Viru Gate provides a clear entry, while Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats) reveals the former market at the civic heart of Lower Town. Town Hall makes that mercantile government tangible. St Olaf's to the north and St Nicholas to the southwest show how churches punctuate the compact fabric; the city wall adds a different view of its defences.
What to look for
The passage from Viru Gate into the merchant streets
The Town Hall facing its former market square
The contrast between St Olaf's and St Nicholas churches
Useful to know
Use the square as a pause between the gate and the churches.
Check individual museum and tower access if you want interiors or elevated views.
The route, stop by stop
Times are planning estimates. Unknown visit durations start at an editable 30 minutes; access is checked separately.
Viru Gate is the surviving pair of medieval gate towers at the eastern approach to Old Town. It gives a compact, readable introduction to how the walled town was entered.
