Kalev Spa

Now the Interior Ministry and not generally open to the public, this is where the KGB detained and tortured suspected dissidents. A Soviet-era joke says that this was the tallest building in Estonia: even from the basement, you could see Siberia. Interrogations were indeed conducted in the basement and you can see even today how the windows were crudely bricked up with concrete to mute the sound.

Built in the 12th century. Today it is a Baptist church and probably the most visible landmark on the northern end of the Old Town. When Estonia was part of the Soviet Union the tower was used as a radio tower and a surveillance point.

The Maritime Museum dates back to 1935 and is housed inside the largest of the Tallinn city wall towers, aptly named "Fat Margaret" (Paks Margareta). Visiting the museum allows one not only to see the potpourri of maritime-themed artifacts, but also the 16th-century cannon tower and experience the view from the cafe on its roof. While the museum is the original location of the Meremuuseum, you absolutely cannot miss their second location in the Seaplane Harbour, where the ships and airplanes are stored (see below). Next to the museum, facing the sea, is the Broken Line (Katkenud liin) monument to the 1994 MS Estonia shipwreck.

An industrial district between the city and the Tallinn Port. The buildings are from the 19th and 20th century, with motifs of Art Nouveau and Historicism. New and stylish apartment buildings with shopping centre have now been built there widely regarded as architectural masterpiece in Tallinn.

The History Museum's main location is the medieval Great Guild Hall. Here, the permanent exhibition takes you through 11,000 years of Estonian history by means ranging from striking exhibits of artifacts to interactive "time capsules". Topics covered include a surprisingly wide range, from coinage and wine to the history of the Great Guild building itself. On top of that, there are always some temporary exhibitions which usually serve as a link with present-day Estonia and Tallinn.

This section of town is known as All-Linn or "Lower Town", as it's where the merchants and artisans of old Tallinn lived. Today, Viru is still Tallinn's trendiest shopping street and the entire All-Linn is the busiest (and most touristy) bit of Tallinn.