In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Toompea is the limestone hill above the Lower Town, home to Estonia’s parliament and to Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is free to enter. Toompea Castle, across Lossi plats, houses the parliament (Riigikogu); 45-minute guided tours are free if you book ahead, and you must show photo ID. The Kohtuotsa and Patkuli viewing platforms are free. Or book a tour: a guided Old Town historical walking tourad takes in Toompea Castle, the cathedral and both viewpoints.
⚠️ The parliament is a secure government site. To join a tour or sit in the public gallery you must show a valid photo ID: an ID card, passport, driving licence or student card. The buildings are closed to visitors at weekends.
The historic divide: Upper vs Lower Town
Toompea (Domberg in German, Cathedral Hill) has been the seat of power in Estonia for about 800 years. Danish viceroys, the Livonian Order, then Swedish and Russian governors ruled from here, while the merchants of the Lower Town governed themselves below. The two towns were merged only in 1878.
Today Toompea is quiet, with embassies, ministries and townhouses along cobbled lanes, and viewpoints over the roofs of the Old Town.
Mosaic, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Aleksander Nevski katedraal) stands on Lossi plats, opposite the parliament. It was designed by the St Petersburg architect Mikhail Preobrazhensky and consecrated on 30 April 1900, in honour of Alexander III’s escape from the imperial train crash at Borki in 1888. It was built facing Toompea Castle during the Russification of the Russian Empire, and many Estonians saw it as a symbol of Russian rule. In 1928 a bill to demolish it was put before the parliament, and the building survived after appeals from the Orthodox world.
The cathedral is an Orthodox parish under the Moscow Patriarchate.
- Architecture: a five-domed church in the style of old Russian churches, with three altars and room for 1,500 people. Mosaic panels sit above the entrances.
- Bells: the towers hold 11 bells, including the largest in Tallinn, which weighs 15 tonnes.
- Visitor rules: entry is free. Dress modestly and do not photograph during services.
- Services: the liturgy is at 08:30 and the evening service at 17:00 on weekdays.
| Period | Days | Opening hours | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 May to 30 September | Monday to Friday, Sunday | 08:00 to 18:00 | Free |
| 1 May to 30 September | Saturday | 08:00 to 19:00 | Free |
Tours worth paying for
A guide gets you the Toompea history in a couple of hours. The cathedral and the viewpoints are free to visit on your own.
Guided Old Town historical walking tour
From €35 · 4.9 stars from 1,616 reviews · 2 hours · small group
The Tallinn: Guided Old Town Historical Walking Tourad covers Toompea Castle, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and St Mary’s Cathedral in the Upper Town, with stops at the Kohtuotsa and Patkuli viewpoints. It starts under the Town Hall clock in the Lower Town.
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, climbs to the Upper Town, takes in the Orthodox cathedral and Toompea Castle, and finishes at the viewpoints.
Toompea Castle, seat of the Riigikogu. Photo: Brücke-Osteuropa, Public domain.
Toompea Castle and the Riigikogu
Toompea Castle (Toompea loss) at Lossi plats 1a is a medieval castle of the Livonian Order with later additions. The pink facade facing the square is a late-baroque palace built in the 18th century for the Russian provincial government. Inside the castle walls is the parliament building of the independent republic, which the Riigikogu describes as the only Expressionist-style parliament building.
Visiting the Riigikogu
- Guided tours: free, 45 minutes, in English, Estonian or Russian, and booked in advance on the Riigikogu tour booking page. The tour focuses on how the parliament works and covers the castle briefly.
- Groups: 10 to 35 people, Monday to Thursday 10:00 to 15:00 and Friday 10:00 to 13:00.
- Individual visitors: English-language public tours do not run from 6 November 2026 to 2 April 2027, and return from 2 April 2027.
- Entry: tours enter by the right-hand foyer. Photo ID is required.
- Watching a sitting: no booking is needed. Go to the left-hand foyer and ask the receptionist. Regular sittings are on Mondays from 15:00, Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00 to 13:00 and Wednesdays from 14:00 (Question Time at 12:00), in plenary weeks only. Check the Riigikogu working schedule first.
Pikk Hermann tower beside Toompea Castle. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Pikk Hermann (Tall Hermann)
Pikk Hermann is the round tower at the south-western corner of the castle, built in the second half of the 14th century and 45.6 metres high. The Estonian flag flies from its top.
The flag is raised at sunrise (never before 07:00), with the national anthem, and lowered at sunset to Gustav Ernesaks’s song Mu isamaa on minu arm. The tower is closed on normal tours, and opens to the public on three days a year:
- Riigikogu Open House Day: in April.
- National Flag Day: 4 June.
- Restoration of Independence Day: 20 August.
Toompea viewpoints
Both main viewing platforms are free and open at any hour.
- Kohtuotsa platform: looks over the red roofs and church spires of the Old Town towards the harbour.
- Patkuli platform: looks north along the town wall and its towers.
Go early in the morning for the quietest views.
St Mary’s Cathedral (the Dome Church)
A short walk along Toom-Kooli from Lossi plats brings you to St Mary’s Cathedral (Tallinna Neitsi Maarja Toomkirik), the Lutheran cathedral of Tallinn and one of the city’s oldest churches, first mentioned in 1233. It is full of gravestones from the 13th to 18th centuries and coat-of-arms epitaphs from the 17th to 20th centuries. The Swedish commander Pontus De la Gardie, Admiral Samuel Greig and the explorer Adam Johann von Krusenstern are buried here.
The church is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 16:00 all year, with a donation requested for a visit. You can climb the 69-metre baroque bell tower with a separate ticket, but only in fine weather and when no concert or service is on.
How to reach Toompea on foot
Access from the Lower Town is on foot:
- Lühike jalg (Short Leg): a flight of medieval stone steps near St Nicholas’ Church, climbing past the Danish King’s Garden.
- Pikk jalg (Long Leg): a gently sloping cobbled street, easier with a pushchair.
- Patkuli stairs: a steep stair up the northern cliff from Snelli Park near the Balti Jaam railway station.
What to see next
- Tallinn town wall and towers: Kiek in de Kök and the bastion passages at the foot of Toompea.
- Town Hall and Town Hall Square: go down the Short Leg to the central square.
- Telliskivi Creative City: take the Patkuli stairs down and cross the railway to the former factory quarter.
- Free things to do in Tallinn: more self-guided walks and historic corners.
Common questions
How much does it cost to enter Alexander Nevsky Cathedral?
Entry is free. From 1 May to 30 September the cathedral is open Monday to Friday and Sunday 08:00 to 18:00, and Saturday 08:00 to 19:00. It is a working Orthodox cathedral, with a liturgy at 08:30 and an evening service at 17:00 on weekdays.
Can tourists visit the Estonian Parliament in Toompea Castle?
Yes. Guided tours of the Riigikogu are free but must be booked in advance on the parliament's booking system, and every visitor needs photo ID. Group tours for 10 to 35 people run Monday to Thursday 10:00 to 15:00 and Friday 10:00 to 13:00. English-language tours for individual visitors are not offered from 6 November 2026 to 2 April 2027.
Can I watch the Estonian Parliament in session?
Yes. You can follow a sitting from the visitors' gallery without registering. Go to the left-hand foyer of Toompea Castle, ask the receptionist and show photo ID. Sittings are held Monday to Thursday in plenary weeks, and the parliament sits from January to June and from September to December.
Can you climb Pikk Hermann tower?
Only on three days a year: Riigikogu Open House Day in April, National Flag Day on 4 June and the Day of Restoration of Independence on 20 August.
Where are the best viewpoints on Toompea?
The Kohtuotsa platform looks over the red roofs and church spires of the Old Town towards the harbour. The Patkuli platform looks along the town wall. Both are free.
