Tallinn TV Tower

Pirita


Opened in time for the 1980 Olympics, this futuristic, 314m tower offers brilliant views from its 22nd floor (175m). Press a button and frosted glass discs set in the floor suddenly clear, giving a view straight down. Once you're done gawping, check out the interactive displays in the space-age pods. Daredevils can try the exterior, 175m-high 'edge walk' (€30, 10am to 6pm).

The most dramatic moment in the structure's history came on 20 August 1991, the day after Estonia's official declaration of independence, when Soviet troops attempted to take the tower by force. While ordinary people blocked the path of the tank, four men barricaded themselves in the control room to ensure that the tower continued broadcasting. There's a monument to these events on the plaza in front of the tower.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Pirita attractions

1. Tallinn Botanic Garden

0.25 MILES

Set on 1.2 sq km in the Pirita River valley and surrounded by lush conifer woodlands, these delightful gardens boast over 8000 species of plants,…

2. Pirita Convent

1.86 MILES

Only the massively high Gothic stone walls remain of Pirita, completed in 1436 as the largest convent in Old Livonia. The rest was destroyed in 1577 by…

3. Pirita Beach

2.02 MILES

Tallinn’s largest and most popular beach, Pirita is only 6km from the city. In summer, bronzed sun-lovers fill the sands and hang out in the laid-back…

4. Maarjamäe War Memorial

2.79 MILES

Perched on the bluff next to Maarjamäe Palace, this large Soviet-era monument consists of an elegant bowed obelisk set amid a large crumbling concrete…

5. Maarjamäe Stables

2.91 MILES

The 19th-century stable block of Maarjamäe Palace, one component of the Maarjamäe History Centre, has been re-created as an exhibition space, currently…

6. Film Museum

2.92 MILES

Opened in the grounds of Maarjamäe Palace in 2017, and with big plans for the future, this rust-red, semi-subterranean museum on the grounds of the…

7. Maarjamäe History Centre

2.98 MILES

Maarjamäe Palace, a neo-Gothic 19th-century extravagance built by a wealthy Russian, anchors this excellent cultural-historical complex, run by the…

8. Maarjamäe Palace

3.01 MILES

The principal feature of the dispersed Estonian History Museum's Maarjamäe History Centre is the restored 19th-century Maarjamäe Palace, now a museum. An…