Tallinn Old Town

Last updated
Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Town of Tallinn, Tallinn, Estonia - panoramio (58).jpg
Skyline of the Old Town of Tallinn, Tallinn, Estonia
Location Tallinn, Estonia
Criteria Cultural: (ii) (iv)
Reference 822bis
Inscription1997 (21st Session)
Area113 ha (280 acres)
Buffer zone2,253 ha (5,570 acres)
Coordinates 59°26′14″N24°44′43″E / 59.437222°N 24.745278°E / 59.437222; 24.745278
Estonia relief map (2005-2017).png
Red pog.svg
Location of Tallinn Old Town in Estonia

Tallinn Old Town (Estonian : Tallinna vanalinn) is the oldest part of Tallinn, Estonia. Old Town of Tallinn has managed to wholly preserve its structure of medieval and Hanseatic origin. Old Town represents an exceptionally intact 13th century city plan. [1] Since 1997, the area has been registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The old town is bordered by the Walls of Tallinn. Its area is 113 ha and there is a buffer zone of 2,253 ha. [2]

Contents

The majority of the Old Town's structures were built during the 13th–16th centuries. [3]

Harju Street in Tallinn Old Town after the Soviet aerial bombing in March 1944 TLA 1465 1 973 Varemetes Harju tanav, vasakul Kuld Lovi varemed 1944.jpg
Harju Street in Tallinn Old Town after the Soviet aerial bombing in March 1944

During World War II, while the German army occupied Estonia in 1941–1944, Tallinn Old Town suffered from several instances of aerial bombing by the Soviet air force. During the most destructive Soviet bombing raid on 9–10 March 1944, over a thousand incendiary bombs were dropped on Tallinn, causing widespread fires, destroying about 10% of the buildings in the Old Town, killing hundreds, and leaving over 20,000 people without shelter.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tallinn</span> Capital and largest city of Estonia

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tartu</span> Second most populous city in Estonia

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toompea</span> Hill in Tallinn

Toompea is a limestone hill in the central part of the city of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The hill is an oblong tableland, which measures about 400 by 250 metres, has an area of 7 hectares and is about 20–30 metres higher than the surrounding areas. In folklore the hill is known as the tumulus mound over the grave of Kalev, erected in his memory by his grieving wife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haapsalu</span> Town in Estonia

Haapsalu is a seaside resort town located on the west coast of Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Lääne County, and on 1 January 2020 it had a population of 9,375.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harju County</span> County of Estonia

Harju County, is one of the fifteen counties of Estonia. It is situated in northern Estonia, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, and borders Lääne-Viru County to the east, Järva County to the southeast, Rapla County to the south, and Lääne County to the southwest. The capital and largest city of Estonia, Tallinn, is situated in Harju County. Harju is the largest county in Estonia in terms of population, as almost half (45%) of Estonia's population lives in Harju County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toompea Castle</span> Castle in Tallinn, Estonia

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tõnismägi</span> Subdistrict of Tallinn, Estonia

Tõnismägi is a 36-metre high hillock adjacent to Toompea hill in Tallinn, Estonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombing of Tallinn in World War II</span>

During World War II, the Estonian capital Tallinn suffered from many instances of aerial bombing by the Soviet air force and the German Luftwaffe. The first bombings by Luftwaffe occurred during the Summer War of 1941 as part of Operation Barbarossa. A number of Soviet bombing missions to then German-occupied Tallinn followed in 1942–1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kesklinn, Tallinn</span> District of Tallinn, Estonia

Kesklinn is one of the 8 administrative districts of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It is situated on the Tallinn Bay and bordered to the northwest by the district of Põhja-Tallinn, to the west by Kristiine, to the southwest by Nõmme, to the east by Lasnamäe and Pirita, and to the south by Rae Parish, beyond Lake Ülemiste. The island of Aegna, located in the Tallinn Bay, also falls within this administrative district. Kesklinn has an area of 30.6 km2 (11.8 sq mi) and a population of 57,731 ; population density is 1,886.6/km2 (4,886/sq mi).

The Kalamaja cemetery, in Tallinn in Estonia was once the city's oldest existing cemetery, located in the suburb of Kalamaja in the north of the city. It contained thousands of graves of ethnic Estonian and Swedish residents of Tallinn and stood for at least 400 years, from the 15th or 16th century to 1964 when it was completely flattened and destroyed by the Soviet occupation authorities governing the country at that time. The former cemetery is now a public park: "Kalamaja kalmistupark".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalamaja</span> Subdistrict of 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.

This article covers the architecture of Estonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tallinn Christmas Market</span> Annual Christmas market in Tallinn

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freedom Square, Tallinn</span> Square in Tallinn, Estonia

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maakri</span> Subdistrict of Tallinn, Estonia

Maakri is a subdistrict in the district of Kesklinn (Midtown), Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It has a population of 1,099. In the last decade Maakri has developed into the main business centre of Tallinn. Many high-rise buildings have been built into the area during this period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanalinn</span> Subdistrict of Tallinn, Estonia

Vanalinn is a subdistrict in the district of Kesklinn (Midtown), Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It has a population of 4,939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snelli Pond</span> Pond in Tallinn, Estonia

Snelli Pond, also Šnelli Pond, is an artificial pond in the Estonian capital Tallinn formed from the defensive structure (moat) of Toompea Castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Estonian Knighthood House</span> Building in Tallinn

The Estonian Knighthood House is a building in Toompea, the upper part of Vanalinn, the historic inner town of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Its address is Kiriku plats 1. The Dome Church is situated at the same square.

This is the overview article of the history of Tallinn, Estonia. For the timeline, see Timeline of Tallinn

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danish King's Garden</span> Park in Tallinn, Estonia

Danish King's Garden is a park in Tallinn Old Town, Estonia.

References

  1. "Tallinn Old Town". Visitestonia.com. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  2. Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  3. Bureau, Tallinn City Tourist Office & Convention. "Old Town". Visit Tallinn. Retrieved 4 April 2020.{{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)

59°26′14″N24°44′43″E / 59.43722°N 24.74528°E / 59.43722; 24.74528