Sights in Estonia
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Toomemägi (Cathedral Hill)
Rising behind the Town Hall, Toomemägi is a splendidly landscaped park, with walking paths meandering through the trees. This hill is the reason for Tartu's existence, functioning on and off as a stronghold from around the 5th or 6th century. Atop the hill is the imposing Gothic cathedral Toomkirik (dome church) built by German knights in the 13th century.
The cathedral was rebuilt in the 15th century, despoiled during the Reformation in 1525, used as a barn, and partly rebuilt in 1804-07 to house the university library, which is now the Museum of University History. Inside you'll find a reconstructed autopsy chamber and other exhibits chronicling student life.
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Student's Lock-Up
The Student's Lock-Up is fascinating; it's where 19th-century students were held in solitary confinement for various infractions. Back then, if you failed to return library books on time, you'd net two days in the attic; insulting a lady, four days; insulting a (more sensitive?) cloakroom attendant, five days; duelling, up to three weeks. Today one of these rather comfy rooms, with walls covered in original graffiti, is open for viewing.
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Town Hall
Raekoja plats (Town Hall Square) is dominated by the only surviving Gothic town hall in northern Europe (constructed in the early 14th century, reconstruction 1402-04). Old Thomas, Tallinn's symbol and guardsman, has been keeping watch from his perch on the weathervane atop Town Hall since 1530. You can also climb the building's tower (11:00-18:00 Jun-Sep; adult/student around KR25/EEK15).
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St John's Church
North of the university, on the continuation of Ülikooli, stands the magnificent St John's Church. This brick church dates back to at least 1323, and is unique for its rare terracotta sculptures in niches around the main portal. It lay in ruins following the Soviet bombing raid in 1944. Today it is once again open - after 16 years of renovation.
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Toy Museum
Set in one of Tartu's oldest buildings (dating back to the 1770s), the Toy Museum is a big hit with the under-eight crowd. Dolls, model trains, rocking horses, toy soldiers and tons of other toys on display date back 100 years. If all those unobtainable toys have unearthed your inner child, there's a playroom upstairs for more hands-on activity.
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Voskresensky Cathedral
The Russian Orthodox Voskresensky Cathedral, built in 1898, is situated north of the train station. On the square in front of the train station is a monument to the Estonians who were loaded into cattle wagons here and deported to Siberia in 1941.
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Narva Castle
The imposing Narva Castle is an absolute must-visit. Built by the Danes at the end of the 13th century, it faces Russia's matching Ivangorod Fortress across the river, creating an architectural ensemble unique to Europe.
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Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
The still-active 19th-century Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral dominates Lossi plats at the top of Pikk jalg, sited strategically across from Toompea Castle, Estonia's traditional seat of power.
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Town Museum
Restored after damage during WWII, Narva Castle houses the Town Museum and the castle grounds are the refuge of Narva's statue of Lenin - the only fully intact one left in the Baltics.
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Observatory
Atop Cathedral Hill is the old Observatory, set in a grand 1810 building. It's open by appointment, so phone ahead.
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Old Town Hall
North of the castle, the baroque Old Town Hall, built between 1668 and 1671, is impressive.
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Naissaar
Naissaar, at 44 sq km, has a lively history, thick forests (covering 85% of the island), and even a boulder with a circumference of nearly 27m! There's a 19th-century cemetery for English sailors from the Crimean and Russo-Swedish wars, which attests to the island's military history.
In fact, Naissaar has been a bulwark for defending the capital since the Great Northern War. A railway was even built before WWI for a speedier build-up of armaments. Curiously, from 1917 to 1918, tsarist troops took the island and tried to form their own government. Soviet military traces remain (the island was closed until 1995), with an old army village, gun batteries, empty mines and…
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Toomkirik
Estonia's oldest church, Dome Church (Toomkirik) was founded in the early 13th century by the earliest Danish conquerors of the region. It stands on Toompea hill which, with its fine views over the town and harbour, became the birthplace of Tallinn when the German Knights of the Sword built a fortress here around 1230.
Incidentally, the hill is also sacred to native Estonians, who consider it the legendary burial mound of Kalev, the heroic first leader of the Estonians. Although the site of the church was first consecrated in 1240, the edifice of this magnificent Lutheran cathedral church dates from the 15th and 17th centuries, with the tower added in 1779.
Among other…
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Võporzova and Tonja
Võporzova and Tonja, a few kilometres north of Värska on the west side of Värska Bay, are classic Setu villages. In Võporzova there's a monument to folk singer Anne Vabarna, who knew 100,000 verses by heart. Võporzova homesteads typically consist of a ring of outer buildings around an inner yard, while Tonja's houses face the lake from which its people get their livelihood.
Traditional Setu holidays are still celebrated. The biggest feast of the year, Lady Day, falls on 28 August (though it is celebrated only in Pechory), close to which the Day of the Setu Kingdom is held. The Day of Setu Lace is 1 March and midsummer celebrations are held on 6 July in accordance…
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Pühajärv
The islets and indented shore of 3.5km-long Pühajärv, on the southwest edge of Otepää, provide some of the area's loveliest views. A 12km nature trail and a bike path encircle the lake, making it a lovely spot for a walk. The lake was blessed by the Dalai Lama when he came to Tartu in 1992, and a monument on the eastern shore commemorates his visit.
According to legend, Pühajärv was formed from the tears of the mothers who lost their sons in a battle of the Kalevipoeg epic. Its islands are said to be their burial mounds. Major midsummer St John's Day (Jaanipäev) festivities take place here every year. If energy levels are low after the walk to the lake, recharge at…
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Rakvere Castle
Rakvere's star attraction, Rakvere Castle was built by the Danish in the 14th century, though the hillside has served many masters over its 700 years: Danes, Russians, Swedes and Poles. The fortress was badly damaged in the battles of the 16th and 17th centuries and later turned into an elaborate manor in the late 1600s.
Extensive reconstruction was completed in 2004, and today the castle contains exhibits related to its medieval history with medieval-style amusement that's aimed mostly towards small children (make a candle, make a nail at the blacksmiths, pony rides), though the adults can try their hand at archery. Don't miss the medieval torture chamber. Concerts and…
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Bishop's Castle
Haapsalu's unpolished gem is the 13th-century Bishop's Castle. Today the fortress stands in partial but very picturesque ruins. A turreted tower, most of the outer wall and some of the moat remain. To learn about the castle's history and see some dramatically displayed cassocks and medieval weaponry, don't miss the museum and dome church. The church is actually a Roman-Gothic cathedral, with three inner domes - the largest such structure in the Baltics - and its acoustics are phenomenal.
The cathedral was not strictly Roman Catholic from the start, due to the lukewarm welcome Christianity received in these parts. It was assimilated into the Episcopal stronghold in the…
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Palmse Manor
The restored Palmse Manor and park at Palmse, 8km north of Viitna, is the showpiece of Lahemaa. In the 13th century a Cistercian monastery occupied the land, and it was later developed as a private estate by a Baltic-German family (the von der Pahlens) who ran the property from 1677 until 1923 (when it was expropriated by the state).
Fully restored to its former glory, the manor house, dating from the 1780s, contains period furniture and fittings. Other estate buildings have also been restored and put to new use: the ait (storage room) is a summer exhibition hall; the viinavabrik (distillery) houses a hotel and restaurant; the kavaleride maja (house of Cavaliers), once a…
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Tartu University
Tartu University was founded in 1632 by the Swedish king, Gustaf II Adolf. Lined with Corinthian columns, the impressive main building dates from 1803. More fascinating is the Student's Lock-Up, where 19th-century students were held in solitary confinement for various infractions. One of these rooms, complete with original graffiti, is open for viewing.
North of the university on the continuation of Ülikooli stands the magnificent St John's Church, dating back to at least 1323. The church is unique for its rare terracotta sculptures in niches around the main portal. It lay in ruins following the Soviet bombing raid in 1944. Today, it is once again open - after a lengthy…
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Saaremaa Regional Museum
Housed in the majestic Kuressaare Castle is the Saaremaa Regional Museum. On the ground floor look for the hüpokaust (hypocaust) on the southwestern side - a furnace that fuelled a medieval central heating system. According to legend, condemned prisoners were dispatched through a small room without a floor near the bishop's chamber, to be received by hungry lions.
Legends also tell of the body of a knight found when a room previously sealed with bricks was uncovered in the 18th century. It is said that, upon discovery, the knight's body dissolved into dust, which has given rise to varying accounts of how the unfortunate captive met his tragic fate.
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Sea Museum
The former Soviet coastguard barracks at Käsmu (Captains' Village) now shelters the Sea Museum. In the 1920s a third of all registered boats in Estonia belonged to this village; at one time there were 62 long-distance captains living here. From 1945 to 1991 the entire national park's coastline was a military-controlled frontier, with a 2m-high barbed wire fence ensuring villagers couldn't access the beach or sea.
The museum has photographs and memorabilia tracing the history of the village and exhibits on marine life from the area. It also hosts the Viking Days festival in August, when Vikings of all nations congregate for a bloodless battle.
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Sääre Tirp
Southern Kassari narrows to a promontory with some unusual vegetation and ends in a thin 3km spit of land the tip of which, Sääre Tirp, juts out into the sea. It's a beautiful place for a walk. On the way towards Sääre Tirp you'll pass by a small swimming beach (about 500m past the fork to Orjaku).
You'll also notice a statue of the local hero, Leiger, carrying a boulder on his shoulder. He was a relative of Suur Tõll, Saaremaa's hero. Legend has it that the Sääre Tirp is the result of an aborted bridge he started to build to Saaremaa, to make it easier for Suur Tõll to visit and join in various heroic acts.
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Oleviste Church
Near the end of Pikk tänav stands a chief Tallinn landmark, the Oleviste Church . This is a great place to start any Tallinn expedition as there's a superb observation deck, halfway up its 124m structure offering the city's best views of the Old Town (it's a long and narrow climb up, though).
The Church is dedicated to the 11th century King Olav II of Norway but linked in local lore with another Olav (Olaf), the church's architect who fell to his death from its tower. First built in the early 13th century, it was once the world's tallest building (it used to be 159m high).
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Kõpu Lighthouse
Hiiumaa's best-known landmark is the inland Kõpu lighthouse, the third-oldest, continuously operational lighthouse in the world. A lighthouse has stood on this raised bit of land since 1531, though the present white limestone tower was built in 1845. At 37m high, it can be seen 55km away.
East of here, near the 61km highway mark, is the 1.5km Rebastemäe nature trail, which takes in forest paths along the highest (therefore oldest) parts of the island. You can get more information at the small information booth next door to the restaurant near the lighthouse base.
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Osmussaare
There's a harbour at Dirhami, a few kilometres north of Tuksi, where a knowledgeable captain can take you to Osmussaare, a small island 7.5km from the mainland that was once inhabited by Estonian Swedes. It's known to them as Odensholm, the legendary burial place of the Viking god Oden. The island's cemetery and chapel ruins are reminders of the Swedish presence prior to their forced exodus by the USSR. After they were driven out a Soviet army base was built here in the early 1940s.
The island is uninhabited, so if you plan to camp, bring food and water with you.
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