Studera utomlands

Welcome to the rest of the attractions that I visited on an intense weekend in Tallinn.

4. Kiek in de kök

The “Kiek in de kök” museum offers the chance to visit four towers and underground tunnels that were part of the Tallinn’s medieval defense. There are different exhibitions, from the ones related to medieval life and weaponry, to how the towers were transformed into living quarters when the city needed more living space and how a popular café opened in the past in one of the towers. The tunnels show their story over the last few hundred years, from being part of the defense network to shelters during the world wars and storage space for soviet propaganda. At the end of the tunnels, there is also the “Carved stone museum” which displays different carved ornaments and pillars.

5. Niguliste museum

The “Niguliste museum” displays ecclesiastic art and it is housed in the St. Nicholas’ Church, built in the 13th century. Besides the usual religious paintings and different coats of arms, it also displays the only surviving medieval “Dance of Death” in the world that is painted on canvas. In addition, you can climb into the church’s tower (or take the elevator) to see a lovely panoramic view of Tallinn’s old town.

6. Kadriorg Art Museum

The “Kadriorg Art Museum” is an art museum housed in the Kadriorg palace that has a permanent as well as a temporary art exhibition. The art pieces are from the 16th – 20th centuries, and, besides paintings and sculptures, there are also other valuable applied art Russian objects, including some Fabergé pieces. Depending on the time of the year when you visit the museum, you might be able to see the Kardriorg garden. Unfortunately, when I was there it was too early to be able to see the beautiful garden, so I had to use my imagination.

7. Fat Margaret museum and visitor center

The “Fat Margaret” museum is a maritime museum displaying how the Estonian maritime industry developed over time. It also features the 20-meter-long wreck of a cog (medieval cargo vessel mostly used on the North and Baltic Seas) nicknamed Peeter, after the driver of the excavator that accidentally found the wreck. As the museum is housed in the “Fat Margaret” tower which was also part of the defense network of Tallinn, some parts of the exhibition also tell the story of this medieval tower. You can also go to the café on top of the tower and take some nice panoramic photos of the harbour and the edge of the old town.

8. Estonian history museum – great guild hall

The “Great guild hall” museum depicts the history of Estonia, and it is housed in the building commissioned by an association of Hanseatic merchants. It also features an impressive interactive collection of weapons where you can actually “play” with a weapons’ simulator and see how different weapons, medieval and modern, work. They also have a collection of currency, from the ancient times until the modern, Estonian Euro.

9. KGB prison cells

Situated in the city center, close to the “Great guild hall” is the Pagari 1 building that houses, in its basement, an exhibition on the KGB prison cells and what it meant to be a political prisoner. It is an exhibition depicting the sad story of many Estonians that spoke against the regime, some of them being teenagers. There are also some documentaries of people that survived the KGB’s torture, and they tell their stories of how they were kidnapped from the streets of Tallinn.

10. Alexander Nevski Cathedral

The Alexander Nevski Cathedral is an orthodox cathedral that was built in the 19th century. It is one of the visible landmarks of Tallinn, which is the reason why I decided to visit it at the last minute. As the entrance is free of charge, I recommend you visit it and see a part of Estonia’s culture during the russification process of the last centuries.

Tallinn is a vibrant city that has a lot of hidden treasures and many things to offer. I am glad I decided to visit this city, and I would gladly return, not just because I liked what I saw but also because I still have a lot more to see.

Thank you for reading my adventure in Tallinn and feel free to contact me and debate the ranking.