Raekoja plats

The Town Hall Square, in Tallinn

The Raekoja plats, or Town Hall Square, is the epicentre of the medieval town of Tallinn since the Middle Ages. The Tallinn audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this beating heart of the old town, where the alleys converge, lined with colourful houses and dominated by the town hall.

The epicentre of the medieval town

The epicentre of the medieval town for centuries, the Raekoja plats is the gathering place where all the alleys of the old town of Tallinn converge. This vast cobbled square was, from the Middle Ages, the heart of the public life of the Hanseatic town: there was held the market, where the goods come from all the Baltic were exchanged, but also the feasts, the celebrations, the official proclamations, and sometimes the executions and the pillory, as in every medieval town. Lined with fine merchant houses with colourful façades and picturesque gables, sheltering cafés and restaurants, the square is dominated by the superb Gothic town hall, one of the best preserved of Northern Europe. Still today, the Raekoja plats is the living heart of Tallinn: you stroll there, you sit at a terrace, and it hosts throughout the year markets, concerts and festivities, including the famous Christmas market, one of the finest of the continent. A historic heart and a living square, the Raekoja plats is a must-see stop of the discovery of Tallinn.

What to see

Here you enjoy the vast cobbled square, epicentre of the medieval town where all the alleys converge, heart of the Hanseatic public life with its market, its feasts and its proclamations, lined with fine merchant houses with colourful façades and dominated by the superb Gothic town hall, animated all year round with markets and festivities including the famous Christmas market. The Raekoja plats is the living heart of Tallinn. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Raekoja plats lies in the heart of the old town of Tallinn, reachable on foot. It is a freely accessible public space; the cafés, restaurants and the town hall have their own hours. The square is lively all year round and hosts the Christmas market in winter.

What is the Raekoja plats in Tallinn?

The Town Hall Square, epicentre of the medieval town of Tallinn where all the alleys converge; heart of the Hanseatic public life with its market and its feasts, this vast cobbled square is lined with colourful merchant houses and dominated by the superb Gothic town hall, and hosts the famous Christmas market.

Where is the Raekoja plats in Tallinn?

In the heart of the old town of Tallinn, in Estonia.