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Old Town, Tallinn

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Things to see in Tallinn

Tourist information: 

Tallinn Tourist Office
Niguliste 2, Tallinn
Tel: 645 7777.
Website: www.tourism.tallinn.ee

Tallinn’s main tourist office (above) is located in the centre of the Old Town. As well as providing maps and brochures, staff can also arrange tours.

Passes: 

The Tallinn Card, available from the tourist office in 6-, 24-, 48- and 74-hour variations, gives free access to 40 museums and sights, and includes tours and public transport, as well as discounts in shops and restaurants.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Dominating the Toompea hillside, this striking orthodox cathedral is crowned by instantly memorable black onion domes. The cathedral was commissioned by Tsar Alexander III, first opening its doors in 1900. Local legend has it that the reason why the cathedral has been plagued by structural problems is that, although it was commissioned to commemorate a Russian hero, it actually stands on the grave of an Estonian one.

Opening Times: Daily 0800-1900.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: Yes
Address: Lossi Plats 10, Tallinn, Estonia
Telephone: 644 3484.
Website: www.hot.ee/nsobor
Kiek in de Kok Museum

This museum's name translates as 'Peek into the Kitchen', a nickname given to the defensive tower which housed soldiers who could peer into the kitchens of the old town houses below. Today the tower and its museum offer an insight into the city's medieval defences and the building is also home to an art gallery.

Opening Times: Tues-Sun 1030-1800 (Mar-Oct); Tues-Sun 1030-1700 (Nov-Feb).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Komandandi tee 2, Tallinn, Estonia
Telephone: 644 6686.
Website: http://linnamuuseum.ee/kok/en
Kumu Art Museum

Designed by Finnish architect Pekka Vapaavuori and opened in 2006, the Kumu is the striking main building of the Art Museum of Estonia. An impressively high-tech facility, it serves both as a national gallery and a contemporary art museum. Both Estonian classics and more recent artworks are displayed here. The Kumu is located on the limestone bank of Lasnamägi next to Kadriorg Park and near Kadriorg Palace.

Opening Times: Tue-Sun 1100-1800 (May-Sep); Wed-Sun 1100-1800 (Oct-Apr).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Weizenbergi 34/Valge 1, Tallinn, Estonia
Telephone: 602 6000.
Website: www.ekm.ee/eng/kumu.php
Occupation Museum

The dark days of both the Nazi and the Soviet occupations come alive at this chilling museum. Old uniforms, photos and audio-visual displays illuminate the tortuous decades that Estonia endured before its eventual independence from the Soviet Union, which was won in 1991.

Opening Times: Tues-Sun 1100-1800.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Toompea 8, Tallinn, Estonia
Telephone: 668 0250.
Website: www.okupatsioon.ee
Raekoda (Town Hall)

All the winding cobbled streets in Tallinn lead on to the Raekoja plats (Town Hall Square), which is dominated by the imposing facade of the Raekoda (Town Hall). The building was constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries and is the only surviving late Gothic town hall in Northern Europe. Its soaring steeple bears a 16th-century weather vane portraying the medieval warrior, 'Old Thomas', guardian of the city. Open-air concerts are held here in summer and its many cafés and eating places make it a bustling meeting place for both tourists and Tallinners alike.

Opening Times: Mon-Sat 1000-1600 (Jul-Aug); Mon-Fri 0900-1600 (Sep-June visits by appointment only).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: Yes
Address: Raekoja Plats 1, Tallinn, Estonia
Telephone: 645 7900.
Website: www.tallinn.ee/raekoda
Tallinn Old Town

Tallinn's old quarter is one of the most attractive in Europe and it is easy to see why it has been dubbed a ‘mini Prague'. It is compact and easily navigable. Many of the buildings have been renovated and the Old Town now boasts cafés, restaurants, hotels and touristy shops, but it's no museum piece and local people still live and work here amongst the historic buildings.

Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: Yes
Address: Old Town, Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinna Linnamuuseum (Tallinn City Museum)

The Tallinn City Museum offers a lucid and comprehensive depiction of the story of this historical city. Housed in a 14th-century building, its exhibits cover the German and Soviet times, and beyond to independence, with some fascinating photos. It also stages temporary art exhibitions.

Opening Times: Wed-Mon 1030-1800 (Mar-Oct); Wed-Mon 1030-1700 (Nov-Feb).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Vene 17, Tallinn, Estonia
Telephone: 615 5183.
Website: http://linnamuuseum.ee/linnamuuseum/en

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