- Address: Lossi plats 1a, 15165 Tallinn, Estonia;
- Phone: +372 631 6331;
- Website: riigikogu.ee;
- Built: in 1767-1773 years.
Toompea Castle is one of the most famous buildings in Estonia . It was built in the XIII century on the foundation of the ruins of Toompea hillfort. The castle rises majestically above Tallinn on a spacious 50-meter hill. According to ancient legend, this hill was formed from huge stones that the wife of the giant Kaleva brought to his grave in a sign of sorrow for his beloved wife.
Toompea Castle has always been the most important building in the city, no matter who ruled the country. His residence was made by the leaders of Estonians, Danish and Swedish kings, German rulers and Russian emperors. Nowadays, the main people of the Republic of Estonia - the Parliament of the Riigikogu - sit here.
Features of Toompea Castle
It must be said that time and history to Toompea Castle in Tallinn were very supportive. He was ignored by city fires, devastating wars and rebellious rebellions. On the contrary, each of the owners of the castle tried to make it even better and grand. Therefore, the building now and then was confounded, supplemented by new architectural elements and a picturesque exterior under the leadership of the best architects and artists.
Thus, a nondescript fortress, built from a local flagstone more than 800 years ago, today is a unique architectural monument and a valuable object of national heritage. Toompea Castle in Estonia is an amazing example of an unusually harmonious combination of many artistic and architectural styles. Medieval elements of the fortress demonstrate samples of defensive architecture. They are complemented by structures from the hewn stone of the Renaissance period. In the 18th century, the stark Gothic building was decorated with a rich baroque façade. A new time made the castle even more elegant by adding to the architectural composition of notes of expressionism.
In addition to the unusual mosaic of styles, Toompea Castle is still famous for its towers, which were built by the Knights of the Livonian Order for better protection of the fortress. There are three of them:
- south-west tower "Long Herman" ;
- round tower "Landskrona" ;
- A small tower in the north-west "Pilstiker" .
In the southeast there used to be another tower, built in the shape of an octagon, "Styun den Ker" , but it was demolished during the construction of the governor's building in the 18th century.
Every morning on the tower "Long Herman" solemnly lift the Estonian flag to the sounds of the national anthem.
Excursion programs
Do you want to see firsthand the history of the Republic of Estonia? In the Toompea Castle, you can attend a meeting of the Riigikogu. To get into the parliament, you need to go through the left vestibule and contact the security officer. Passes are issued only after passing the preliminary registration and the availability of identity documents. Tourists are allowed only to open meetings of the Riigikogu.
If you were in Tallinn on Wednesday, be sure to visit the Toompea Castle. At 13:00 here is held the Infocas, which is also open to visitors to the city. Within the framework of this meeting, the Ministers of the Government of the Republic answer questions from representatives of the Riigikogu.
Toompea Castle in Estonia is a very popular tourist destination. Last year it was visited by more than 28 000 people. On weekdays here you can order one of the excursions:
- individual sightseeing tour (45 minutes);
- excursion for groups of up to 35 people "Toompea Castle and the work of the Riigikogu" with an emphasis on the history and architecture of the castle (40-60 minutes);
- educational excursion for pupils of the senior classes "Parliamentarism in Estonia", orientation to political aspects and mechanism of work of the Riigikogu (40-45 minutes);
- shortened excursion "Half an hour to the Riigikogu" - an overview of the main attractions of the castle and the principles of the work of the Estonian parliament;
- children's excursion, held in the form of play only on Mondays and Fridays (50-60 minutes).
All excursions are conducted in three languages: English, Russian and Estonian.
Open Day at Toompea Castle
Every year on April 23, all visitors to Tallinn can visit Toompea Castle on an open house day. The date was not chosen by chance. It was on this spring day in 1919 that the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly took place, which marked the beginning of the legislative right of modern Estonia.
Each year the program of the day is different. In addition to traditional tours of the castle and parliamentary premises, guests will find many exciting events: exhibitions, master classes, festivals, film shows. A special entertainment program for children is organized, known cultural figures are invited. The open day at Toompea Castle ends with a festive concert.
What else can you see in the castle?
Do you want to immerse yourself deeper into the atmosphere of the main parliamentary center of the country? You can visit the following locations in the castle, which are open to tourists:
- archive of the Riigikogu - representative and legislative Estonian archives are stored here over the past 25 years, all of them can be viewed, except for state-important documents (located in the House of Commandants, open on weekdays);
- Reading hall - after a simple registration, you can use the library fund, which contains the main national directories and publications on public administration and lawmaking, as well as literature on history, law, philosophy, economics, political science and psychology (located in room L 177, works with Monday to Friday);
- Parliamentary store - a wide selection of souvenirs and memorable gifts with the symbols of the Riigikogu (open daily in the summer, at the rest of the time closed on Sundays, is on Toom-Kooli 3) is presented in the assortment.
Also in the Toompea Castle on weekdays from 10:00 to 16:00 in the art hall you can see various exhibitions. Every 45 days the exposures change. Here are exhibited photographs, paintings, sculptures, objects of applied art, designer jewelry / clothing / accessories, and video installations.
How to get there?
Toompea Castle is located in Tallinn on Lossi Plats 1a. It can be climbed from the Old Town along the famous streets: Lühike jalg (Short leg) and Pikk jalg (Long leg). Estonians jokingly say that Tallinn is a lame old man, since he has one foot shorter than the other.