Viru Gate
Viru värav
Two round towers draped in ivy guard the eastern entrance to the Old Town, making it the most photogenic way into the Lower Town.
Viru Gate is the surviving eastern gatehouse of the 14th-century city walls. The original gate structure was demolished in the 19th century to allow traffic through, leaving only two outer towers with red spires. They are now covered in ivy and have become one of the most common images on Tallinn postcards. Passing through the gate brings you onto Viru Street, lined with restaurants, souvenir shops and flower stalls, and a gentle uphill walk of about 300 metres takes you to Town Hall Square. Inside the gate, on the north side along the city wall, Müürivahe Street has the "Sweater Wall", where local women sell hand-knitted sweaters, gloves and scarves. Entry is free and the gate is open around the clock, and the best time for photographs is early in the morning when it is quiet. It is a short walk from Viru Keskus and the Viru Hotel.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Tallinn City Walls
- St. Catherine's Passage
- Church of the Holy Spirit
- Town Hall Square & Tallinn Town Hall
- St. Olaf's Church
- Great Guild Hall (Estonian History Museum)
- Fat Margaret Tower (Estonian Maritime Museum)
- Rotermann Quarter