Tallinn is the capital and most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of about 461,000 and administratively lies in the Harju maakond (county). Tallinn is the main governmental, financial, industrial, and cultural centre of Estonia. It is located 187 km (116 mi) northwest of the country's second largest city, Tartu; however, only 80 km (50 mi) south of Helsinki, Finland, also 320 km (200 mi) west of Saint Petersburg, Russia, 300 km (190 mi) north of Riga, Latvia, and 380 km (240 mi) east of Stockholm, Sweden. From the 13th century until the first half of the 20th century, Tallinn was known in most of the world by variants of its other historical name Reval.
Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,435. It is 186 kilometres southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the two largest lakes in Estonia, Lake Võrtsjärv and Lake Peipus. From the 13th century until the end of the 19th century, Tartu was known in most of the world by variants of its historical name Dorpat.
Rakvere is a town in northern Estonia and the administrative centre of Lääne-Viru County, 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea. Rakvere is the 8th most populous urban area in Estonia. Rakvere has a total area of 10.75 square kilometres, and although about 15% of Rakvere is covered by forest, it is still the country's third most densely populated urban area. From the 13th century until the early 20th century, Rakvere was more widely known by its historical German name, Wesenberg(h).
Toompea castle is a medieval castle on Toompea hill in the central part of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. In modern times, it houses the Parliament of Estonia.
Linnahall is a multi-purpose venue in Tallinn, Estonia. It is situated in the harbor, just beyond the walls of the Old Town, and was completed in 1980. The venue also features a heliport and a small seaport.
The Bronze Soldier is the informal name of a controversial Soviet World War II war memorial in Tallinn, Estonia, built at the site of several war graves, which were relocated to the nearby Tallinn Military Cemetery in 2007. It was originally named "Monument to the Liberators of Tallinn", was later titled to its current official name "Monument to the Fallen in the Second World War", and is sometimes called Alyosha, or Tõnismäe monument after its old location. The memorial was unveiled on 22 September 1947, three years after the Red Army reached Tallinn on 22 September 1944 during World War II.
Tõnismägi is a 36-metre high hillock adjacent to Toompea hill in Tallinn, Estonia.
Kalamaja is a subdistrict of the district of Põhja-Tallinn in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It is located just northwest of the historical town centre, on the coast of the Tallinn Bay. Kalamaja has a population of 9,820.
The Raeapteek is a pharmacy in the center of Tallinn, Estonia.
St. Nicholas Church is a medieval church building in Tallinn (Reval), Estonia. It was dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the patron of the fishermen and sailors. Originally built in the 13th century, it was partially destroyed in the Soviet bombing of Tallinn in World War II. The building itself has since been restored; however, as a church without its own congregation, it has not been used for regular religious activities since World War II. At present it houses the Niguliste Museum, a branch of the Art Museum of Estonia, focusing mainly on ecclesiastical art from the Middle Ages onward. It is also used as a concert hall.
Tallinn Christmas Market is a Christmas market held every year in Tallinn, Estonia. The modern market was founded in 2001 by Paul Oberschneider, and is open from Christmas Day until Epiphany. The latter also marks the end of the Christmas season according to the Gregorian calendar. The market brings tourists from all over the world to Tallinn.
The Cross of Liberty and the Monument to the War of Independence is located in Freedom Square, Tallinn, Estonia. It was opened on 23 June 2009 as a memorial for those who fell during the Estonian War of Independence, through which the people of Estonia will be able to commemorate all those who had fought for freedom and independence. The pillar is 23.5 m high and consists of 143 glass plates. The memorial incorporates the Cross of Liberty, Estonia's most distinguished award established in 1919.
Freedom Square is a plaza on the southern end of the Old Town in Tallinn, Estonia, where state functions and various concerts take place. It is bounded on the east by St. John's Church, on the south by Kaarli Boulevard and an underground shopping center (2008–09), and on the west by a Victory Column (2009) commemorating the Estonian War of Independence 1918–1920.
The Tallinn Town Hall is a building in the Old Town (Vanalinn) of Tallinn (Reval), Estonia, next to the Town Hall Square. The building is located in the south side of the medieval market square and is 36.8 metres (121 ft) long. The west wall is 14.5 metres (48 ft) in length, and the east is 15.2 metres (50 ft). It is a two-storey building with a spacious basement. It is the oldest town hall in the whole Baltic Sea region and Scandinavia.
Raekoja plats is a town square beside Tallinn Town Hall in the center of the Tallinn Old Town in Tallinn, Estonia.
Eschenheimer Turm was a city gate, part of the late-medieval fortifications of Frankfurt am Main, and is a landmark of the city. The tower, which was erected at the beginning of the fifteenth century, is at once the oldest and most unaltered building in the largely reconstructed Frankfurter Neustadt, now better known as the Innenstadt.
St. John's Church is a large Lutheran parish church in Tallinn, Estonia. It is dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist, a disciple of Jesus Christ and author of the fourth Christian Gospel. Construction began in 1862, and the church was opened in 1867.
The Great Guild was a guild for merchants and artisans, operating in Tallinn from at least the 14th century until 1920. It was based in the Great Guild hall, a Gothic building in the historical centre of Tallinn, today housing the Estonian History Museum. In 2013, the Great Guild hall was named a European Heritage site.
Tallinn City Theatre is a repertory theatre located in the medieval old town of Tallinn, Estonia. Tallinn City Theatre was established in 1965 as Estonian SSR State Youth Theatre. In 1992, after Estonia regained its independence, Elmo Nüganen became the artistic director, holding this position until today. In 1994, it became a municipal theatre named Tallinn City Theatre. Tallinn City Theatre's house is unique, consisting of 16 interconnected medieval merchant's houses. Tallinn City Theatre organizes a biannual international theatre festival Midwinter Night's Dream, which takes place in December.
This is the overview article of the history of Tallinn, Estonia. For the timeline, see Timeline of Tallinn
