Tallinn

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

A classic onion-domed Russian Orthodox church, built 1894–1900, during the Russification period when Estonia was part of the Russian Empire. In 1928, when Estonia was independent, it was argued that the church is a symbol of oppression and architecturally non-suitable, therefore should be demolished. But it survived also the Soviet times, and now is used by the Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate.

City Wall

A section of the City Wall can be climbed from the corner of Suur-Kloostri and Väike-Kloostri, with entry into three towers possible. Quite frankly, the views from up on Toompea are better, and the spiral staircases are steep and somewhat claustrophobic.

€1.25

Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM)

Eesti Kaasaegse Kunsti Muuseum

Already when entering, this place plays with what a museum should look like: you enter into a café. The exhibition rooms are diverse, as they make use of old industrial space. The shows are prepared by artists, hence the place builds a bridge between the upcoming and the established scene.

April to December: Tue–Sun 12:00–19:00 (you may want to double-check online)·Free admission, donations very welcome

Estonian History Museum

Great Guild

The History Museum's main location is the medieval Great Guild Hall. Here, the permanent exhibition takes you through 11,000 years of Estonian history by means ranging from striking exhibits of artifacts to interactive "time capsules". Topics covered include a surprisingly wide range, from coinage and wine to the history of the Great Guild building itself. On top of that, there are always some temporary exhibitions which usually serve as a link with present-day Estonia and Tallinn.

Daily 10:00-18:00 (1 May - 30 Sep); Thu-Tue 10:00-18:00 (1 Oct - 30 Apr)·€14; discounted €9

Estonian Knighthood House

Eestimaa rüütelkonna hoone

The green Renaissance revival building was erected in mid-19th century as the fourth consecutive home of the Estonian Knighthood, a congregation of essentially German nobles who pratically controlled Estonia up to its independence in 1920s. Since 1920s, it played host to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, National Library, and the art collections on display at Kumu. As of 2014, it is home of the Estonian Academy of Arts. The building is not open to the public as it is used for instruction and faculty work.

Estonian Maritime Museum

Fat Margaret

The Maritime Museum dates back to 1935 and is housed inside the largest of the Tallinn city wall towers, aptly named "Fat Margaret" (Paks Margareta). Visiting the museum allows one not only to see the potpourri of maritime-themed artifacts, but also the 16th-century cannon tower and experience the view from the cafe on its roof. While the museum is the original location of the Meremuuseum, you absolutely cannot miss their second location in the Seaplane Harbour, where the ships and airplanes are stored (see below). Next to the museum, facing the sea, is the Broken Line (Katkenud liin) monument to the 1994 MS Estonia shipwreck.

May–Sep: daily 09:00 – 18:00; Oct–Apr: Tue–Sun 10:00 – 18:00·€15, combined ticket with Seaplane Harbour - €30

Estonian Open Air Museum

This museum includes 72 buildings of Estonian vernacular architecture and village milieu of the Tsarist time of rule in a dark, dense forest. This museum provides a picture of the life and its hardship in the old times. The Folklore Society Leigarid gives free dancing performances here at 11:00 each Saturday and Sunday. The museum organizes special events during Easter, which provide more insight on Estonian traditions and culture. Also they organize a big party on June 23rd at night, the day before Jaanipäev (Saint John day), there are big fires, music and dancing to celebrate the shortest night of the year.

Tue-Sun 10:00 - 19:00·Winter (September 29 – April 22): Adult €12, Concession €10, Family €25, Evening (1600-) €6, Evening Family (1600-) €12. Summer (April 23 – September 28): Adult €16, Concession €10, Family €28, Evening (1800-) €8, Evening Family (1800-) €16

Freedom Square

The Freedom Square is one of the main squares in Tallinn, featuring the simple and elegant St. John's Church from the 1860s and the contemporary Victory Column, erected in 2009 to commemorate the Estonian War of Independence of 1918-1920. The square looks especially spectacular at night, when the column is lit up.

Holy Birgitta Monastery

A monastery of Scandinavian female saints, as well as a landmark of 16th-century catacombs and ruins. It includes a guest house operated by the nuns.

KGB Prison cells museum

Now the Interior Ministry and not generally open to the public, this is where the KGB detained and tortured suspected dissidents. A Soviet-era joke says that this was the tallest building in Estonia: even from the basement, you could see Siberia. Interrogations were indeed conducted in the basement and you can see even today how the windows were crudely bricked up with concrete to mute the sound.

Ticket 10 €, concession 8 €

Kadriorg Palace

An imperial Russian summer residence built by Italian architect Niccolo Michetti for Tsar Peter the Great in 1718. It is in a 90-ha (222-acre) park in the eastern part of the city. The Tsar, a classic and mysterious Russian soul, preferred to stay in a modest house nearby. This event signified the beginning of Tallinn's fame as a summer resort for noble and rich Russians for most of the 18th and 19th centuries. The palace houses some painting collections and other art. A portion of the complex is now occupied by the Office of the President and not available to the public.

Mon Tue Thu–Sun 10:00–18:00, Wed 10:00–20:00·€8 (for the palace)

Kalamaja Quarter

The oldest suburb of Tallinn, dating back to the 14th century. It was probably inhabited by fishermen (Kalamaja means "Fish house") and mostly houses workers. The current wooden buildings are from the 19th century.

Metsakalmistu Cemetery

Tallinn's most famous cemetery, housing Estonia’s presidents Konstantin Päts and Lennart Meri, as well as chess player Paul Keres. If you're not there to see the graves of Estonian celebrities, it's a peaceful experience to just stroll among the trees.

National Art Museum KUMU

Opened in 2006, this is the largest government-built building since the liberation and it is an almost 50,000 m² (538,196 ft²). The museum, whose architecture is by itself enough to justify the visit, houses a cyclopic house, partly cut out of limestone rock. Permanent exhibition is obviously focused on Estonian art in a wide interval of time. Quality of many pieces is very good and well worth a visit. Also very interesting is the (not too spontaneous) turn of interests of artists toward socialist themes during the USSR period. Exhibitions of modern art, mixed with net/social applications, are often surprising and amusing. Not to be missed or overlooked.

€14/28/9 adult/family/discount

Patarei (Battery) Prison

Built by Tsar Nicholas I in 1820 as a fortress to protect the city from the sea-born attacks, it was turned into a notorious KGB prison in 1920. The prison ceased operations in 2004.

Peter the Great's Naval Fortress

Peeter Suure merekindluse suurtükipatarei

In the 18th century, the coastal protection batteries, part of the larger Peter the Great’s sea fortress system, were built in the island.

Rottermann Quarter

An industrial district between the city and the Tallinn Port. The buildings are from the 19th and 20th century, with motifs of Art Nouveau and Historicism. New and stylish apartment buildings with shopping centre have now been built there widely regarded as architectural masterpiece in Tallinn.

Seaplane Harbour

Lennusadam

Lennusadam, literally "air port", was constructed in 1916 for the purpose of serving the seaplane fleet with a spectacular, three-domed concrete hangar. Today, it serves as an outpost of the Maritime museum, serving its large collection of complete ships, aeroplanes and maritime and military equipment too large to fit the Fat Margaret. Inside the hangar, the highlight is the complete submarine Lembit, whose interior can be visited as well, a shipwreck from the 16th century and a collection of smaller boats and seaplanes. The crown of the collection moored outside in the harbour is the steam-powered icebreaker Suur Tõll. Throughout the museum, a number of state-of-the-art technologies and solutions are employed for a more engaging and enjoyable visit, and the museum has a wide range of activities and tours on offer. As the Seaplane Harbour is a bit out of the way, those getting peckish can enjoy a meal at the museum's restaurant Maru inside the hangars.

May-Sep: daily 10:00 to 19:00; Oct – Apr: Tue-Sun 10:00 to 18:00·€20, combined ticket with Fat Margaret €30

Song Festival Grounds

A huge Modernist structure where the All Estonian Song Festival, which is held every five years, features 34,000 singers and dancers in addition to a massive audience. The festival played an important role in Estonia getting free from the Soviet Union at its fall.

St. Mary's Cathedral

Tallinna toomkirik

The oldest church in Tallinn, built as a Catholic church in 1229, but renovated and expanded many times since then. It became a Lutheran church in 1561.

St. Nicholas church

Niguliste kirik

St.Olaf's lookalike is at the other end of the Old Town. Heavily damaged in World War II and a fire in the 1980s, it is now an art museum and houses Bernt Notke's famous Danse Macabre from 1633.

Wed-S 10:00-17:00·adults €3.50, concessions €2

St. Olaf's church

Oleviste kirik

Built in the 12th century. Today it is a Baptist church and probably the most visible landmark on the northern end of the Old Town. When Estonia was part of the Soviet Union the tower was used as a radio tower and a surveillance point.

Tower €3

Stenbock House

Stenbocki Maja

Today, the Stenbock House is the seat of Estonia's government, but it was built as a courthouse in late 18th century, at the behest of the erstwhile Russian authorities. The Russian treasury eventually found itself unable to pay for the building, so the Count Stenbock, who erected the edifice, was left with it as his personal residence. The treasury was only able to buy it more than a century later, when it finally became the courthouse it was intended to be.

Tallinn Botanical Gardens

The Tallinn Botanic Garden is in the eastern outskirts of Tallinn, 10 km from the city centre and 3 km from the Pirita Sailing and Recreation Centre.It is a must see destination for nature and plant lovers. The "greenhouse" located near the ticket office houses variety of plants, flowers, trees, cactus family and lot more. Spring temperature is maintained always inside the greenhouse, even during winter season. The outdoor garden is vast and has varied flower collections.

Visitor center 10-19, outdoor gardens 09-20, greenhouses 11-19, territory closes every day at 21·€7.50 online ticket, €4.50 concession

Tallinn Linnahall

A fine example of Soviet Brutalist architecture designed by Raine Karp and Riina Altmäe and built for the 22nd Moscow Summer Olympic Games in 1980 for sailing events held in Tallinn. Scale the exterior of this crumbling monumental eulogy to mass culture and marvel at the fact that beneath its crumbling exterior lies a 5,000-seat amphitheatre (that last held a concert in 2008) and a 3,000-seat ice rink. It is closed to the public as negotiations regarding its redevelopment continue. It is maybe a last chance to see part of Tallinn's overlooked architectural heritage in its current form.

Tallinn TV Tower

A 314 m high, free-standing structure with an observation deck on the 21st floor which, with its 170 m, is the highest in Northern Europe. It offers spectacular views across Tallinn and, on a clear day, you can see Finland.

€18

Tallinn Zoo

This is an enormous area. Among its live exhibits, you'll find the world's best collections of mountain goats and sheep, which means there are a lot of them! Tallinn Zoo defies the realities of a relatively modest town -- it features all the elephants and crocodiles a visitor would expect to see in a larger zoo, as well as a breathtaking maze of lake-size ponds that host birds in summertime. It also has pets that children can cuddle in children’s petting zoo.

Adult €15.30, concession €8.50, family €31.50

Toompea Castle

Parliament of Estonia

Seat of Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu). The castle complex consists of several parts: the western wall and the towers of Tall Hermann, Pilsticker and Landskrone built by the Danes between 13th and 15th centuries; the classic style building of the government of the Estonian Governorate built 1767–1773 by the Russians, and the building of the Riigikogu from the 1920s. It's believed that already in the middle of the 11th century there was an ancient Estonian wooden fortress on the location.

10:00–16:00

Town Hall

Raekoda

Tallinn Town Hall, built at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, is the oldest town hall in the Nordic countries and Baltic states. Its heavy stone structure dominates the square. Nowadays it's used as a museum where smaller concerts are held. The weather vane on top of the spire is called Vana Toomas ("Old Thomas") and it has become a symbol of the city.

Town Hall Square

Raekoja plats

The square in the heart of the Old Town, just next to medieval Town Hall (Raekoda), ringed with cafes and restaurants. The square was used as a marketplace.