one of many built in the last part of the 19th century as part of a general wave of Russification in the empire’s Baltic provinces. Orthodox believers come here in droves, alongside tourists ogling the interior’s striking icons and frescoes.
Toompea CastleHISTORIC BUILDING
Toompea hill was topped by an early Estonian stronghold before the Danes invaded and built a castle here in 1219. Three towers have survived from the Knights of the Sword castle which replaced it, the finest of which is 14th-century Pikk Hermann (best viewed from the rear). In the 18th century the fortress underwent an extreme makeover at the hands of Russian empress Catherine the Great, converting it into the pretty-in-pink baroque palace that now houses Estonia's parliament (riigikogu).
Kiek in de KökCASTLE, MUSEUM
Built around 1475, this tall, stout fortress is one of Tallinn’s most formidable cannon towers. Its name (amusing as it sounds in English) is Low German for ‘Peep into the Kitchen’; from the upper floors medieval voyeurs could peer into the houses below. Today it houses a branch of the City Museum, focusing mainly on the development of the town’s elaborate defences.
Bastion PassagesFORTRESS
Two-hour tours depart from Kiek in de Kök, exploring the 17th-centuring tunnels connecting the towers, built by the Swedes to help protect the city; bookings required.
Museum of OccupationsMUSEUM
Displays illustrate the hardships and horrors of five decades of occupation, under both the Nazis (briefly) and the Soviets. The photos and artefacts are interesting but it’s the videos (lengthy but enthralling) that leave the greatest impression – and the joy of a happy ending.
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