Lined by the harbor, Tallinn Old Town, and the Viru Center shopping mall, lies the Rotermann Quarter, the official center point of Tallinn. Being the meeting point of three main roads, the quarter was busy as far back as the 19th century.

That’s why an entrepreneur called Christian Abraham Rotermann found the place and founded his company there in 1829. Rotermann’s factory produced building equipment. It soon also housed a distillery and a pasta factory, and it wasn’t long before Tallinn’s largest mill followed it into the neighborhood.

Soviet occupation

During the Soviet occupation, the quarter was badly dilapidated. But a 2001 decision ordered its preservation and planning of its renovation began. Today, the Rotermann Quarter is an architectural masterpiece mixing old and new, it received significant international awards.

The bustling quarter has plenty of fashion shops, cafés, restaurants, and activities ranging from beauty parlors to a cinema. Don’t forget the brand-new Tallinn Design House with its diverse collection of Estonian designs! Above all that, the quarter is home to many kinds of companies, such as legal offices and advertising agencies – and many people of Tallinn, as well.

The Stalker’s Path thanks its name to the famous Russian film ”Stalker” by Andrei Tarkovsky, filmed on this very spot back in 1979. The path is the latest and most delicious part of the whole Rotermann Quarter. Many restaurants and cafés have recently opened in the old grain elevator, serving all kinds of delicacies for their hungry clients.

Why not pop in before a night at the Coca-Cola Plaza Cinema? And while you’re out and about, remember to try the Kalev Chocolate Shop, filled with confections from Estonian’s major candy factory.

Architecture lovers should visit the Museum of Estonian Architecture in the former salt storage building. Around the corner are the Estonian Firefighting Museum and the Hotel Viru & KGB Museum. The latter offers its visitors a fascinating throwback to Soviet history not so long ago.

A good starting point for sightseeing the Rotermann Quarter in Tallinn is Freedom Square (Vabaduse Väljak), right next to the Old Town. The square is a popular meeting spot. It also offers a glimpse into the Estonian past.

On opposite sides of the square stand two of its most striking structures. St. John’s Church (Jaani kirik), built in the 1860s, is a true survivor among the city’s churches. Despite two attempts to tear it down during the last century, it’s still standing to this day.

Those interested in churches should also visit the nearby Charles XI Lutheran Church (Kaarli kirik). It’s known for the first Estonian fresco and the country’s largest church organ. Both churches are popular concert venues.

Monument for Independence

On the other side of the Freedom Square, the Monument to the War of Independence is reaching out to the sky. It reminds me of Estonia’s rocky path to its freedom between 1918-1920. The medieval canon tower Kiek in de Kök peeks right behind it. On the north-western corner of the square, right next to the pharmacy, there’s another chance to have a look at history. A glass panel in the street reveals the foundation and stairs of the medieval Harju Gate Tower.

Thanks to its central location, Freedom Square is full of life and passers-by. But it’s also a place for those looking for a relaxing moment on a bench or in a café. Wabadus (Freedom) Restaurant has been near the square since 1937. The menu of this stylish but relaxed restaurant is modern and tasty.

Café KuKu is a couple of years older than its neighbor, and it’s the place for the artists of Tallinn. No wonder – the café is next to Tallinn Art Hall and two galleries: Tallinn Art Hall Gallery and Vabaduse Gallery. Modern everyday art you can admire (and buy) at Nu Nordik, a design shop completely dedicated to Estonian design.

 

The Museum of Estonian Architecture is from January 1, 1991, a time of political anxiety that lasted for a little over six months more, until Estonia regained independence. Since 1996 its permanent home has been the historical building of the Rotermann Salt Storage. This is one of Tallinn’s most outstanding examples of industrial architecture.

The museum aims to operate on a broad front and be able to offer something to specialists, tourists, as well as schoolchildren. The Museum also communicates on the international level. It’s a board member of the International Confederation of Architectural Museums (ICAM) and has good relationships with both Nordic and European architectural institutions.

20th-century and contemporary architecture

Like most architectural museums in the world, the Museum of Estonian Architecture focuses on collecting, researching, and displaying 20th-century and contemporary architecture. The Museum possesses a very good archive of drawings and design projects from the 1920s–1930s as well as from the Soviet period. It also has a photo archive and an expanding collection of models.

The greater part of the latter is on display as part of the permanent exhibition titled “Space in Motion: A Century of Estonian Architecture”. Active engagement with the issues surrounding contemporary architecture is important to the Museum too, as residing in a changing era means an obligation to analyze and acquaint today’s living environment to the greater public. The Museum’s exhibitions on local architectural history, international practice, as well as the most up-to-date architecture still in its conceptual phase are one way to teach people to notice that environment.

Address	Ahtri 2, Tallinn
Telephone	+372 625 70 00

 

In 1806, the confectioner Lorenz Caviezel laid the foundation for the Estonian confectionery industry. He opened his confectionery store on Pikk Street, where Maiasmokk Café is now situated. This will become the oldest precursor of today’s Kalev. In 1864, the confectionery store changed hands many times, until Georg Stude Senior bought it in 1864 and expanded it.

Marzipan and chocolate

Marzipan figurines and hand-made chocolate confectionery were the most sought-after items in Stude’s store. The Russian Imperial Court was among those clients who ordered sweets from Stude’s company. Maiasmokk Café makes unique marzipan figurines to this day, using historical marzipan molds and methods.

The start of the nationalization and merging of confectionery companies happened in 1940. Brandmann’s company merged with the Riola factory. The new name of the company became the Karamell Confectionery Factory.

Later, the department of marzipan and chocolate confectionery of Georg Stude’s company joined Karamell. Then, cakes and pastries were still made in the building on Pikk Street, which is still known as Maiasmokk Café. The Efekt, Eelis, Endla, and Soliid factories were soon merged with Kawe, as was the Ermos syrup production facility in Kloodi Manor near Rakvere. The merged company continued operating under the name of Kawe.