Discover Tallinn : The districts of Tallinn

The city of Tallinn can be segmented into three distinct districts: the Old Town and the historic center of Tallinn with its ramparts, the New Town and the slightly more outlying districts of Kadriorg and Pirita. It's easy to get around on foot between the Old Town and the New Town, especially for those who enjoy walking. While the old town is situated on the Toompea hill - and therefore slightly sloping - everything else is relatively flat. Don't hesitate to extend your walk as far as the port and along Tallinn's coastline, or, why not, push on a little further to reach the Kadriorg district to the north. The Pirita district is much further to the northeast, around nine kilometers from the center, and is best reached by bus. Below, we'll explain the different characteristics of each district, and how you can tell them apart.

Old town

Tallinn is centered on the Old Town, which opens onto the port and seafront to the north. The Old Town is divided into two parts separated by high ramparts:

The upper town, Toompea, traditionally aristocratic, perched on its hill, with the Dome Church and Alexander Nevski.

The lower town, Vanalinn, traditionally middle-class, around Raekoja Plats, the town hall square, itself also fortified. The southern and eastern parts, around Viru Street, are very commercial, while the northern part, around Pikk and Lai, is quieter and more discreet.

New town

Surrounding the Old Town is the New Town, made up of a number of districts dating from the late ^19th and early ^20th centuries:

The peripheral artery that encircles the old town is very lively, and its industrial heritage has been reconverted into places for going out and shopping: these are the avenues of Pärnu, Mere Puiestee and Rannamäe.

The modern center, with its unattractive Soviet architecture but more popular and "authentic" than the old town, stretches between Narva, Estonia and Pärnu avenues.

The port, Sadama, with its passenger terminal and industrial infrastructure, forms a district scattered along the northeastern seafront. Numerous modern, Soviet-style suburbs spread chaotically around the center. The most famous of these are Lasnamäe, reputed to be a residential area inhabited almost exclusively by the capital's Russian-speaking population, and Kalamaja, a trendy area popular with young people.

Kadriorg and Pirita

These two other interesting districts are Tallinn's "green districts". Access by bus no. 1, 8, 34 and 38, and by streetcar no. 1 or 3.

Kadriorg is Tallinn's historic upper-class district, inaugurated when the eponymous palace was created by Tsar Peter the Great. Its park and museums are a top tourist destination. Wealthy villas, summer residences and functional apartment blocks with chic apartments mix with wooden rental houses. Kadriorg is still one of Tallinn's favorite places to live, as well as one of its most sought-after residential districts. It is home to the President of the Republic of Estonia and many foreign embassies. The park is a favorite walk for Tallinners of all generations, but Kadriorg is best known for its Baroque park and palace complex, begun in 1718 as the summer palace for the family of Russian Tsar Peter ^I.

Pirita is the district bordering the Baltic Sea to the northeast, home to the city's finest beaches, where Tallinners flock to feast and swim in summer. Pirita is close to Kadriorg.