Lower Town

We descended from the Toompea hill along Luhike Jalg Street, from the "Upper Town" - the city of aristocrats to the "Lower Town" - the city of merchants and artisans.
We were again near the tourist center on Niguliste Street.
The Niguliste Church (Niguliste Kirik) and Museum are located opposite the information center.
Another name for this church is the St. Nicholas' Church.
*St. Nicholas Church*

The church was first mentioned in 1316, but it is believed that the church is a one hundred years older.

This is the former Lutheran church, the museum is in the church building now.
The church is known for its good acoustic properties, organ concerts are held regularly here.

We decided to bypass the Niguliste Kirik around...
When we walked along a narrow street, the tourist train "Toomas" overtook us...

It looked quite tiny, against the backdrop of a high church...

We did not want to ride and we went on foot behind the train...

Narrow streets and small houses of Tallinn...

We sat on a bench, we continued to admire the St. Nicholas' Church...

And now we go to the Town Hall Square, which is very near...
*Town Hall Square*

The Town Hall Square is the most famous city square in the center of Old Tallinn.
There are always a lot of people here, the square is the venue for festivals and concerts.
There are many cafes on the square, where you can feel the spirit of the Middle Ages.

The plate with the image of the wind rose is in the center of the square.

From this viewing point you can see the five main spiers of Old Tallinn:
the Town Hall, the Niguliste Kirik, the Dome Cathedral, the Holy Spirit Church and the St. Olaf's Church.
According to legend, if you find this point and see all the spiers, you can make any wish...

The most important building on the square is the Town Hall.
Therefore the Square has such a name.
The Town Hall - the building of the municipal administration of medieval Tallinn.
The first mention of the Town Hall is dated 1322, when the building had one floor.
The building was rebuilt in 1404 and the tower appeared.
The weather vane was installed on the tower of the Town Hall in 1530, it was called the "Old Thomas" (Vana Toomas).
It is one of the symbols and guardians of Tallinn, which has been guarding the city for almost 500 years.
*Tallinn Town Hall*

There is another interesting building on the square, opposite the Town Hall. This is the Town Hall Pharmacy.

It is not only the oldest operating pharmacy in Tallinn, but also one of the oldest in Europe.
The drugstore has been operating in this building since the beginning of the XV century.
The pharmacy was opened in about 1415.
Medical drugs have been selling in this building for 600 years already.
Now, you can buy medical drugs here and learn the history of the pharmacy in a small museum.

The Town Hall Square arose as a trade square, it was built from the 14th to the 20th century.
There are many buildings of different styles and eras here...

The trade traditions are preserved and now...
There are many shops, restaurants, cafes and open tents on the square.

However, shopping tents and umbrellas do not decorate the square.
A tourist's dream - to take a photo in the square without shopping tents

Next to the pharmacy is a courtyard - Saiakangi passage, along which you can go out to Puhavaimu Street, to the Holy Spirit Church.
In the courtyard there is a very nice chocolate cafe where you can relax and have a cup of delicious coffee.

The Holy Spirit Church is a functioning Lutheran church, a monument of medieval architecture.
It was built in the XIII century, but the church acquired a modern look in the XIV century.
For centuries, the Holy Spirit Church was a chapel and an almshouse.

*Church of the Holy Spirit*

In the western part of the building there is an octagonal tower in the style of the Teutonic Order.

The area near the church is very popular, the Pikk street and Puhavaimu street meet here and there is the Great Guild Hall.

The Great Guild is a merchant guild that was created in Tallinn in 1325 and worked until 1920.
The Great Guild had united the merchants of the "Lower Town" only, they built its building in 1407-1410.
The medieval building of the Great Guild Hall played an important role in the life of the city for many years.
Now, the Estonian Historical Museum is in the building.
The museum is small - only a few rooms.
I liked the exhibition of weapons more.
*Great Guild*

Near the museum there is a building in which Estonian confectionery production was started.
The confectionery company was founded in 1806 here, which was later named "Kalev".
The marzipan figurines and handmade chocolate sweets were in the highest demand.
Old recipes and methods of production have been preserved, so the marzipan figures and sweets are done just like in the XIX century.
Now, in this building there is a museum of marzipans and a cafe.
In the museum room you will learn a lot of interesting things, you will see a collection of marzipan figures and an artist who paints figures.

In the shop at the museum, we bought souvenirs - a few chocolates and a set of sweets...
And in the cafe, which is located in the next room, we drank cappuccino with a delicious cake...

Diplomats are probably often in this cafe, because the Russian embassy is in the building opposite...

I really liked the Pikk Street - wide, crowded, with very beautiful houses.

Well, we chose a narrow Borsi passage - the Borsi Kaik.
The Borsi Kaik is a pedestrian street, 72 meters long, connecting the Pikk Street and Lai Street
We entered to the passage from the Pikk Street through the arched gate, built in 1413...

Under the feet were slabs of the sidewalk, on which the main dates of the history of the Estonian people are written.
This is the outdoor exhibition "The Passage of History" of the Estonian History Museum.

Not far from the exit to Lai Street is the courtyard of the Estonian Historical Museum - with a globe.

This is the globe ... of Estonia!

We were on Lai Street and went to the Epping Tower.
The road passes near the Tallinn Town wall.
Along the way, you can see a museum of dolls - "Nuko".

The Tallinn Town wall includes fortress walls and towers, it protected the medieval Old Town.

The fortress walls of the city were known since 1248, the construction continued until the 16th century.
The total length of the walls reached 2.5 km, the walls had a height of up to 8 meters, with a thickness of 3 meters.
The 26 towers were built, the 18 towers preserved to this day.

We saw a memorial plaque on the town wall...

And this is a stairs to the hill of Toompea...

We approach to the Kloostri Gate (Monastery Gate).

The Gate in the fortress wall was expanded between the Nun's Tower and the Sauna Tower in 1896.

The Nun's Tower was named so, because the monastery was nearby.
The Tower was built in the early 14th century and rebuilt into a 3-floor tower in the 15th century.

The Sauna Tower (tower above the bath) is to the right of the Gate.
It was built in 1372.
It height was 12 meters.

And a little further you can see the Kuldjala Tower (Golden Leg Tower).
It was built in the beginning of the XIV century and was rebuilt several times.
The maximum height of the tower was 22.5 meters. It has five floors.

We walked along the streets of Tallinn ...

The Lai Street...

And this is Laboratooriumi Street, where the Epping Tower is located.

The Epping Tower is one of the defensive towers of the Tallinn fortress wall.
The tower was built in 1373.
It is similar to other defensive towers, but it is more famous for an exhibition of medieval weapons and equipment.

The Laboratooriumi Street passes near the Town wall...

We leave the Old Town through a medieval "gate" in the fortress wall...

Here is a green garden...

It is a Japanese garden...

It was very quiet near the fortress wall.
Here, the residents of Tallinn and tourists were walking and children were playing...

But the towers remember the time when the battles took place here and the warriors were dying.

We return to the Old Town through the same wicket in the fortress wall.

We walked to the St. Olav's Church along the Laboratooriumi Street.

The houses are located next to the fortress tower wall and towers.

Probably, you had a question: "What is in these towers now"?
Surprisingly, but the towers do not stand empty.
Towers are carefully preserved.
Some are used as living rooms, some are rented for offices.
Museums and exhibitions are located in the towers and city events pass here.
So, the towers of Tallinn found their place in our time.

The Lai Street was ahead, on which the St. Olav's Church is located.

We were on the Lai Street and looked up...
WOW!
A high beautiful church was before us.

The St. Olav's Church (Oleviste kirik) is an active Baptist church in Tallinn, built in the 13th century.
Its name relates to King Olaf II of Norway (St. Olav, 995–1030).
Before the fire of 1625, the height of the main tower with the spire was 159 meters, so the church was the tallest building in the world.
Now, the height of the church is 124 meters.
*St. Olaf's Church*

The observation deck is on the dome of the church.

The viewing deck is located at an altitude of 60 meters.
You can go up only on a narrow spiral staircase, having overcome 232 steps.
It's not easy to do this, you have to hold on to the rope and to give a way to visitors who go down.

But you will see Tallinn from a bird's-eye view.

This landscape of Tallinn is certainly much more interesting than the views from the observation points on the Toompea hill.
Therefore, be sure to go up to the observation deck of the St. Olav's Church.

You will see the whole city and the sea...

The viewing deck is very narrow.
You can go around the spire of the church, considering Tallinn from all sides.

The houses of all eras stand side by side...
Churches, towers of the 13th century and modern skyscrapers of glass and steel.
But no skyscraper can be higher than the St. Olav's Church...
The Tallinn's city council decided so...

We went around the spire of the church, on the viewing deck, it was time to go down...

The St. Olav's Church is located near the sea and the Great Coastal Gate.
Let's go guys...
Here are the Tolli Street and the Pikk Street.

The Pikk Street was one of the main streets of medieval Tallinn.
The goods were transported along this street, which were carried by ships.
Therefore, many merchants lived on this street.
There are many beautiful old buildings here, one of which is the house "Three Sisters".

The building "Three Sisters" - these are three houses in one, an architectural complex of the XIV century.

According to the old legend, the houses were built by a merchant to his three daughters, so the building has such a name.
The building "Three Sisters" in Pikk Street was known since 1362 and the names of all owners are known.
Now, it is a fashionable hotel.

We approached to the exit from the Old Town...

The Great Coastal Gates were built to protect the Town from the sea, visitors and goods were arriving to the city through this gate.
The gate were built at the same time as the Town wall, the gate was located in the northern part of the Old Town, next to the port.

A gun tower with loopholes - the "Fat Margaret's Tower" was built next to the gate in the XVI century.
The thickness of its walls reaches 5 meters!

The tower got its name in 1842 for its huge dimensions - 25 meters in diameter and 20 meters in height.
(Maybe, its name is taken from the legend, about the love of the peasant Herman and the daughter of fisherman Margarita).
The Estonian Maritime Museum is in the tower now.
The Old Town and the Gulf of Tallinn are visible from the observation deck on the roof of the Fat Margaret's Tower.

Near the tower there is a monument to the victims of the ferry "Estonia" in 1994.

We return to the Old Town...

We walked along Pikk Street, near beautiful buildings, to the "House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads".

The "Brotherhood of the Blackheads" was established in Tallinn in 1399.
This name is associated with the patron of the "Brotherhood of Blackheads" - a dark-skinned Saint Maurice, his head is depicted on the coat of arms of the Brotherhood.
*Brotherhood of Blackheads*
*House of the Blackheads*

The "Brotherhood" included young single merchants, jewelers, pharmacists, writers and professors.
The purpose of creation was the continuation of the noble traditions of the honor of knights.
Members of the "Brotherhood" defended Tallinn from enemies, maintained order in the town, extinguished fires.
They were the organizers of various public events, celebrations and concerts.
Gradually, the help of the "Brotherhood" became unnecessary to the town and the "Brotherhood of Blackheads" became a club with traditions and privileges.
"The Brotherhood of Blackheads" rented a house on Pikk Street, in 1517, and then bought it...

The Tallinn City Museum is on Vene Street, which runs parallel to Pikk Street.
You can not get lost, because there are information signs.

The houses are very clean and tidy...

What kind of a church is this?
We approach and read...
The Saint Nicholas' Orthodox Church!
*St. Nicholas Orthodox Church*

The Saint Nicholas' Orthodox Church - is functioning church, the oldest Orthodox parish in Tallinn, which was founded by Russian merchants in the early 11th century.

The Saint Nicholas' Orthodox Church is at its present place since 1420.
Therefore, the street was been named Vene (Russian).

And here is the Tallinn City Museum...
The exposition of the museum tells about Estonian history from antiquity to our time.

The Museum was founded in 1937.
The museum is in this house on Vene Street since 1963.

The St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral is also on Vene Street, closer to the center.
It is functioning Catholic church, was consecrated on December 26, 1845.
*St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral*

We walked along Vene street and saw a sign "Katarina Kaik" - the St. Catherine's Passage.
*Katarina Kaik*

It is a narrow street with arches of shingles, 135 meters long.
The passage joins the Vene Street and Muurivahe Street.
In the Middle Ages there was the St. Catherine's Church (Katarina kirik), so the passage has such a name.

The St. Catherine's Church was 67.7 meters high and the largest in the Lower Town.
But the building was destroyed by fire in 1531.
On the wall of the former St. Catherine's Church there are stone slabs - tombstones that were taken from church graves.

Opposite the wall of the former church are medieval houses of the XV-XVII century, now these are souvenir shops.

The St. Catherine's Passage connects with Muurivahe Street through the archway.

When we were on Murivane Street, we saw an archway, where the tourists entered.

Let's see what's there?

This is the entrance to the Dominican Monastery!
*St. Catherine's Monastery*

And a forged medieval chest...

We were in the monastery yard.
This yard remained from the monastery, which was destroyed by fire in 1531.
The St. Catherine's Dominican Monastery was founded by members of the Dominican Order in the early 13th century, which appeared in Spain in 1216.
First, the Dominicans founded a monastery in the "Upper Town" in 1229, which was not built...
The St. Catherine's Dominican Monastery, they began to build in 1260.
The Dominican Monastery was building for a long time, until the 16th century.
The monastery in the "Upper Town" was completed without the Dominicans.
This is the Dome Cathedral...

The whole Dominican monastery has not survived until our time.
The monastery yard, underground passages, sacristy, refectory, chapel, barn and the chapel were preserved to the present day.

The museum is in the monastery building.

The monastery building has a very strong positive energy.
Unfortunately, we were not inside of the building...
But we sat on a bench in the monastery yard and felt the energy coming from the walls and stones of the monastery.
This energy was felt also by the dove, which sat on its leg without fear.

When we were leaving the Dominican Monastery, we could not take the chest, it was very heavy.

We went towards the hotel.

Our walk through the streets of the Old Town ended.