Most people approach Toompea Hill from below and feel slightly unprepared for the view. You climb the steps from Lower Town, pass through a gate, and suddenly you're looking across rooftops to Tallinn Bay. The towers and spires of Old Town are below you. The Baltic Sea is behind them. On a clear day, Finnish islands are just visible on the horizon.

This is the best view in Tallinn. Here's how to do it properly.

Getting Up There

Toompea Hill sits above the Lower Town of Old Town, connected by two main routes:

The Long Leg and Short Leg stairs: Two staircases climb from Lower Town to Toompea. The Pikk jalg (Long Leg) is a gated road — the original entry for horses and carriages. The Lühike jalg (Short Leg) is a steeper stairway with a medieval gate. Walk up the Short Leg and down the Long Leg for the best experience of both.

Toom-Kooli Street from the Toompea side: If you're coming from the New Town direction, this road approaches Toompea from the back.

The walk up takes about 5–10 minutes from Town Hall Square.

The Two Viewing Platforms

Toompea has two main viewing platforms. Both are free.

Kohtuotsa viewing platform: The larger of the two, with the widest panoramic view. Red tile rooftops spread below you, the spire of St. Olaf's Church rises in the foreground, and Tallinn Bay glitters behind. This is the money shot.

Patkuli viewing platform: Slightly lower and to the west. Different angle — you see more of the medieval wall towers and the green belt of parks around Old Town. Less crowded than Kohtuotsa, often better in soft afternoon light.

Visit both. They're a 3-minute walk apart. Missing one is leaving a good photo on the table.

Timing: Both platforms face roughly west-northwest. Afternoon and evening light is better than morning. Late afternoon in summer, with warm light on the red rooftops, is exceptional.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral sits at the top of Toompea, immediately visible as you arrive. Its onion domes are the most recognisable part of Tallinn's skyline when viewed from below.

It was built in 1900 during Russian imperial rule — a deliberate statement of Russian Orthodox power at the centre of Estonian civic life. Estonians have had complicated feelings about it ever since.

The interior is open to visitors (dress respectfully). Mosaics, gilded icons, and the deep silence of the Orthodox tradition. It's a serious religious building, not a tourist attraction — act accordingly.

Entry: Free, though donations are welcome. Hours: Generally open daily, typically 08:00–19:00. Check locally as hours vary.

Toompea Castle and Tall Hermann Tower

Toompea Castle is the historic seat of Estonian power — currently housing the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament). You can't tour it, but you can see the exterior and the famous Tall Hermann Tower (Pikk Hermann) from the viewing platform area.

Tall Hermann flies the Estonian tricolour flag (blue, black, white) and is the symbol of Estonian independence. The flag-raising ceremony here on 24 February (Independence Day) is watched by thousands.

The Dome Church

Toomkirik (Tallinn Cathedral, or the Dome Church) is the oldest church in Tallinn, dating to the 13th century. The exterior is understated Lutheran restraint; the interior contains the coats of arms of noble Baltic-German families covering the walls — hundreds of them, dating back centuries.

Worth 15 minutes. The atmosphere is serene and the heraldry is genuinely fascinating if you pause to look.

Entry: Free.

The Neighbourhood Above

Toompea isn't just viewpoints and historic buildings — it has a quieter, more residential feel than Lower Town below. There are a few good restaurants up here, and the crowds thin out the further from the main viewpoints you walk.

A loop around the top of the hill, taking in the viewpoints, the cathedral, the castle exterior, and the Dome Church, takes about 90 minutes at a comfortable pace.

For a full self-guided Toompea walking route with the exact sequence and what not to miss, the Tallinn Travel Guide has it mapped out.