Tallinn: The Medieval Gem of the Baltic
Tallinn, the capital of modern Estonia, is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in northern Europe, and the city preserves much of the Hanseatic heritage in its old town. The old town of Tallinn is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed 1997), and the old town is one of the principal tourist attractions of the Baltic region. The city is, in many ways, a living museum of the Hanseatic world.
Founding and trade
Tallinn was founded in 1248, and the city was granted Lübeck law in the same year. The city grew rapidly, thanks to its position on the Gulf of Finland, and the city became the principal port of Estonia. The city’s principal trade was in timber, tar, and flax, and the city’s merchants were particularly active in the trade with Russia. The city was also an important centre of the fishery, and the city’s merchants were particularly active in the herring fisheries of the Baltic.
A useful background: Tallinn was, in the 13th century, one of the principal bases of the Danish kings in the Baltic, and the city’s medieval castle and walls reflect the Danish influence. The city passed to the Teutonic Order in 1346, and from 1561 to 1710 it was under Swedish rule. The city’s Hanseatic character is, in a sense, an overlay on a more complex Baltic colonial history.
The old town
Tallinn’s old town is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. The old town is surrounded by a ring of well-preserved medieval walls, and the old town contains a remarkable collection of medieval buildings. The old town’s principal monuments include the Raekoda, the town hall, which was built in the early fifteenth century and which is one of the finest Gothic town halls in northern Europe. The Raekoda stands on the old town’s principal square, and the square is surrounded by a number of beautiful medieval buildings.
A specific note: the Raekoda’s tower bears a weather vane in the form of an old man called Old Thomas (Vana Toomas). The vane has been a feature of the town hall since 1530, and Old Thomas is now the principal symbol of the city of Tallinn.
Tallinn’s old town also contains a number of important churches. The Toomkirik, the cathedral of the city, is a beautiful Gothic church that was built in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The Oleviste kirik, the Church of St. Olaf, has one of the most famous medieval spires in the Baltic, and the church’s tower is still one of the landmarks of the city. The Nikolause kirik, the Church of St. Nicholas, is a beautiful Gothic church that is now the home of a museum of medieval art.
A useful comparative: the Oleviste kirik (St Olaf’s) was, at 123.7 m, the tallest building in the world from 1549 to 1625. The spire was struck by lightning several times and was rebuilt to different heights; the current height is 124 m. The church is one of a number of medieval church spires that have laid claim to “tallest in the world” status — a claim that is hard to verify because the heights are not always reliably measured.
Merchant houses
Tallinn’s old town also contains a number of beautiful merchant houses. The houses on the Pikk jalg, the Long Leg, and the Lühike jalg, the Short Leg, are among the finest examples of the brick Gothic style, and the houses are some of the most distinctive Hanseatic monuments in the Baltic. The houses were built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and the houses give a vivid impression of the appearance of the medieval city.
A specific note: the names Pikk jalg and Lühike jalg literally mean “Long Leg” and “Short Leg,” and they refer to the medieval paths that connected Toompea (the cathedral hill, the seat of the bishop and the Teutonic Order) to the lower town (the seat of the Hanseatic merchants). The names are unusually specific to Tallinn and reflect the city’s peculiar topographical structure.