Old Tallinn consists of two parts: the Upper Town and the Lower Town. The Upper is located on the Toompea hill (from Estonian Toompea, meaning "cathedral hill"). These two neighbouring settlements have lived different lives throughout their history. Foreign nobles and rulers settled in the upper town, while traders, craftsmen, etc.
in the lower town.The first settlement on the territory of old Tallinn was a wooden fortification on Toompea Hill, which was founded around the 11th century. In 1219, the Danes led by King Valdemar II captured the fortification. From that moment Vyshgorod became the seat of foreign rulers. The Danes started building a stone fortress.
.In 1346, the city passed into the hands of the Livonian Order, which began to actively modernise the castle. As a result of this modernisation, the castle acquired a quadrangular shape, with 4 towers built at the corners. The first tower, built in 1360-70, was a 48-metre high structure called "Long Hermann". It acquired its present form in the 15th century, when it was extended by 10 metres. The next tower to be built was the Stür den Kerl tower on the south-east side. It had the shape of an octagon on a square base. At the same time, a small tower called Pielsticke was built in the north-west corner of the castle. In 1502, the Landskrone tower was built in the north-east of the castle, which we can see today in a dilapidated state. Toompea Castle was protected on the west side by a rocky cliff, and on the other sides it was surrounded by a 15-metre long moat.
From the beginning of the 16th century, the castle began to lose its defensive significance, and gradually became a representative building - a palace. From the middle of the 18th century, the castle began to undergo restoration works after a long period of neglect since the Great Northern War. By Catherine the Great's decree, a late Baroque palace was built instead of the eastern wall, which became the residence of the Governor-General of Estonia. The moat was filled with stones left from the destroyed wall. At the same time, the castle lost the Stür den Körl tower.
The north and west walls and three towers have survived to the present day. However, if you look at the castle from the west side, it makes a lasting impression: the huge structure overhangs a precipitous hill. It is a spectacular sight both during the day and at night, when the lights are switched on.
Since 1918, the castle has housed the government, and today the buildings are occupied by the Estonian Parliament, the Riigikogu (Est. Riigikogu). The Estonian Parliament is the highest organ of state power and makes the most important decisions in the country, such as appointing the Prime Minister and Supreme Court judges. Today, the Estonian flag is unfurled on the 48-metre Long Herman Tower.
