Tallinn: Old Town in Depth - Part 11

On the opposite side of the Town Hall square, across from #12 in the corner, the pharmacy (Raeapteek) dates from 1422 and claims to be Europe’s oldest. With decor that goes back to medieval times, the still-operating pharmacy welcomes visitors with painted ceiling beams, English descriptions, and long expired aspirin. Past the functioning counter is a room of display cases with historical exhibits.
Town Hall Square is ringed by inviting but touristy places to eat and drink, a few of which are still affordable, such as Troika and the Kehrwieder cafés.

If you are facing the Town Hall, you can head right up Dunkri street which is lined with several more of these eating places, after a short walk you get to the wheel well, named for the “high-tech” wheel, a marvel that made fetching water easier.

You then turn left on Rataskaevu street, which soon becomes Rüütli and walk two to three hundred metres to St. Nicholas Church.

St. Nicholas Church (Niguliste Kirik)

This 13th-century Gothic church turned art museum served the German merchants and knights who lived in this neighbourhood 500 years ago. On March 9, 1944, while Tallinn was in German hands, Soviet forces bombed the city. The church and surrounding area, which was once a charming district packed with medieval buildings, were burned out and only the church was rebuilt.

The church’s interior houses a fine collection of mostly Gothic-era ecclesiastical art. You will enter the church through the modern cellar, where you can see photos of the WWII destruction of the building. Then you make your way into the vast, open church interior. Right in the middle is the collection’s highlight; a retable, which is a framed altarpiece from 1481. It was produced by Herman Rode and is an exquisite example of the northern Germanic late Gothic style. Along with scenes from the life of St. Nicholas and an array of other saints, the altarpiece shows the skyline of Lübeck, Germany. This was Rode’s hometown, and, like Tallinn, a Hanseatic trading city. The intricate symbolism is explained by a nearby touchscreen. Also look for another work by a Lübeck master, Bernt Notke’s Danse Macabre or “Dance of Death”. Once nearly 100 feet long, the surviving fragment shows sinister skeletons approaching people from all walks of life. This common medieval theme reminds the viewer that life is fleeting, and no matter who we are, we’ll all wind up in the same place.

After you leave here as you face the church you turn left and walk downhill on Rüütli street. You will soon pass near Freedom Square which is a taste of modern Tallinn. However, for now, we have finished the walk around the lower town so let’s continue into the upper town.

Continued in part 12