Stand at the corner of Viru Street and the Viru Gate and the medieval wall does the work for you: the gate tower frames a street that has been a shopping route since the Hanseatic days, and beyond it the Old Town opens into lanes of limestone houses and church spires. Tallinn rewards travellers who like to cover a compact historic centre on foot, then step out to the water and the districts beyond it.
This guide suits a first-time visitor with a day or two, and anyone who prefers walking between sights to riding between them. It covers the Old Town and Toompea Hill, the museums and towers inside the walls, and a few places just outside them, with practical notes on what to combine and when to go.
Top things to do in Tallinn
1. Tallinn Old Town (Vanalinn)
The medieval Old Town was built between the 15th and 17th centuries and is excellently preserved. It holds a large part of Tallinn's sights and is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site entirely in Estonia. The compact area is best explored on foot.
Allow at least half a day, and wear shoes you can walk in on cobbles. Because the sights sit close together, you can move between the Town Hall Square, the churches and the City Wall without any transport.
2. Toompea Hill
Toompea is built on solid limestone and was the site of the Danish castle that founded the city in 1219. It was the home of the Danish and later Baltic German aristocracy, which is why it is surrounded by thick walls, with a gate tower from 1380 guarding the entrance.
Check out the viewpoints, some of which give great views over the city. Note that a cluster of amber shops sits around here; the amber is not of Estonian origin but is popular among cruise visitors.
3. Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats)
This is the square in the heart of the Old Town, just next to the medieval Town Hall, ringed with cafes and restaurants. It was used as a marketplace.
Use it as a natural pause in a walking route through the Old Town, and pair it with the Town Hall itself, which stands directly on the square.
4. Town Hall (Raekoda)
Tallinn Town Hall was built at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries and is the oldest town hall in the Nordic countries and Baltic states. Its heavy stone structure dominates the square, and it is now used as a museum where smaller concerts are held.
The weather vane on top of the spire is called Vana Toomas, or Old Thomas, and has become a symbol of the city. Look up before you go in.
5. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
A classic onion-domed Russian Orthodox church, built between 1894 and 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 was a symbol of oppression and architecturally unsuitable and should be demolished, but it survived the Soviet times as well.
It is now used by the Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate. It sits on Toompea, so combine it with the hill's viewpoints and Toompea Castle.
6. Toompea Castle (Parliament of Estonia)
The seat of the Estonian Parliament, the 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 the 13th and 15th centuries; the classic-style building of the government of the Estonian Governorate, built by the Russians between 1767 and 1773; and the Riigikogu building from the 1920s.
It is believed that an ancient Estonian wooden fortress already stood on the location in the middle of the 11th century. It is on Toompea, so it fits easily into the same walk as the cathedral and the viewpoints.
7. St. Mary's Cathedral (Tallinna toomkirik)
The oldest church in Tallinn, built as a Catholic church in 1229 and renovated and expanded many times since. It became a Lutheran church in 1561.
It stands on Toompea, which makes it an easy addition to a route that already takes in the hill's castle, cathedral and viewpoints.
8. St. Olaf's church (Oleviste kirik)
Built in the 12th century, St. Olaf's is today 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.
It anchors the northern end of the Old Town, so pair it with the City Wall and the Estonian Maritime Museum, which are in the same part of the centre.
9. St. Nicholas church (Niguliste kirik)
St. Olaf's lookalike stands at the other end of the Old Town. Heavily damaged in World War II and in a fire in the 1980s, it is now an art museum and houses Bernt Notke's famous Danse Macabre.
It is a museum rather than an active church visit, so plan it as an indoor stop and check the day's opening times before you set out.
10. 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.
Be aware that the views from up on Toompea are better, and the spiral staircases are steep and somewhat claustrophobic. Treat the climb as an experience in itself rather than the best viewpoint in the city.
11. Estonian History Museum (Great Guild)
The museum's main location is the medieval Great Guild Hall on Pikk. The permanent exhibition takes you through 11,000 years of Estonian history using striking artefacts and interactive "time capsules", covering topics from coinage and wine to the history of the Great Guild building itself. Temporary exhibitions usually link back to present-day Estonia and Tallinn.
It sits on Pikk, the same street as the Estonian Maritime Museum and the KGB Prison cells museum, so the three can be strung together in one stretch of walking.
12. 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 allows you not only to see the maritime-themed artefacts but also the 16th-century cannon tower and the view from the cafe on its roof.
Next to the museum, facing the sea, is the Broken Line (Katkenud liin) monument to the 1994 MS Estonia shipwreck. The museum has a second location at the Seaplane Harbour, where the ships and airplanes are stored, so consider a combined ticket if you plan to see both.
13. 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. Interrogations were conducted in the basement, and you can see even today how the windows were crudely bricked up with concrete to mute the sound.
It is on Pikk, close to the Estonian History Museum and the Estonian Maritime Museum, so it fits into the same walk along the street.
14. Freedom Square (Vabaduse väljak)
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. It sits outside the Old Town, so use it as a stop on the way in or out of the walled centre.
15. Rottermann Quarter
An industrial district between the city and the Tallinn Port. The buildings are from the 19th and 20th centuries, with motifs of Art Nouveau and Historicism, and new and stylish apartment buildings with a shopping centre have since been built there.
It is widely regarded as an architectural masterpiece in Tallinn. It lies between the centre and the port, so it works as a detour on the way to or from the harbour area.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Viru Gate and walk into the Old Town, following Viru Street into the heart of Vanalinn. Continue to Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats) and look at the Town Hall (Raekoda) and its Old Thomas weather vane. From there, climb to Toompea Hill and take in the viewpoints, then visit Toompea Castle (Parliament of Estonia), Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and St. Mary's Cathedral (Tallinna toomkirik), which sit close together on the hill.
Afternoon: Walk down to Pikk and spend the afternoon along the street: the Estonian History Museum (Great Guild), the KGB Prison cells museum and the Estonian Maritime Museum (Fat Margaret), including the view from the cafe on the tower's roof. If time allows, add the City Wall climb from the corner of Suur-Kloostri and Väike-Kloostri, or the tower of St. Olaf's church at the northern end of the Old Town.
Evening: Leave the walls and head to Freedom Square, where the Victory Column is lit up at night. Finish with a walk through the Rottermann Quarter on the way towards the port, or return to Town Hall Square, which is ringed with cafes and restaurants.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Old Town walkable?
Yes. The medieval Old Town is a compact area and is best explored on foot, and it contains a large part of Tallinn's sights.
When is the best time to see Freedom Square?
The square looks especially spectacular at night, when the Victory Column is lit up.
Are the City Wall stairs difficult?
The spiral staircases are steep and somewhat claustrophobic, and the views from up on Toompea are better. Entry into three towers is possible from the corner of Suur-Kloostri and Väike-Kloostri.
Can I see the maritime collections in more than one place?
Yes. The Estonian Maritime Museum has its original location in Fat Margaret and a second location at the Seaplane Harbour, where the ships and airplanes are stored, and a combined ticket is available.
Pick your dates, book a bed inside or just outside the walls, and let the Old Town set the shape of your first day in Tallinn.