Tallinn's Latin Quarter is an interesting district in the centre of the city. The Latin Quarter features the prominent Masters’ Courtyard, Gothic Dominican Monastery Museum, popular Tallinn City Museum, captivating Dominican Monastery Claustrum, and the marvelous St. Catherine’s Passage.
1) Rewill Handicraft Shop
The Rewill Handicraft Shop is situated on Vene street and sells authentic Estonian art and handicrafts. Rewill offers a wide selection of knitted articles, including sweaters, blankets, hats, scarves, socks, and mittens. The Rewill Handicraft Shop also has a nice catalog of souvenirs made from fur, wood, and stone.
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2) Masters’ Courtyard
The Masters’ Courtyard in Old Town is a courtyard devoted to the masters and craftsmen of Tallinn. Here you can buy original handicrafts and beautiful jewelery, as well as view art exhibitions. While at the Masters' Courtyard, make sure you sample the delightful and mouth-watering confections created in the Chocolaterie Café.
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3) Dominican Monastery Museum
The Dominican Monastery Museum is located in Old Town and proudly profiles a Gothic stone cloister, which was founded by monks in 1246. The museum features an exhibition on the stone masonry of Tallinn, as well as a wide collection of ancient stone carvings. The Dominican Monastery Museum also hosts occasional concerts and temporary exhibitions.
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4) St. Catherine’s Passage (Katariina Käik)
If you want to get a chance to really glimpse what life was like in the Old Town part of Tallinn, Estonia, you will want to visit St. Catherine’s Passage. It is located just a short distance from Town Hall.
The old passage connects Vene and Muurivahe Streets in town. On the northern end of the passage you will find the remnants of St. Catherine’s Church, which is one of the oldest churches in the city. In fact, the passage derives its name from the church. Many people like checking out the old tombstones that are an integral part of the sanctuary there. There are many famous people buried at St. Catherine’s
On a different note, the southern end of the passage will take you past some of the best artisan shops in Tallinn. You can watch the artists at work in their given craft, as well as check out some souvenir for sale. It’s one of the best places to get a memento of your visit to Tallinn. The whole passage is a nice morning’s hike for the exercise alone. If you want to stop for a moment, then you will want to get a cup of coffee at one of the quaint little cafes that are scattered down the passage. They aim to please.
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5) Tallinn City Museum (Tallinna Linnamuuseum)
The Tallinn City Museum recounts Tallinn's history and development from the 13th century through to Estonia’s independence. The museum is housed in a beautiful 14th century historic building. Inside, tourists will discover various artifacts belonging to different eras, including ceramics, tiles, glass objects, art, textiles, costumes, weapons, metal works, and much more.
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6) Dominican Monastery Claustrum
The Dominican Monastery Claustrum is located in the Old Town part of Tallinn, Estonia. It is not very far from the Viru Gates, which are the official entrance into this part of the city. The Monastery here was first formed in 1246, during a period of time when the city was a thriving and growing part of medieval Europe.
From a historical perspective, the building here is one of the most important in all of Tallinn. The clausure holds the most important of the rooms in the old building, and they were used for many purposes during the years. During the 14th and 15th Century, the meetings of the leadership of the Hariju and Virumaa Knighthoods took place here. The Old Capital Hall used to be here also. So, this building is important to the history of the city because of these types of meetings that took place in the clausure.
One of the first libraries in Tallinn was also located inside the Monastery. In addition to being able to see the old library, you can visit the old sacristy, vestry, and dormitories used by the monks and leaders of the city.
This location is often used for conferences for various organizations. The Old City Hall can hold up to 50 people for such a conference or meeting.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Unknown medieval monk