Old Town of Tallinn

Model of the old town

Tallinn city wall, Tornide square

The Old town of Tallinn is the oldest district of Tallinn. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1997.

There are four parts built for different purposes. They have different architecture.

• Toompea is 20-30 metres above the surrounding area on a rocky hill. It has an area of ​​6 hectares . It belonged to the Order of Brothers of the Sword since the 13th century. It was run separately from the lower city and separated by a wall.
• The sub-city is between Toompea and the harbor and has an area of ​​29.3 ha. The lower city is surrounded by a ring wall and the law of Lübeck was in force there . The area enclosed by the ring wall together with Toompea was 35.3 hectares. By this measure Tallinn was once the largest city in Northern Europe.
• The city wall Building began in 1310. It was finished in 1355 . In 1561 there was a 2.5 kilometre long ring wall around the lower city, which had 27 wall and eight gate towers and nine front gate and 12 front defense towers . A moat filled mostly with water was outside the wall.
• The earthen defense zone which surrounds the lower city and Toompea. Earth fortifications were built in the 19th century. The soil protection zone covers 79 hectares and today is largely a park, separating the old town from the new parts of the city.

Tallinn joined the Hanseatic League in the thirteenth century.