Toompea (Tallinn)
The Cathedral Hill ( Estonian Toompea ) is a limestone mountain in the Estonian capital Tallinn , which is a landmark of the city. The upper town is located on the Toompea. Until 1877 it was a separate city from the lower city of Tallinn. Allegedly the burial place of the Estonian national hero Kalev is located here . In 1684 there was a fire on Domberg which caused great damage.
Tallinn Castle with Tall Hermann is located on Toompea . The forerunners of the castle were the Estonians ' wooden fortifications , which were built in the 10th or 11th century and were replaced by a Danish castle (Latin: Castrum Danorum ) at the beginning of the 13th century . The castle and the settlement were destroyed in 1219 by the Danish King Waldemar II . He had a new castle built. Since 1234, the castle was operated as the Kommende Reval by the Brothers of the Sword and, after its dissolution, by the Teutonic Order , from 1346 it was also owned by the Teutonic Order.
For the construction of a palace, Tsarina Katherina had the large southern and eastern parts of the castle demolished and a baroque palace built like in St. Petersburg . It was built from 1767 to 1773 for the Russian governor of Estonia. After fire damage, a new building was built in 1922 instead of the convent building of the castle, which became the seat of today's Estonian parliament .
The seat of the head of government in the Stenbockhaus and many embassies, including the German and Dutch embassies , is also on Toompea. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Tallinn Cathedral with the former cathedral school can also be found here. Toompea is also the seat of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry . Various museums are also located on Toompea, including the Estonian Art Museum in a building of the knighthood. The connection to the lower town is guaranteed by only a few streets, such as the Patkulsche Staircase from 1903, the Long Toompea (Estonian: Pikk jalg ) (first paved street in Tallinn) and the Short Toompea Lühike jalg . Many aristocratic houses on the Domberg, such as the Schlippenbach House , were built in the classical style. Until the occupation by the Soviets in 1940, the self-government of the German minority resided in a building that is now the seat of the Estonian Academy of Sciences .
Web links
- Travel report to Toompea on umdiewelt.de
- tourist description on tripwolf.com
- Reise-ziel-online.de about Tallinn's old town
Coordinates: 59 ° 26 ' N , 24 ° 44' E