City center

A peculiar fact is that the administrative area of Kesklinn also includes Aegna Island.

The area of Kesklinn District is 30.6 km², of which 9.75 square kilometres are taken up by Lake Ülemiste and 2.9 square kilometres by Aegna Island.

As at 1 March 2019, there were 61,121 permanent residents registered in the district.

The conscious development of Tallinn city centre commenced during the Russian tsarist era in the nineteenth century. The current central part of Tallinn started taking shape in the beginning of the twentieth century.

The heart of Kesklinn is the Old Town established from the eleventh to the fifteenth century where the medieval street network, lot boundaries and many of the buildings have been preserved to date.

The power of the former Hanseatic City is still evidenced today by the Town Hall (re)built in 1404 together with the Town Hall Square, by St. Nicholas’ Church, St. Olaf’s Church (the tallest building in the world back in the day with its 159 meters), Church of the Holy Spirit and Russian churches, and the Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin, the monasteries of the Dominicans and Cistercian nuns as well as the Order Castle, i.e. Toompea Castle, with its colourful history.

More than half of the medieval city wall with its numerous towers and subsequent soil fortifications are still present.

The liveliest business and commercial areas of Estonia, incl. high-rise buildings built on Liivalaia, Tartu and Maakri streets, are situated in the immediate vicinity of the Old Town and in the area of the harbour.

A large number of Estonian social and cultural institutions are also situated in the city centre, some of which include, for example, the Parliament building (Toompea Castle) and the government residence (Stenbock House) in Toompea, Estonia Theatre building completed in 1923 and restored following World War II, the National Library in Tõnismäe, Kalev Stadium and Sports Hall, also numerous museums, theatres, governmental buildings, etc.

In addition to the Old Town under heritage conservation, Kesklinn includes five areas of cultural and environmental value. The best-known of these is Kadriorg with its Baroque-style Kadriorg Castle and park built in the eighteenth century together with the subdistrict surrounding it, which has been influenced by Russian architecture, wealthy holidaymakers and functionalism of the last century.

In addition to Kadriorg, Süda-Tatari quarter and Kassisaba subdistrict, different examples of wooden subdistricts common in Tallinn, have been taken under protection as complete areas. Rotermann Quarter situated between the Old Town and the harbour, characterised by large-scale stone structures influenced by Art Nouveau, and the area between Herne, Veerenni, Õilme and Magasini streets recognised for its greenery and garden city-like atmosphere have also been deemed to be areas of cultural and environmental value.

Despite being an important transport junction and a very densely populated area, Kesklinn is a district rich in landscaping. There are a total of 42 different green areas in Kesklinn, the best-known being Kadriorg Park, Toompark (vicinity of Snelli Pond), Hirvepark, Tammsaare Park, Musumägi. An important aspect of the city centre is the sea, as the territory of the district includes several kilometres of coastline (from City Hall to Maarjamäe Memorial). Tallinn Harbour is also situated in Kesklinn.

Tallinn Old Town comprising Toompea situated at a hilltop and the lower town is one of the best-preserved medieval port towns in Europe with its towers and the city wall, the protective systems of which were once among the strongest of their time.

There is a wide range of sports and exercise facilities in Kesklinn. It is home to Estonia’s newest football stadium A. Le Coq Arena built to international standards where football training and both domestic and international football matches are held. In the city centre area, athletics is practiced in Kadriorg, Kalev and Snelli stadiums. Among the indoor arenas situated on the territory of Kesklinn, the largest are Kalev Sports Hall and Tallinn Sports Hall. A large Tennis Centre is situated in Kadriorg.

Swimming facilities include the swimming pools of Kalev Spa, sports club Reval-Sport, Tallinn English College and Tallinn School no. 21 as well as the swimming pool of Kesklinna Sports Centre.

There are several parks in Kesklinn to take a stroll in, go for a run or exercises or to play simple sports games in. The largest of these are Kadriorg Park, Snelli Park, Hirvepark, Police Park and Lembitu Park. Parks are ideal for both playing frisbee as well as practicing Tai Chi or juggling.

Enthusiasts of extreme sports can take advantage of the ramps built in the Police Park and Skoone bastion, and Skoone bastion features the first parkour course in the Baltics where people can work on their balance and skills on different obstacles.

Enthusiast can train every day in outdoor gyms situated on the Towers’ Square, in the Police Park and Tiigiveski Park.

In the winter, skaters have access to the skating rink on Harju Street in the Old Town.

The city centre health trail is situated in Järve.

Thanks to its central location, Kesklinn connects several other districts: in the northwest, Kesklinn is bordered by Põhja-Tallinn, in the west by Kristiine, and in the southwest by Nõmme. In the south, the border of Kesklinn is the border between Tallinn and Rae rural municipality, while Lasnamäe is east of the district. In the northeast, Kesklinn stretches along the seashore to Maarjamäe Memorial, on the other side of which is Pirita District. The northern border of Kesklinn is the coastline of the Gulf of Finland.

Source: Tallinn City Government, Kesklinna District Administration, Wikipedia, Land Board, City24.ee

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