Latin and Scandinavian Quarters

Detailed tour of the Lower Town and the two main quarters of old Tallinn. It is widely known that merchants, craftsmen and craftsmen settled whole streets, and many stories are connected with each of them.

The Scandinavian Quarter is an area adjacent to the Church of St. Olaf (Oleviste in Estonian), which is located in the Lower Old Town. This is the territory where in prehistoric times the Scandinavian Vic was located - a settlement of Varangian merchants with access to the sea through the Great Sea Gate. Now at the end of Peak Street there are 2 gate towers of this gate, one of which is named Fat Margaret. On the tour, the guide will tell you about the main attractions of the quarter - the buildings of the 14th century. “3 Sisters”, 14th century archive, ancient horse mill, house of Ratman Hook and city theater.

But the most remarkable building is the Church of St. Olaf, the Baptist of Norway. In the 15th century the tower of this church reached a height of 159 m. Until the end of the 18th century it was the tallest building in the world. In the 17th century lightning struck the spire, the tower burned down, several masters died, but they could not find a master capable of lifting it to such a height. And the spire was built 2 times lower. Now the height of the church of Oleviste reaches a height of 123.7 m. From the side of Peak Street in the 16th century, the chapel of the Virgin Mary was attached to the church, richly decorated with the cenotaph of the Passion of Christ and a niche, in which there is a stone skeleton, on which a snake lies and a frog sits, symbols of the frailty of life. On the tour you will hear a fascinating story about the builder of the church Olevi associated with these images. From May to September you can climb to the observation deck of the Church of St. Olaf to a height of 60 m and see the wonderful views of the city.

The Latin Quarter is a street adjacent to Vienna Street (translated from Estonian – Russian). In the early Middle Ages it was the territory of the Russian Vic, a settlement of Russian merchants. And in German times, the street was called Monastic, as it was built male Dominican monastery and the courtyards of several other monasteries.

On the tour guide will tell you about the Church of St. Nicholas, where the side aisles preserved icons of the 17th century, the Catholic Cathedral “Peter and Paul”, built in the 19th century on the ruins of the medieval Dominican monastery and the remains of the ancient Dominican monastery. The guide will show you one of the largest monastic churches of St. Catherine in the Baltics, you will walk along a wonderful artisan street - along the passage of St. Catherine. You will be able to visit leather, textile, ceramic, stained glass and glass workshops, watch the work of masters and, if desired, buy their products. On Murivyahe Street, you can visit the Museum of the Dominican Monastery with a guide, and climbing the Heleman Fortress Tower, walk along the 16th-century military course. Along the well-preserved fortress wall are shopping arcades where Estonian craftsmen sell their woollen products.

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