“With its impressive UNESCO Heritage Old Town, Tallinn is a great city where to capture your best travel pictures in company of your beloved ones.”

Welcome to Tallinn

With an impressive system of defensive towers and gothic cathedrals, Tallinn encapsulates a vibrant history that can be enjoyed around its winding cobblestone streets, hidden courtyards and majestic church spires.

From the old St. Catherine’s Passage to the iconic Town Square, its UNESCO World Heritage Old Town blends together the timeless spirit of a medieval past with the cosmopolitan atmosphere of a modern city.

You can learn more about my vacation photoshoots in Old Tallinn here.

best places to shoot in tallinn

1. St Olaf’s Church

During the late 16th century Estonia, Tallinn’s monumental St. Olaf’s Church was considered the tallest Gothic building the world had ever seen.

Once a signpost for trade ships and a surveillance point for the Soviet KGB, this Baptist church in the heart of Tallinn has suffered many lightning strikes and several transformations throughout the centuries.

Nevertheless, the beautiful cathedral of 124 meters still draws attention today as a leading symbol in the city skyline, welcoming travelers from all over the world to discover the very essence of Tallinn Old Town.

2. Towers’ Square

Featuring nearly 2 km of medieval wall, the Towers’ Square offers one of the best views in the Old Town of Tallinn.

This square that got transformed into a public park is a great scenic location to capture different travel pictures near Tallinn’s fortification system of bastions and defensive towers.

Standing in line next to each other, Plate, Eppingi and Grusbeke towers create one of the most iconic postcard views in the Old Town, drawing a magic landscape that seems to come out of a fairytale.

3. Hellemann Tower and City Wall

While most visitors walk up to the wall to enjoy the impressive views its platform provides, the lower part of the Hellemann Town Walkway offers a beautiful perspective of what medieval Tallinn is truly about:

Dating back to the 14th century, the narrow street that stretches near the wall gives us this timeless feeling of walking literally throughout the XV century.

An interesting place to visit when the sun rises in the morning, also to avoid the crowds at midday!

4. Kohtuotsa Viewing Platform

The first of the two best viewpoints in the city, the Kohtuotsa viewpoint platform offers breathtaking views over the medieval towers and spires that define the essence of Tallinn’s Old Town.

Right behind St. Mary’s Cathedral, the iconic Kohtu street leads to an open area that stretches until the edge of Toompea’s hill, facing right up to the historical city.

Located in a great scenic location, Kohtuotsa is an ideal place where to capture different kind of pictures with scenic backgrounds of the Estonian capital.

5. St. Catherine’s Passage

There are few passages, alleys or walkways that gather all the elements of what a beautiful cobblestone street from the medieval times should look like.

On the contrary, the iconic St. Catherine’s Passage in Old Tallinn will not disappoint.

This little passage near the old Catherine’s Church features beautiful pebbly walls on each lateral side, unified by four separated arches that, along with the ancient cobbles, give the location a true medieval feel.

6. Viru Gate

A great symbol of its UNESCO Old Town, there is no better way to begin your visit of Tallinn than walking through the emblematic Viru Gate.

A pair of magnificent ivy-covered towers standing as the true keepers of Tallinn’s medieval past offer an impressive glimpse of what is next to come.

The stunning Hellemann Town Walkway on the right side, followed by the iconic spire of the city’s Town Hall right in front at the distance.

7. Masters’ Courtyard

If you like those secret places that all medieval towns hide somewhere in their old town, look no further than the Masters’ Courtyard when visiting Tallinn.

Despite not being as hidden as one would expect, this big cobbled courtyard near the Town Hall Square has a unique peaceful vibe that will take you back in time.

A colorful terrace and little craft shops add to the vintage atmosphere of the place, which provides great scenic conditions to capture some of the most romantic pictures of your holiday photoshoot.

8. Town Hall Square

What would be of any European capital without its famous old city square?

The historical marketplace and heart of Old Tallinn is a wide area presided by a Gothic Town Hall on the southern side of the square.

A famous meeting point for locals and tourists alike, the iconic Town Hall Square features the essence of Tallinn’s medieval past like nothing else in the city.

9. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

For those travellers fascinated by the blue-domed churches in Santorini, this impressive cathedral in the heart of Tallinn is definitely worth their time.

An architectonical masterpiece built during the tsarist Russia, it features an ensemble of five domed towers in a majestic Orthodox-baroque style that can be seen from the distance.

In that sense, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on the top of Tallinn’s Toompea Hill is the largest Orthodox cathedral in Estonia and another landmark of this Baltic capital.

10. Patkuli Viewing Platform

The spectacular views over Tallinn’s Old Town that can be enjoyed from the Patkuli viewing platform are arguably the most photographed ones in the city.

While Kohtuotsa offers the best panorama eastwards to central Tallinn, Patkuli faces up north towards the city harbor and the monumental St. Olaf’s Church, offering a feast for the eyes and the city’s most famous postcard.

Moreover, Patkuli features yet another extra value: the spectacular sunsets that can be enjoyed during the warm summer nights are definitely one of a kind.

final words

There is no exaggeration by calling Tallinn the medieval pearl in the Baltic States. That is why, its UNESCO Old Town should be a must stop destination for any solo travelers, couples or families traveling in Northern Europe.

As a local photographer in Estonia, it will be my pleasure to show you around the best squares, hidden courtyards and majestic areas of the city while capturing memorable pictures of your visit.

Get in touch to book a vacation photoshoot in Tallinn here.

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My favorite photo spots in Tallinn