Tallinn Old Town, Kadriorg & Telliskivi Loop

Tallinn Town Hall stands at the centre of Raekoja plats, one of the most intact medieval market squares in Northern Europe. Dating to the 15th century, this Gothic limestone building has served as the administrative heart of the city for centuries and remains its most recognisable civic landmark. Arriving here orients you immediately — the square is the natural hub from which the Old Town radiates in every direction. The façade, with its distinctive tower and weathervane, is striking even from across the cobblestones. Allow a full hour to take in the square itself, study the architecture up close, and get your bearings before moving on. This is the logical starting point for any Old Town itinerary: everything else flows outward from here. Rated 4.7/5 by over 10,000 reviewers, it consistently ranks as one of Tallinn's most visited sights for good reason — the sense of stepping back several hundred years is immediate and unforced.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral crowns Toompea Hill with five onion domes that are visible from much of the lower city. Built in the late 19th century in Russian Revival style, it is an Orthodox cathedral and an active place of worship, which gives it an atmosphere quite distinct from the Lutheran churches elsewhere in the Old Town. The interior is richly decorated with mosaics and icon screens; the scale inside is considerably larger than the exterior suggests. This waypoint anchors the route's Toompea section — the upper town that has housed political and ecclesiastical power for most of Tallinn's history. Visiting here immediately after the Town Hall provides a sharp and deliberate contrast: civic Gothic below, imperial Orthodox above. Allow 40 minutes to visit respectfully and absorb the setting.

Kohtuotsa viewing platform sits just a short walk from Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on the Toompea escarpment, delivering one of the most photographed views in all of Estonia. From the platform you look out across the terracotta rooftops of the Lower Old Town, the steeples of multiple medieval churches, and — on clear days — the bay beyond. This is the natural culmination of your Toompea visit: after seeing the cathedral's exterior scale and the hill's political weight, the panorama from Kohtuotsa contextualises it all, showing how the upper and lower towns relate to each other and to the water. The platform is open 24 hours, which makes it equally worthwhile at dusk when the light softens across the roofscape. Budget 30 minutes here — it's a place to pause, photograph, and orientate before descending toward the market district.