Vanalinn: Tallinn’s Old Town
Talllinn’s UNESCO-protected Vanalinn and Toompea areas are historic, beautifully-maintained and quite frankly the least interesting parts of the Estonian capital. (This speaks more to the overall high quality of things to do and see in Tallinn than a necessary slam against Vanalinn. It also acts a warning to not neglect the other neighborhoods of Tallinn where the real gems lie.) It is such a shame, then, that so many tourists never venture outside the confines of the medieval city walls.
Tallinn is a mere 80km (50mi) from Helsinki, situated just south of the Finnish capital across the Baltic Sea. Ferries operate daily between the two cities, taking anywhere between 2-3.5 hours to make the crossing. Daytrippers flood the port each morning between 9-10:00, packing the streets of Old Town with their selfie-sticks and umbrella-toting guides. Between the summer hours of 10-17:00, Vanalinn and Toompea are madhouses. In the mornings and evenings they are absolutely lovely, but during the day I couldn’t wait to flee.
Because you will inevitably want to be spend some time in Vanalinn, here are the highlights; in addition I’ll dole out some tips on how to best manage the crowds. In later posts I’ll give you the rundown on where to learn about Estonia during the Soviet Occupation, as well as guide you through some of Tallinn’s cooler, outer neighborhoods.
Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square) & Tallinna Raekoda (Tallinn Town Hall)
Tallinn’s historic center is divided into lower (Vanalinn) and upper (Toompea) towns. The center of Vanalinn is Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square), where markets were held as far back as the 11th Century. The current Tallinna Raekoda (Tallinn Town Hall) was built in 1404; you can climb the tower for a few Euros, but save your money as there are better spots to catch a bird’s eye view of the city.
Raekoja Plats hosts a Christmas Market every December, where a large Christmas tree has been erected in the square since 1441, which Tallinn claims is the oldest publicly displayed Christmas tree in the world. It just so happens that Rīga, the Latvian capital to the south, claims their public Christmas tree tradition began slightly earlier and therefore they should hold the title for oldest Christmas tree in the world. As a traveler, the easiest way to deal with this dispute is to side with Tallinn when in Tallinn and with Rīga when in Rīga.
As tempting as it may be to eat at one of the many establishments lining the square, these restaurants are overpriced. There’s much better and cheaper food elsewhere in Tallinn. Souvenir stalls pop up during the daylight hours, but once the daytrippers leave, the vibe is far less pushy and tacky (locals dress up in medieval grab in an attempt to hawk their wares).
Oleviste Kirik (St. Olaf’s Church)
This 12th-Century church may not be much to look at from the outside, and truthfully the interior likely won’t wow you either, but the real prize here is the 124m (407ft) spired tower, which provides the best views over Vanalinn and Toompea. I suggest getting to the church as soon as it opens in the morning; the lines to climb the tower grow quickly and because of the narrow (and crumbling) spiral staircase in the tower, only one person may go up or down at a time. This means lots of waiting in alcoves or pressing your body against the wall as someone attempts to squeeze past. I was able to climb up without much resistance, but the descent took a good half an hour.
During the second Soviet Occupation from 1944-1991, the spire was outfitted with a telecommunications system by the KGB to send messages back to Moscow; the tower also provided the perfect perch for the KGB to spy on the Estonian citizens. Today, the 360-outdoor-viewing platform is used purely for touristic purposes and is one “must-see” that lives up to the moniker.
Suurgildi Hoone (Great Guild House)
Suurgildi Hoone, completed in 1410, was the center of commerce and culture in medieval Tallinn. The guilds were very similar to trade unions of today. Every group of merchants (blacksmiths, woodworkers, silversmiths, glass blowers, etc) had a complex system of apprenticeships before admission was granted into a guild. You basically couldn’t work if you didn’t join a guild, putting them on equal footing with both the monarchy and the church in terms of the power they wielded. The Great Guild Hall is the most grandiose room in the house, being used for everything from elite social gatherings and church services to theater productions and courtroom procedures.
Today the Suurgildi Hoone houses a branch of the Eesti Ajaloomuuseumi (Estonian History Museum), focusing on Estonian identity. You can easily get through the exhibits in less than an hour, and it’s a good way to introduce yourself to what it means to be a modern Estonian citizen.
Estonians are no stranger to political protest, and it’s inspiring to see how the people stood up to both the Nazis and the Soviets, much like you see people resisting the Trump administration in the United States today.
Tallinna Linnamüür (City Walls of Tallinn)
The first of Tallinn’s UNESCO-protected city walls were built in 1265; the defense system expanded through the 15th Century, with much of the original masonry remaining intact today. Most of the segments are open to the public, though you could go broke paying to enter each and every tower along the wall. The portions west of Oleviste Kirik are less-frequented than those on the east side of Vanalinn and are just as photogenic.
Tallinna Linnamuuseum (Tallinn City Museum)
The Tallinna Linnamuuseum is a straightforward museum, organizing the history of Tallinn in a chronological and easy-to-digest manner, but don’t let the lack of imagination in presentation deter you from visiting this interesting little museum. The exhibits are laid out over several floors of a wealthy, 14th-Century merchant’s house; the top floor detailing the Soviet Occupation is especially captivating. I plan on devoting an entire post to Soviet times and the Singing Revolution that pushed Estonia towards independence in the early 1990s, but the Linnamuuseum will give you a concise introduction to the events that have defined Estonia’s existence since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Toompea
Toompea is Tallinn’s upper town, built upon a limestone plateau favored by rulers for its military advantage since the first fortress was built here in the 10th Century. As Estonia changed hands from the Danes to the Livonians to the Swedes and Russians, Toompea consistently housed the center of government. The lower town was firmly controlled by the merchants of the Great Guild, but Toompea belonged to the military and ruling classes. Estonia’s current government offices remain on Toompea today and viewing platforms have been place around the hill, providing gorgeous views of Vanalinn in the evenings.
Toompea Loss (Toompea Castle)
In 1219, the Danish Army captured Toompea Loss and fortified the medieval structure. As each new foreign power took control of the castle, additions and augmentations were made, creating a patchwork quilt vibe to the building. When Sweden lost the territory of Estonia to the Russian Empire in 1710, the new rulers built a baroque palace into the castle, which still houses the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament).
In 1991, the Estonian movement for independence reached a fevered pitch and people stormed Toompea to fly the Estonian tri-color from the Parliament building. Soviet forces/sympathizers attempted to remove the blue, black and white symbol of Estonian nationalism, but they did not succeed and an Estonian flag has been flown from this pole ever since.
Aleksander Nevski Katedraal (Alexander Nevsky Cathedral)
The Aleksander Nevski Katedraal may be one of Tallinn’s must photographed tourist attractions, but the Russian Orthodox cathedral isn’t without it’s controversies. Construction was completed in 1900 when Estonia was still a part of the Russian Empire. The naming of the cathedral after Aleksander Nevski was even a way for the Russians to assert their dominance: Nevski had destroyed Estonian forces centuries earlier in battle and placing his name on the largest cathedral on the hill was a way for the Russians to remind the citizens of Tallinn who was in charge.
After Estonia declared its independence in 1918, there was a movement to demolish the cathedral, but ultimately there weren’t enough funds in the new government to carry out the task. In 1991, after Estonia once again had re-established their independence from the Soviet Union, Parliament once again moved to tear down the church and create additional parking for Parliament members (this is how truly little some Estonians care for this cathedral, despite it’s beauty). The cathedral is currently protected, placing the demolition plans in permanent limbo, but anti-Soviet/Russian sentiment still runs high.
Toompea Viewing Platforms
There are three viewing platforms in Toompea: Kohtuotsa, Patkuli and Piiskopi. The winding streets atop the hill keep them fairly tucked away and in the evenings you might actually run into some real Tallinn locals up there taking in the views of their city! It’s very easy to become jaded during the day with the overwhelming crowds, but Toompea at night makes you see what all the fuss is about.
When I was preparing for my trip to Tallinn I read several blogs with titles like “Top 10 Things to Do in Tallinn,” that basically listed sights to see in Old Town for a day and then suggested you move on to your next destination. While Vanalinn and Toompea are important to see, this is such a superficial and unchallenging way to travel. Walk around and take pretty photos of all the pretty buildings, but completely ignore the difficult history, current politics, and worst of all, miss out on the best part of travel: meet locals and learn about daily life.
So, I will leave you with the beauty of a Toompea sunset, and do make sure you mark off at least four full days to experience Tallinn. Don’t allow the medieval walls to hold you back from getting to know the rest of the city.
