Hotels near Tallinn Old Town (Vanalinn) and Town Hall Square

Topping every list of places to visit in Tallinn, Tallinn's Old Town (Vanalinn) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Northern Europe. The lower town sits inside 1.9 km of surviving stone walls with 20 towers still standing, most built between the 13th and 16th centuries when Tallinn was a wealthy Hanseatic League trading port. Cobbled lanes like Pikk, Viru and Katariina kaik lead through merchant houses, guild halls and Gothic churches with barely a modern intrusion.

Anchor your visit at Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats), the medieval public heart of the city. The Gothic Town Hall (Raekoda) built between 1402 and 1404 is the only intact Gothic town hall in Northern Europe and its cellar has been continuously trading since 1422. In summer, the square fills with cafe terraces; in December the Tallinn Christmas Market centres on it with a spruce tree tradition dating to 1441. Walk five minutes in any direction and you will hit St Catherine's Passage, the Great Guild Hall, or the 15th-century Three Sisters merchant houses on Pikk Street.

Pro Tip: Enter Vanalinn through the Viru Gate around 08:00 before the cruise ship groups arrive at 10:00. Coffee at Cafe Maiasmokk on Pikk 16, open since 1864, gives you a working local start.