In this guide
💡 The Short Version: St. Olaf’s Church (Oleviste kirik) on Lai street has an open viewing platform 60 metres up, at the base of its 123.7-metre spire. You reach it by 258 steps on a historic spiral staircase, with no lift. The platform is open daily from 1 April to 31 October, 10:00 to 18:00, and closed in winter. It is free with the Tallinn Card. Or book a tour: a medieval walking tour of the Old Townad starts at the Town Hall, passes St. Olaf’s and ends at the Toompea viewpoints.
⚠️ The tower is closed in winter. The platform shuts from 31 October to 1 April, and the church is then open only during services. In winter, head instead to the free viewing terraces on Toompea or the indoor deck at the Tallinn TV Tower.
St. Olaf’s in the Tallinn skyline
St. Olaf’s Church (Oleviste kirik) stands at the northern edge of the Lower Town. It is named after the Norwegian king Olav II Haraldsson, and its first written mention is from 1267. The nave was rebuilt as a three-aisled basilica between 1436 and 1450, the stone part of the tower reached 57 metres, and the spire was finished by 1500. The tower was a landmark for ships crossing the Baltic.
Lightning has set the church alight repeatedly. The fires of 1625 and 1820 destroyed the interior and the tower, and there was another fire in 1831. Since 1950 the church has been used by an evangelical Baptist congregation.
St Olaf’s Church spire and tower. Photo: Ad Meskens, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Opening hours and tickets
The viewing platform opened to the public in 2002.
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Viewing platform | 1 April to 31 October, daily, 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Winter (31 October to 1 April) | Platform closed; church open during services only |
| Tallinn Card | Free climb |
Tours worth paying for
A guide gives you the Old Town around the church. The tower itself is a separate climb.
Medieval walking tour of the UNESCO-listed Old Town
From €36 · 4.8 stars from 363 reviews · 2 hours · small group, up to 10
The Tallinn: Medieval Walking Tour of the UNESCO-Listed Old Townad starts at the Town Hall. It walks past 14th and 15th-century houses, St. Olaf’s Church and the Town Hall pharmacy, then goes up to Toompea Castle and ends at the viewpoints. Wear shoes for cobbles.
View from St Olaf’s tower towards the harbour. Photo: Ren12, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee.
The climb: what to expect
- 258 steps: a historic spiral staircase inside the tower.
- No lift: there is no lift or wheelchair access. Skip the climb if you have claustrophobia, heart or knee problems or balance difficulties.
- The platform: it sits 60 metres up, at the base of the spire. It is open to the wind, so bring a jacket even in summer.
Old Town and Toompea from St Olaf’s tower. Photo: Ilya, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
What you see from the platform
- Towards Toompea: the tiled roofs of the Lower Town, then the limestone hill of Toompea with the domes of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Dome Church and the spire of St Nicholas’ (Niguliste).
- Towards the sea: the harbour and ferry terminals, with the Gulf of Finland behind them.
- Inland: the town wall towers and the park that runs along the wall, then the modern city centre.
Old Town panorama. Photo: Chmee2, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Was it once the world’s tallest building?
A popular claim says the spire stood 159 metres tall before the fire of 1625, which would have made it the tallest building in the world. The church disputes it. The figure comes from a note found in the tower in 1778, which gave the earlier height as 84 sülda (fathoms) without saying which fathom was meant. The church’s own history says the spire finished in 1500 need not have been much higher than today’s 123.7 metres.
Practical tips for your visit
- Bags: take a small bag. The staircase is narrow, and a big rucksack makes passing other climbers awkward.
- Wind: the platform is fully exposed, so bring a windproof layer.
- Alternative towers: if St Olaf’s is closed or the climb is too much, try these:
- Town Hall tower: shorter (115 steps to 34 metres) and open from 1 June to 31 August (€6).
- Tallinn TV Tower: a lift to the platform, open all year.
- Kohtuotsa and Patkuli: free viewpoints on Toompea, open at any hour.
What to see next
- Tallinn town wall and towers: Fat Margaret and the Great Coastal Gate are a short walk north of the church.
- St. Catherine’s Passage (Katariina käik): a medieval lane with craft workshops.
- Kalamaja and Noblessner: leave through the Great Coastal Gate for Kalamaja’s wooden houses and the seafront.
- Public transport in Tallinn: how to reach the church by tram.
Common questions
When is the St. Olaf's Church tower open?
The viewing platform is open daily from 1 April to 31 October, 10:00 to 18:00. It is closed in winter, and the church is then open only during services.
Is the St. Olaf's tower free with the Tallinn Card?
Yes, the tower climb is one of the attractions the Tallinn Card covers.
How many steps are there to the top of St. Olaf's?
The church counts 258 steps up a historic spiral staircase to a platform 60 metres up, at the base of the spire. There is no lift.
How tall is St. Olaf's Church?
The tower is 123.7 metres high in all. The stone part of the tower is 57 metres, and the spire was finished by 1500.
Where is St. Olaf's Church?
At Lai 50 in the northern part of the Old Town, a short walk from the Great Coastal Gate and Fat Margaret.
