Churches & Landmarks, Tallinn County

the dome church also known as the cathedral of st.mary the virgin was originally built after the danish invasion of 1219. the original church was built out of wood. during the reformation the cathedral became a lutheran church in 1561. the church burned in a fire in 1684. it was rebuilt in the late 17th century and it's tower was added in 1779. at the entrance to the church is the grave of johann thule. thule was well known in tallinn for his love of wine, women, and song. just prior to his death thule reflected on his hedonistic life and requested that is grave be located in the floor at the entrance to the church so good church goers of tallinn would walk over his grave.

Church of Holy Ghost is the only sacred building from the 14th C in Tallinn that has been preserved in its entirety.

The Church was completed in the 1360’s and with the exception of the baroque spire has retained its original medieval exterior.

The first Estonian Catholic sermons were preached here.

Can you believe St. Olav’S Church was the tallest church in Medieval Europe at one time?. Yet very little is actually known about the building of this Gothic style church and its early years other than it was named after the Norwegian king Olav II Haraldsson.

Theory has it that the motivation for building such a tall steeple must have been to use it as a maritime lighthouse which would be visible from far out at sea.

Oleviste Guild united craftsmen like tanners, butchers, carpenters, boatmakers, watchmakers, and even gravediggers.

The Brotherhood of Blackheads bought the guild hall in 1919 and for some reason chose not to preserve its medieval look and chose an Art Nouveau-inspired appearance.

St. Bridget's Convent

It is a PERFECT example of late Gothic churches in Tallinn. sADLY t was destroyed in the the 16th century and only the western limestone gable and side walls remain standing.

There are romantic STORIES of secret underground passageways between the convent and the city of Tallinn.

Presently the convent is a venue for open-air concerts and fairs.

tallinn's dominican monastery was built in 1246. in 1524 is was destroyed during the reformation. the monastery had close ties with the brotherhood of the blackheads. pictured is an altar in the ruined monastery.

The TV Tower is a spectacular 314m structure, an example of soviet engineering built for the 1980 Moscow Olympics (the Olympic Centre in nearby Pirita hosted the sailing events).

The structure is visible across the bay from Tallin's harbour or Toompea hill and is only a 20 min bus ride from the city. Though still in use to broadcast several Estonian tv channels, it is open to the public.

A visit does not disappoint. The trip out of town is easy and entry is just 50EEK (with a Tallin Card the bus ticket and entrance are both free).

On arrival I was struck by how uncared for the tower is. The concrete path up to the base is flecked with weeds and nobody seems bothered about maintaining the fountains and pergola that you pass through. I would imagine that the Estonians care little for this building. Considering what it represents, there are obvious reasons.

In the front lobby there is a beautiful curving stained glass window designed by an Estonian artist, Dolores Hofmann. It is titled Televisiooni aken maailma ("Television's Window On The World") & is an on-message representation of what television should be in the soviet ideal. That aside, it is a beautiful thing to behold.

The viewing deck at 170m is accessed very swiftly by a lift and the views are breathtaking. Allegedly, you can see Helsinki on a clear day but the views of Lake Ulemiste, the Baltic, the Tallin syline and beyond into the pine forests of Estonia is enough to take in. I ordered a beer from the bar and sat and contemplated the sprawl of tower blocks that comprises the soviet-era Lasnamae district, deciding that this was as close as I needed to get!

There is some interesting history surrounding the structure. Apparently the USSR sent troops to seize the tower in August 1991 (presumably control of the tower also meant control of the broadcast media) and it was the scene of a tense stand off with tower staff who would not let them enter.

The Tower is open from 10 am until 1 am so a visit after dark is also possible

The cathedral sits atop Toompea (Dome Hill) facing the Estonian parliament building.

Like the TV Tower, it is not a universally popular building as it is symbolic of the Russification policy undertaken during the era of Tsarist rule.

But, putting this aside, it is a must-see inside and out with its ornate neo-Byzantine detail.

Inside, the building is echo-makingly hollow and you can actually stand underneath the highest dome and look straight up into it. The decoration is sumptious Russian orthodox-style with gilded gold icons and mosaics everywhere.

No pictures or video are allowed inside, so you'll have to buy the guide book from the cathedral shop if you want to remember how it looked.

Apparently, the famous onion domes were also once gilded with gold - which would have made it even more beautiful !

The church of the Holy Ghost dates from the 14th cnetuary and it is the only sacred building that is still in its original form. It was completed in the 1360's. The barqoque spire was added in 1684 after a fire.

In medieval times the church served as a chapel for the town council and one of the rooms was used for the signing of treaties. The church is quite small in comparison with many of the old towns other churches

A beautiful clock was added to the church.

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This church looks fairly unassuming from the outside. Step through the wooden doors into a beautiful gothic wooden interior from the 14th Century. This church is one of the few in tallinn that has been preserved in its original state, with the exception of a baroque steeple added later in its history. The church escaped demolition in the communist era and is most recognisable from the clock on its exterior.

Contains engraved wooden balconies and a fire and brimstone pulpit.

As you enter you'll come across and old lady sitting taking an entrance fee of 10 kroon for adults and 5 kroon for students. It's worth such a small payment to help maintain such a gorgeous piece of church architecture.