Our journey begins at the Old Jewish Cemetery Park. This is a place of remembrance that served as an active cemetery until 1910, but during the Soviet occupation, it was permanently closed and ruthlessly buried under asphalt. It was not until October 2023 that the site was reopened as a memorial cemetery park, finally restoring well-deserved dignity and respect to the souls resting there.From there, we will proceed to Tallinn’s oldest operating burial ground—the Inner City Cemetery, where we will visit both the Alexander Nevsky and the St Carl congregation cemeteries.

The Inner City Cemetery serves as the final resting place for Estonian statesmen, religious figures, writers, businessmen, and even a notorious mafia boss—for dust you are, and to dust you shall return. Ultimately, the kind of life you lived is deeply intertwined with the era and the opportunities of the times you were given.

Strolling through the area, you will encounter grand 18th-century rental houses, historic wooden tenement buildings from the first era of the Estonian Republic known as “Lender houses”, Soviet-period apartment blocks, and, quite unexpectedly, amidst the wooden architecture, Soviet-era brick buildings. It is a neighbourhood where every street corner can surprise you with a fresh perspective, seamlessly weaving the old and new Tallinn into a single tapestry.

Despite its small size, Kassisaba hosts a remarkable variety of landmarks, being home to a football stadium, the Wismari Hospital, the Jakob Westholm Secondary School, and the Estonian Red Cross. The British Embassy and the headquarters of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church are also located here, adding an international and spiritual dimension to the neighbourhood. Furthermore, Kassisaba has shaped Estonia’s cultural history, having served as the youth home for Marie Under, the first lady of Estonian poetry, and the residence of the renowned composer Artur Kapp.

Walking through the diverse streets of Kassisaba, one cannot help but wish that these houses could speak.

Christianity in Estonia — Older Than You Think

Although school textbooks state that Christianity arrived in Estonia at the beginning of the 13th century with the “fire and sword” of foreign crusaders, history hides even older secrets. It is a lesser-known fact that Estonia once lay on the pilgrimage route between Kyiv and Karelia, meaning that the earliest contacts with Eastern Orthodoxy date back to the 10th century — long before the crusaders arrived.

Later, the 16th-century Reformation transformed former Catholic sanctuaries into Lutheran ones, laying the foundation for Estonia’s strong Lutheran tradition that endures to this day. Then came one of the most remarkable episodes in Estonian religious history: in the 19th century, when Estonia was part of the Russian Empire but local power remained firmly in the hands of the Baltic German nobility, a rumour spread among the peasantry like wildfire. Converting to Orthodoxy, people whispered, would grant them free land as a reward. This promise led thousands of Estonians to change their faith, leaving behind a rich legacy of beautiful Orthodox churches dotted across the Estonian landscape.

What to Expect on This Tallinn Church Tour

This Tallinn church tour begins near the harbour at the Cathedral Church of St. Simeon and St. Anne the Prophetess (Ahtri 7), belonging to the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church — one of the oldest Orthodox congregations in the country. From there, we move on to the Niguliste Museum (St. Nicholas’ Church), which beautifully showcases both Catholic and Lutheran influences in its architecture and treasures.

Throughout the tour, we explore the traditions that unite these churches, the core theological and cultural differences that set them apart, and the extraordinary social and political forces — conquest, reformation, empire and land hunger — that made Estonia’s religious landscape so uniquely diverse.

Who Is This Tour For?

This Tallinn church tour is ideal for anyone curious about history, culture and the role of faith in shaping a nation. No prior knowledge of religion or history is required — just an open mind and comfortable walking shoes. The tour moves at a relaxed pace and includes time to explore each site properly.

• 📍 Starting point: Cathedral Church of St. Simeon and St. Anne, Ahtri 7, Tallinn
• ⏱ Duration: approximately 2.5–3 hours
• 👥 Small group format for a personal experience
• 🗣 Available in English and Estonian

Book Your Tallinn Church Tour

Whether you are a first-time visitor or a returning traveller who thinks they already know Tallinn, this tour will show you a side of the city that most people never see. Book your Tallinn church tour today and uncover the hidden spiritual history of one of Europe’s most fascinating medieval cities.

Discover the wooden Cathedral Church of St. Simeon and St. Anna the Prophetess (Ahtri 7) located near the Tallinn harbour (D-terminal), whose history dates back to the era of Peter the Great. Operating today as a metropolitan cathedral, this sanctuary is the perfect place to learn about ancient traditions and the mysterious world of icons. We will dive deeper into the origins of the Orthodox Church in Estonia, its experiences during the Soviet period, and its contemporary challenges, while also comparing its customs and traditions with those of the Lutheran Church.

We begin our Tallinn Soviet tour at Freedom Square, which at the time was symbolically known as Victory Square. From there, we head into the Old Town to examine buildings with landmark architecture, such as the Sõpruse Cinema and the Writers’ House. These structures are not just examples of the style of their era — they were erected on empty lots left behind by the March 1944 bombings, carrying with them the story of destruction and the establishment of a new regime. Similarly, the once densely populated Harju Street was reduced to nothing but a pile of rubble.

How is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral connected to the Soviet era? On the roof of which building did the mysterious word “Eesti” appear just before the Olympic Games?

A walk down historic Pikk Street will reveal secrets that are tightly interwoven with the Estonian struggle for independence. We will conclude our Tallinn Soviet tour outside the former KGB headquarters — an institution that altered and shattered the fates of countless families. Here, we will speak in greater detail about the atrocities of the era and the repressions of the occupying regime. Upon request, the tour can continue with a guided visit inside the KGB Prison Cells.

Book your Tallinn Soviet tour today and discover the story behind the story of one of Europe’s most resilient nations.

Even if you have no health concerns, Raeapteek is well worth a visit just for its sheer antiquity and mesmerizing atmosphere. In the pharmacy’s second room, you will find a fascinating museum where you can marvel at ancient remedies and their unbelievable ingredients—and hope that today’s medicines have replaced them with something else entirely. But then again, who knows? Perhaps you can still find traces of mummy pieces or dog dung hidden in the recipes of some ancient miracle cure.

This tour tells the story of that dream coming true—the story of the price of freedom. We will look at what happened in the late 1980s, and discover the events, the people, and the places that define this historic era.

The “Price of Freedom” tour can be combined with either a Vabamu or a KGB guided tour.

If you’re honest with yourself and can’t quite remember the last time you did any of these things — then the time has come to join a Tallinn Old Town tour like no other.

Tallinn’s Old Town, with a history stretching back more than 800 years, is so much more than pretty colourful houses and cobblestone streets. This Tallinn Old Town tour takes you beyond the obvious, uncovering countless secrets and tucked-away corners that you simply never stumble upon when rushing through.

Every street, courtyard and ancient stretch of wall is tied to captivating legends. On this Tallinn Old Town tour, the Old Man of Ülemiste Lake, the executioner, the devil, the mummy, the mysterious pharmacy apprentice of the Town Hall Pharmacy and many other characters come to life — waiting around every corner to tell their story.

Book your Tallinn Old Town tour today and discover the legends that have been hiding in plain sight for over eight centuries.

Tallinn has throughout the ages been described as a virgin city, for no foreign conqueror has ever managed to take it by force or storm. Unlike many other European capitals that have been repeatedly bombed or destroyed, Tallinn’s medieval Old Town has miraculously remained largely intact. The city has changed hands over the centuries, but mostly through peaceful agreements and diplomacy.

Our Tallinn women’s tour begins on Toompea — a place that is not merely a rocky hill, but a site deeply rooted in Estonian mythology. In the national epic Kalevipoeg, Linda buries her husband, old Kalev, here, carrying stones in her apron to build his grave.

Estonia has been a land dedicated to the Virgin Mary (the Mother of God) since the Middle Ages. For this reason, at the very heart of Tallinn on Toompea stands the Tallinn Cathedral — the main church of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, as are many other churches across Estonia.

The Tallinn Old Town is also connected to some of the most celebrated women in world history. During the reign of Catherine II, the beautiful pink parliament building — known today as Toompea Castle — was completed. Several European queens have also left their mark on Tallinn, among them Denmark’s Margrethe II and Great Britain’s Elizabeth II.

Book your Tallinn women’s tour today and discover the women whose stories have shaped this city for centuries.