What is Old Town of Tallinn?
[[File:Tallinn_old_town_model.jpg|thumb|Model of the old town]] [[File:Tornide_väljak_2014.jpg|thumb|Tallinn city wall, Tornide square]] The '''Old town of Tallinn''' is the oldest district of Tallinn. It has been a [[World Heritage Site]] since 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bureau|first=Tallinn City Tourist Office & Convention|title=Visit Tallinn official city guide|url=https://visittallinn.ee/|access-date=2023-08-19|website=Visit Tallinn|language=en-gb}}</ref> There are four parts built for different purposes. They have different [[architecture]]. * '''Toompea''' is 20-30 metres above the surrounding area on a rocky hill. It has an area of 6 hectares . It belonged to the [[Order of Brothers of the Sword]] since the 13th century. It was run separately from the lower city and separated by a wall. * '''The sub-city''' is between Toompea and the harbor and has an area of 29.3 ha. The lower city is surrounded by a ring wall and the [[Lübeck law|law of Lübeck]] was in force there . The area enclosed by the ring wall together with Toompea was 35.3 hectares. By this measure Tallinn was once the largest city in [[Northern Europe]]. * '''The city wall''' Building began in 1310. It was finished in 1355 . In 1561 there was a 2.5 kilometre long ring wall around the lower city, which had 27 wall and eight gate towers and nine front gate and 12 front defense towers . A moat filled mostly with water was outside the wall. * '''The earthen defense zone''' which surrounds the lower city and Toompea. Earth [[Fortification|fortifications]] were built in the 19th century. The [[soil]] protection zone covers 79 hectares and today is largely a park, separating the old town from the new parts of the city. Tallinn joined the [[Hanseatic League]] in the thirteenth century. ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Tallinn]] [[Category:History of Estonia]]