Vanalinn

The old town of Vanalinn, in Tallinn

Vanalinn is the medieval old town of Tallinn, one of the best preserved of Europe, listed as world heritage. The Tallinn audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this Hanseatic historic heart, with its cobbled alleys, its merchant houses and its churches.

The Hanseatic lower town

Prosperous in the time of the Middle Ages and triumphant on the trade routes of the Baltic Sea, the lower town, Vanalinn, has remained remarkably immutable through the centuries. It is the old town of Tallinn, its historic heart, and one of the best preserved medieval ensembles of Europe, listed as UNESCO world heritage. In the Middle Ages, Tallinn was a rich merchant town, member of the powerful Hanseatic League, this association of trading towns that dominated the trade in the North Sea and the Baltic. This prosperity bequeathed to the town an exceptional heritage: you wander in Vanalinn in the midst of a maze of cobbled alleys, lined with merchant houses with colourful gables, old warehouses, guilds, Gothic churches and lively squares. The great Town Hall Square, with its medieval town hall, is its heart. Still surrounded by a large part of its ramparts and its towers, the lower town offers a striking journey through time. A medieval jewel and a historic heart, the old town of Vanalinn is a must-see stop of the discovery of Tallinn.

What to see

Here you wander in the Hanseatic old town of Tallinn, one of the best preserved medieval ensembles of Europe listed by UNESCO, remained immutable since the time when the town, rich member of the Hanseatic League, prospered on the routes of the Baltic, with its maze of cobbled alleys, its merchant houses with colourful gables, its Gothic churches, its Town Hall Square and its ramparts. Vanalinn is the historic heart of Tallinn. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The old town of Vanalinn extends in the heart of Tallinn, reachable on foot. It is a public district freely accessible; the shops, restaurants, museums and churches have their own hours. You discover it by strolling in its cobbled alleys.

What is Vanalinn in Tallinn?

The medieval old town of Tallinn, the lower town, one of the best preserved medieval ensembles of Europe and listed by UNESCO; remained immutable since the Hanseatic era, it deploys a maze of cobbled alleys, merchant houses with colourful gables, Gothic churches and ramparts around the Town Hall Square.

Where is Vanalinn in Tallinn?

In the heart of Tallinn, in Estonia.