Kadriorg Art Museum

One of Tallinn’s most brilliant gems, the Kadriorg Art Museum, is housed in a magnificent Baroque summer palace built by Peter the Great as a gift for his beloved wife, Catherine I, after whom Kadriorg is named.

The heart of the palace is its Main Hall, renowned for its superb acoustics. The hall’s ceiling conceals one of Tallinn’s most fascinating riddles—a scene from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. At first glance, it appears to be an innocent depiction of the goddess Diana bathing in a stream with her nymphs when the hunter Actaeon stumbles upon them. However, could it actually represent Peter the Great’s clever, symbolic revenge against Sweden?

Kadriorg Palace carries more than just an imperial legacy. Before the completion of the current Presidential Palace nearby, this very building was where Estonia’s first president, Konstantin Päts, lived and worked. This era has left its own unique, indelible mark on the palace interiors.

Today, Kadriorg Palace operates as an art museum, whose permanent collection showcases Dutch, German, Italian, and Russian art from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Visitors can admire exquisite paintings, prints, sculptures, and applied arts.

Current Exhibitions:

• Symphony of Nature and Art: The Serlachius Art Collection (on display until August 23, 2026)
• From Conservator to Restorer (on display until November 22, 2026)

A visit to the Kadriorg Art Museum can be perfectly combined with a visit to the Kumu Art Museum.

Ticket prices for Kadriorg Palace can be found here.