Hotels near Patkuli and Kohtuotsa Viewing Platforms

The two free viewing platforms on Toompea Hill deliver the postcard Tallinn shots you have seen in every guidebook, and both deserve a stop. Kohtuotsa platform at Rahvakohtu 3 faces east over the red-tiled roofs of the lower Old Town, with St Olaf's spire and the Baltic behind - this is the shot with the graffiti-covered wall that says The Times We Had. Patkuli platform at the end of Rahukohtu street faces north over the medieval wall towers of Nunna, Sauna and Kuldjala, with Kalamaja and the port beyond.

Both platforms are open 24 hours and free. Patkuli requires a short descent down 157 stairs from the platform if you want to reach the modern city below - a useful shortcut back to Balti Jaam or Telliskivi. Kohtuotsa is on the walking loop between Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the north side of Toompea. On summer weekends both fill quickly with tour groups between 11:00 and 15:00, so early morning or after 18:00 gives you room to shoot.

Pro Tip: Golden hour is 30 minutes before sunset for Kohtuotsa (east-facing, so best in morning too) and just after sunrise for Patkuli. In winter both platforms freeze fast - grip helps.