Rataskaevu 16 The building has become popular due to the myth of the 'Devil's wedding' which supposedly took place at house number 16. The house is strange and has one of its windows built up from the inside with false curtains painted.
Legend has it that the landlord of the property was once suicidal due to the amount of debt he accumulated. One night he was approached by a strange man in a cloak who offered the landlord a huge sum of money for renting out number 16 for a party. The only criteria was that he must be assured of completely privacy to which the landlord readily agreed.
That particular evening there was a huge commotion as if thousands of people were marching up the steps and having a loud and boisterous party. At 1 am, the party stopped and all of the guests just vanished. The landlord's servant was apparently using the keyhole to spy on the strange party and he fell mysteriously ill the next day and would eventually die. However before he could die, he told people that he had witnessed the Devil himself getting married at number 16. This
story was spread and over the years has gained a lot of notoriety.
Raekoja Plats or The Town Hall Square This is the heart of the Old Town and was once the political center of Reval. The square is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Tallinn. The Town Hall building has been around since 1322 and till 1970 was used as the political center. It is still used by the Town Council for ceremonial purposes on rare occasions but the officials have been re-located to another location. The medieval Town Hall is now open for visitors.
In summer for a few occasions the square hosts a Medieval-themed Fair, where you can buy various souvenirs, local food and home amenities by Estonian artisans. In 2016 this will be on two occasions. The first fair will be held during the
Tallinn Old Town Days starting from 1 June and ending on 5 June. The second fair will be held during the
Medieval Days starting from 7 July and ending on 10 July.
If you are visiting the Old Town during the Christmas season, then the Raekoja plats will be a great place to visit as the town square has followed an age old tradition since 1441 of displaying a large Christmas tree. There will also be a Christmas market held in the town square and the entire even will more or less have a theme of a white Christmas as the full town square will be covered in snow.
That being said, there was hardly any snow during the 2015 edition and if Global Warming does not have its way, then the 2016 season will once again bring back the snow.
This pharmacy on the Town's Square has been around since 1422 and is considered the oldest pharmacy in Europe. It has now been taken over by a mega Estonian pharmacy chain store. They also have a small medical-themed museum opened in the store.
Niguliste or St. Nicholas' Church This church has been turned into a museum that displays the medieval art from
the Art Museum of Estonia. Historical records show that the church was constructed somewhere between 1230 and 1275. Back then the city had no walls and the church was used by refugees during times of war as a place to hide and take refuge.
Niguliste remained untouched by the Bildersturm so its High Altar of Niguliste has been preserved and is part of an impressive collection of art.
Adamson Eric Museum The Adamson Eric Museum is situated not very far from the hotel and is run by the Art Museum of Estonia.
This museum is one of the smaller museums and gets a lot of visits from the local population. They display a nice painting collection including paintings by
Adamson Eric. The museum promotes a number of small exhibitions and often displays some amazing work of art.
The best museum for paintings and art lovers will be the biggest museum which is located outside the Old Town. The museum is called
the Kumu and is also run by the Art Museum of Estonia.
Toompea Hill Toompea hill is also very close to the hotel and you can take the Pikklalg, which is longer, or the Luhikejalg, which is shorter. Both will get you straight to Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
The cathedral is dedicated to Russian saint Alexander Nevsky, who was a politician and a military leader who led the Novgorod army on various occasions and fought a significant battle against the Teutonic Knights on the territory of Estonia. The cathedral was set to be demolished, when Estonia first gained its independence, but the building survived and nowadays is one of the tourist landmarks.