Toompea
The hilltop half of Old Town — parliament, cathedrals, and two viewing platforms that everyone photographs.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral onion domes on Toompea hill
Why people stay in Toompea
Toompea is the limestone bluff above Vanalinn where the Estonian parliament sits inside Toompea Castle and the pink baroque wall faces off against Alexander Nevsky Cathedral's onion domes. Kohtuotsa and Patkuli viewing platforms deliver the postcard shot of red rooftops and the harbor beyond. It's small — you can walk the whole plateau in twenty minutes — and by 8pm most of it empties out because there are almost no restaurants up here.
Stay here if you want quiet nights and the shortest possible walk to the two big cathedrals. Skip it if you want dining options after dark: you’ll be walking down Pikk jalg or Lühike jalg to Vanalinn for anything beyond a hotel bar. Cobbles are worse than the lower town, and the wind at Kohtuotsa in November will rearrange your face.
Hotel options are limited — maybe a dozen properties, mostly boutique conversions of 18th-century townhouses on Toom-Kooli and Kiriku plats. Expect $150-$280 a night in high season, $95-$150 off-peak. The Schlössle and Three Sisters are the marquee names but sit lower down. On Toompea proper look at smaller guesthouses near Kohtu tänav. Avoid anything right on Lossi plats during weekday mornings — parliament traffic and tour buses arrive at 8am sharp.
What to see
Hotels in Toompea
Getting around Toompea
The only way up is on foot: the two medieval stairways, Pikk jalg (long leg) and Lühike jalg (short leg), both start near Nunne tänav in lower Vanalinn. Lühike jalg is steeper but faster, six minutes to the top. Cars must approach via Falgi tee from the west and need a permit for most streets. From the airport, bus 2 to A. Laikmaa then a 15-minute walk including the climb.
Questions about Toompea
Only if you value quiet over convenience. Great for the views and cathedrals, but you’ll walk down to Vanalinn for every meal. Two nights maximum.
About 25 meters of elevation. Lühike jalg is 100 steps in one go; Pikk jalg is a gentler cobbled ramp. Wheeled luggage struggles on both.
