- Address: Tallinn, Estonia;
- Sightseeing: Tallinn Town Hall, Town Hall Pharmacy.
When traveling through the old city of Tallinn in Estonia, tourists definitely need to be in the central square, which also has the name Ratushnaya. It is the city's town hall, where for a long time the city government gathered for meetings. In addition, there are many interesting architectural monuments.
Town Hall Square in Tallinn - history
The area was formed during 5 centuries, since the XIV century, the buildings were erected gradually. In the center was important, where the merchants weighed their goods. During the Second World War, the building was destroyed, but the authorities decided not to proceed with reconstruction, because the structure had an inappropriate location and did not have historical value. In the Middle Ages, people led their urban life mainly on this square: the central market was located here, the artists came to the city to make their presentations, a scaffold was installed to carry out the executions.
Modern Tallinn - Town Hall and Town Hall Square
If you carefully consider Tallinn, the Town Hall Square in the photo, you can find many architectural monuments. Only from the Town Hall Square you can see the 5 highest spiers of the old city of Tallinn. One of them is the tower of the Town Hall , one of the medieval buildings of Northern Europe, which has survived to our days.
The Tallinn Town Hall is filled with many halls that have different purposes. The basement room served as a wine cellar and storage of other valuables. For solemn events served as the Burger Hall. The city council had its own room for its meetings.
The second spire is the church of St. Nicholas or the church of Niguliste . Now the Lutheran church does not fulfill its function, but has become a museum and a concert hall.
The next spire is the Dome Cathedral , one of the oldest cathedral in the city of Tallinn. The Church of the Holy Spirit also belongs to the five towers of the city of Tallinn and is a monument of medieval architecture. The last spire is the church of St. Olaf built by the Germans. For tourists on the square, a place is equipped with a plate of rose winds, just standing on it, a view of all the spiers.
One of the historically important buildings of the Town Hall Square is the building of the magistrate's pharmacy , in which ointments and powders were sold to citizens of the capital of Estonia. The main feature is that it was built in 1422 and continues to function until today. A pharmacy can be found in the north-eastern side of the square.
The square behind the Tallinn Town Hall is an old prison . Now it does not fulfill its function, but on the facade are seen iron rings on which slaves were attached. In this building there will be a museum of photography, where you can see old pictures from the history of the city and a photographic department equipped under the antiquity.
On the perimeter of the Town Hall Square are buildings that transmit elements inherent in the Baroque era in the Baltic. Now there are boutiques and art galleries. All the buildings on the square are restored to the general style. In this architectural ensemble, the building "Three Sisters" , consisting of three combined similar buildings, is inscribed.
How to get there?
There is no transport to the square, the authorities decided that it is necessary to travel the old city by foot and enjoy its beauty. You can get to Tallinn by trams №1 or №2 or by bus, you have to leave at the stop "Viru".