Old Town part 2
FREEDOM SQUARE, ST NICHOLAS CHURCH, ST JOHN'S CHURCH, KAARLI BOULEVARD, TOONISMÄGI

The city center is called Keslinn district. It has a very well preserved, romantic and beautiful Old Town (Vanalinn) with large parts of the city wall intact, beautiful embassy buildings, nice restaurants and tall church towers. The Old Town is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. In the southeast end of the Old Town you can find Freedom Square with the Freedom Monument and Kaarli Boulevard, and close to it St Nicholas Church, St John's Church, Toompea Hill and the Municipal Library.
FREEDOM SQUARE (VABADUSE VÄLJAK):

Freedom Square (Vabaduse Väljak), is situated between the Old Town, Toompea Hill and the modern city center. It is dominated by the St John's Church and the Monument of Freedom. Since the transformation in 2009 there is an underground shopping center underneath it, and colourful large TV displays next to Kaarli Boulevard. During the Soviet period it was called the Victory Square. In the background you can see the modern skyline.

 
Freedom Square and St Nicholas   Freedom Square, the new underground shopping center and digital display that shows film, the weather and time   Freedom Square display, Kaarli Boulevard behind
The Freedom Monument, or War of Independence Victory Column, opened in June 2009. It is a memorial to those who lost their life during the Estonian War of Independence. It is 23.5m high and consists of 143 glass plates. Kiek in de Kök is behind it.  


Freedom Monument

Freedom Monument and Kiek in de Kök, part of Toompea Hill

The top of the Victory Column is resembling the "cross of liberty". These stairs lead from the Freedom Square to all the sight on Toompea Hill.
St John's Church, Jaani Kirik, seen from Freedom Square. It is a large neo-Gothic Lutherian parish church, opened in 1867.  


St John's Church interior

St John's Church (Jaani Kirik)

 

ESTONIA BOULEVARD (ESTONIA PUIESTEE):

 
The Estonian National Opera is situated between the old and the new part, between Viru Square and Freedom Square   Estonian National Opera, a opera house and concert hall. Since it was heavily damaged in 1944, the exterior was changed from jugend to Stalinist classical style, it reopened in 1947.   Eesti Panga Muuseum, a mint museum in a historic building

 

KAARLI BOULEVARD (KAARLI PUIESTEE):

 
Kaarli Boulevard (Kaarli puiestee), next to Freedom Square   Kaarli Blvd is heavily trafficated by cars and trams.   Bank Kawe Plaza, a glass building at Freedom Square

 
Vene Theater (Russian Theater), Kaarli Boulevard/Freedom Square   Freedom Square seen from Kaarli Blvd during rush hour.   Bank Kawe Plaza

 

AROUND NIGULISTE KIRIK (ST NICHOLAS CHURCH), WEST PART OF OLD TOWN, NEXT TO TOOMPEA HILL:

Niguliste Kirik (St Nicholas Church) is a medieval former church, now housing the Niguliste Museum (a branch of the Esonian art museum including the work Dance Macabre among others). It was originally built in the 13th century. In 1944 and 1982 the church was heavily damaged in fires and bombings.

Niguliste Kirik was founded by German merchant from the (now Swedish) island Gotland.

 
Nigulesti Church   St Nicholas Church, entrance to NIgulesti Museum   Outside St Nicholas Church

 
Harju street (right)   Rüütli street and Nigulesti church   Harju towards the Town Hall

 
Rüütli street   Nigulesti church seen from Rüütli street   Nigulesti church seen from Rüütli street

 
Svenska S:t Mikaelskyrkan (Swedish St Michael's Church)   Swedish St Michael's Church   Rüütli street and St Nicholas Church

Rüütli, a street with many historic buildings situated right above Harju street and below Toompea Hill. To the right is the St Nicholas Church.

 
Niguliste street   Rataskaevu street, the extention of Rüütli street   Rataskaevu street and square

 
Rataskaevu plats (square) with the old well   Dunkri street seen from Rataskaevu square   A black cat at Nigulesti street

 
Dunkri street   Dunkri street   The Town Hall seen from Dunkri

 

TONISMÄGI NEIGHBOURHOOD:

National Library of Estonia (Eesti Rahvusraamatukogu). It was constructed between 1985-93 (that means partly in Soviet). Raine Karp was the architect. It has 8 floors, of which 2 underground, 20 reading rooms, a large conference hall, a theatre hall and several exhibition areas.

 

  


National Library of Estonia, gable

National Library of Estonia interior. The interior designer was Sulev Vahtra.

 
National Library of Estonia   Old vs new trolley buses at Kaarli Blvd.   National Library of Estonia


Kaarli Kirik (St Charles the XI's Church) seen from Kaarli Boulevard was completee in 1870, in pseudo-romanesque limestone. Despite it is quite majestic, it is not as famous as many of the other large church, because it is situated some blocks off the tourist paths, despite it has Estonia's largest church organ.

 
Estonian Ministry of Justice   Latvian embassy,Toonismägi   Latvian embassy