Toompea

The Toompea hill, in Tallinn

Toompea is the upper town of Tallinn, perched on a limestone hill, heart of power and of the great monuments. The Tallinn audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this historic district, which dominates the lower town and concentrates the castle, cathedrals and viewpoints.

The upper town and its heritage

To find your way in Tallinn is simple: if you are not in the lower town of Vanalinn, it is that you are on the Toompea hill, the upper town. Perched on a limestone promontory that dominates all the town, Toompea is the historic district of power and nobility, as opposed to the lower town, which was that of the merchants and the artisans. This distinction between the two towns, separated by their own walls, has structured since the Middle Ages the organisation of Tallinn and tells its social history. It is on Toompea that the great symbols of power and religion are found: Toompea Castle, seat of the Parliament, the spectacular Orthodox cathedral Alexander Nevsky, the Lutheran cathedral of St Mary, as well as old noble residences. The high position of the hill also makes of it an exceptional belvedere: from its viewpoints, like those of Patkuli and Kohtuotsa, you take in the roofs of red tiles, the bell towers and the ramparts of the lower town, up to the sea. An upper town and a historic heart, Toompea is a must-see stop of the discovery of Tallinn.

What to see

Here you discover the upper town of Tallinn, perched on a limestone promontory dominating the lower town, historic district of power and nobility separated by its own walls, which concentrates the great symbols: Toompea Castle seat of the Parliament, the Orthodox cathedral Alexander Nevsky, the cathedral of St Mary, and superb viewpoints over the red roofs and the ramparts. Toompea is the upper historic heart of Tallinn. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

Toompea lies on the hill that dominates the old town of Tallinn, reachable on foot by streets in climb. It is a public district freely accessible; the castle, the cathedrals and the museums have their own hours. The viewpoints offer superb panoramas over the lower town.

What is Toompea in Tallinn?

The upper town of Tallinn, perched on a limestone promontory that dominates the lower town; historic district of power and nobility, separated by its own walls, it concentrates Toompea Castle, the cathedrals Alexander Nevsky and St Mary, and superb viewpoints over the red roofs and the ramparts.

Where is Toompea in Tallinn?

On the hill that dominates the old town of Tallinn, in Estonia.