Description of the attraction
The Tallinn City Wall, built in the 13th century, was one of the most powerful and reliable defensive structures in Northern Europe in the 16th century. The height of the wall, together with 46 towers, reached 16 meters, the thickness was 3 meters, and the length was 4 km. A part of the wall with a length of 2 km and 26 defensive towers have survived to our time. The towers that have survived to this day include the Great Sea Gate and the Fat Margaret Tower, Maiden Tower, Kiek in de Kök.
The Great Sea Gate and the Fat Margaret Tower were built not only to protect the city from the sea, but also to surprise overseas visitors who come to Tallinn. The gate, built at the same time as the city wall, is located in the northern part of the city, next to the harbor. At the beginning of the 16th century, a tower with 155 loopholes was built next to them. This tower, 20 meters high and 25 meters in diameter, was named Tolstaya Margarita for its enormous dimensions. Throughout its long history, the tower has been both an armory and a prison. Today, this tower houses the Estonian Maritime Museum, the exposition is presented on 4 floors. Here you can see rare exhibits: an old diving and fishing facility, things found at the bottom of the sea, a captain's bridge, type of 1950 and much more. There is an observation deck at the top of the tower, from where a breathtaking view of the harbor, the bay and the Old Town opens.
The powerful Kiek in de Kök tower was built between 1475 and 1483. The tower is 38 meters in height, 17 meters in diameter, and the walls are 4 meters thick. From the upper part of the towers one could see not only the rear of the enemies, but also the kitchens of the Tallinn hostesses, for which the building got its interesting name, which in translation from Lower Saxon means: “Look into the kitchen”. Throughout its history, the tower has been rebuilt several times. Today, as a result of restoration work, the Kiek in de Kök tower looks the same as when it was founded. Today, it houses a permanent exhibition that tells about the history of Tallinn and the most important military events, of which the stone and cast-iron cannonballs stuck in the walls of this tower remind us.
The Maiden Tower (Neitsithorn), built in the second half of the 14th century, has been repeatedly destroyed over the centuries and was rebuilt each time it was restored. In the Middle Ages, the tower was a prison for girls of easy virtue.
