Tallinn Town Hall

The Town Hall, in Tallinn

The Town Hall of Tallinn is a superb Gothic building, one of the best preserved of Northern Europe, which dominates the medieval square. The Tallinn audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this emblematic monument and its Old Thomas weathervane, guardian of the town.

The Gothic jewel and the Old Thomas

If the Raekoja plats is already an attraction in its own right, its magic is reinforced by the presence of the superb Town Hall of Tallinn, which dominates it with its elegant silhouette. This Gothic building, completed at the beginning of the fifteenth century, is considered the oldest town hall of the Baltic region and one of the best preserved of Northern Europe. From this building, the merchants and the councillors who governed the Hanseatic town administered the town, rendered justice and received the distinguished guests. Its façade, pierced with arcades and topped with a high slender tower, is a model of medieval elegance. At the summit of the tower turns a famous weathervane representing the Old Thomas, or Vana Toomas, become the guardian and the symbol of Tallinn, around which runs a popular legend. Inside, the ceremonial halls keep their original decor. Today a museum, the town hall testifies to the richness and the autonomy of the town in the Middle Ages. An emblematic monument and a symbol of the town, the Town Hall is a must-see stop of the discovery of Tallinn.

What to see

You admire the superb Gothic town hall completed at the beginning of the fifteenth century, considered the oldest of the Baltic region and one of the best preserved of Northern Europe, with a façade pierced with arcades and topped with a high slender tower at the summit of which turns the Old Thomas weathervane, symbol of the town; its ceremonial halls, today a museum, keep their decor. The Town Hall is a jewel of Tallinn. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Town Hall lies on the Raekoja plats, in the heart of the old town of Tallinn, reachable on foot. You admire its façade and its tower from the square; the visit of the halls and the climb to the tower, become a museum, follow their own hours and conditions, which vary. It is best to check them before coming.

What is the Old Thomas of the Town Hall of Tallinn?

It is the famous weathervane that turns at the summit of the tower of the town hall, representing a character become the guardian and the symbol of Tallinn, around which runs a popular legend; the Gothic building that bears it, completed in the fifteenth century, is one of the oldest and best preserved town halls of Northern Europe.

Where is the Town Hall of Tallinn?

On the Raekoja plats, in the heart of the old town of Tallinn, in Estonia.