TALLINN 105

Toompea Castle^0

Toompea loss

Lossi plats 1a. Map B4. Tel 631

6357. v 3, 4. # 10am–4pm
      Mon–Fri. 8 call in advance. 7
      ^ http://www.riigikogu.ee

The unassuming pink façade
of Toompea Castle belies the
history behind this vital seat
of power. The castle now
houses the Riigikogu
(Estonia’s Parliament), but for
some 700 years it belonged to
various occupying foreign
powers. In the 9th century, a
wooden fortress stood on the
site, which was conquered by
the Danes in 1219, who then
constructed the stone forti-
fications around the hill,
much of which still survives.
The architecturally diverse
castle complex features the
50-m (164-ft) Pikk Hermann
Tower, above which flies the
Estonian flag. The unique-
looking Riigikogu, which was
built in 1922, is situated in the
castle courtyard. Toompea was
a town in itself enjoying its
own rights and privileges until
1878, when it was merged with
the rest of Tallinn below.

The austere façade of Toompea Castle

Alexander Nevsky

Cathedral q
Aleksander Nevski
katedraal

Lossi plats 10. Map B4. Tel 644

3484. v 3, 4. # 8am–7pm daily.
      ^ = http://www.orthodox.ee

The imposing Alexander
Nevsky Cathedral was built
between 1894 and 1900, under

orders from Tsar Alexander

III. As intended, the Neo-

Byzantine edifice dominates

Castle Square (Lossi Plats) with

its towering onion domes and

golden crosses. A number of

icons, mosaics and the bell

for the tower were carried all

the way from St Petersburg.

Legend has it that the

cathedral was built on the

grave of the Estonian folk hero

Kalev. However, it is named

after the sainted Russian Duke

Alexander Nevsky (1219–63),

who defeated the Livonian

knights on the banks of Lake

Peipsi in 1242 and conquered

a great part of Estonia.

Disliked by many Estonians

as a symbol of the Russification

policies of Alexander III, it

was due to be demolished in

1924, but the controversial

plan was never carried out.

The extravagant altar is

made up of a dazzling display

of icons, while the sheer scale

of the cathedral’s interior is

equally impressive.

Kadriorg Palace w

Kadrioru loss

Weizenbergi 37. Map F1. Tel 606

6400. 
      

      May–Sep: 10am–5pm Tue–

      
      

      Sun; Oct–Apr: 10am–5pm Wed–Sun.
      & 8 7 - = http://www.ekm.ee

      
      

Built in 1718 under orders

from the Russian Tsar Peter

the Great, this palace was

meant to serve as a summer

residence for the imperial

family. The palace was named

Kadriorg – which means

Catherine’s Valley in Estonian –

to honour his wife, Empress

Catherine. Designed by the

famous Italian master architect

Nicola Michetti, it was built in

Baroque style and made to

look like an Italian villa. The

main attraction of the palace,

however, is the astonishingly

ornate Great Hall, which

ranks among the finest exam-

ples of Baroque exuberance

in North Eastern Europe.

Kadriorg Palace today

houses the Museum of

Foreign Art which has an

excellent col lection of

European paintings and

sculpture. The palace is also

used as a venue for lectures

and theatre perform ances.

Just behind the palace, in

the kitchen build ing, is the

Mikkel Museum which has

some 600 works of foreign

art, including a selec tion of

European, Chinese and

Russian paint ings, dona ted by

Johannes Mikkel (1907–2006).

Also worth a visit is the

magni fi cently designed Kumu

Art Museum near the palace. It

is one of the five branches of

the Art Museum of Estonia.

The manicured ornamental garden of Kadriorg Palace