CASTLES TALLINN

Toompea Castle in Tallinn has served as the centre of power in Estonia for over 800 years, now housing the Estonian Parliament. The castle's current late Baroque façade was constructed between 1767 and 1773, blending medieval fortifications with Czarist architecture and the early 20th century Riigikogu building. The iconic Pikk Hermann tower, standing 46 metres high, remains a national symbol. The castle and surrounding old town are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, representing one of Europe's best-preserved medieval urban ensembles. Visitors can access the castle free of charge, with guided tours available.

Glehn's Castle, erected in 1886 on a scenic hillside in Tallinn's Nõmme district, exemplifies striking Neo-Gothic architecture designed by Baron Nikolai von Glehn. The castle complex includes a surrounding park with a palm house, observatory tower, and sculptures crafted by Glehn himself. After being reduced to ruins by the mid-20th century, the castle was restored between 1966 and 1977 under the leadership of the Academic Male Choir of Tallinn University of Technology. Today managed by TalTech, it serves as a venue for ceremonial events and cultural gatherings.

Muuksi linnamägi is a triangular prehistoric hill fort perched on a natural cape along Kolga Bay in Harju County, approximately 700 metres from the current shoreline. Dating to the Viking Age and earlier, the clifftop fortress rises approximately 30 metres above sea level, providing ancient Estonians with a formidable defensive position from the second half of the first millennium through the 11th century. Archaeological investigations have uncovered stone-cist graves from around 1100–900 BC, containing cremated remains and burial goods characteristic of northern Estonian burial practices. Located in Kuusalu Parish near Tallinn, Muuksi linnamägi remains an important site for understanding Estonia's prehistoric coastal fortifications and early settlement patterns.