Härjapea

Härjapea river hike — in search of Tallinn’s forgotten river

Did you know that a mysterious river flows beneath Tallinn’s city centre? The Härjapea river, which once laid the foundation for the city’s industry and supplied its people with water, has today been channelled into underground pipes. This exciting tour takes you on a journey through history, following the river’s former bed.

The story of the Härjapea is full of watermills, industrial development and the twists and turns of city planning. We begin the tour where one of the many riverside watermills once stood. The pond shimmering by the gate of the Defence Forces Headquarters is the last visible reminder of that water-rich era. We move on along the edge of the Siselinna cemetery and through the Kalev stadium. Here, looking at the landforms, you can clearly sense where the river flowed. We reach Juhkentali street, where you can see with your own eyes the surviving fragments of an old watermill. This area also hides the pond known in folk speech as the “pasatskite tiik”. From there the river leads us to the former red-light street, mentioned in the VLÜ song “Terve ilm on imelik”. The Härjapea river was the heart of Tallinn’s industry. Leather and paper factories operated in the Maakri district precisely thanks to the Härjapea river. Of both the Kuremäe convent branch and the Kompasna slum quarter only memories remain today, but it was right past them that the Härjapea flowed. The tour ends symbolically on Reidi road.

The walk along the forgotten Härjapea river is about 5 km long.