Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Dome Church (Toomkirik):
Estonia is ostensibly Lutheran, but few Tallinners go
to church. A recent Gallup Poll showed Estonia to be the least religious country in the
European Union—only 14 percent of respondents identified religion as an important part of
their daily lives. Most churches double as concert venues or museums, but this one is still
used for worship. Officially St. Mary's Church but popularly called the Dome Church, it's a
perfect example of simple Northern European Gothic, built in the 13th century during Dan-
ish rule, then rebuilt after a 1684 fire. Once the church of Tallinn's wealthy German-speak-
ing aristocracy, it's littered with more than a hundred coats of arms, carved by local masters
as memorials to the deceased and inscribed with German tributes. The earliest dates from
the 1600s, the latest from around 1900. For €5, you can climb 140 steps up the tower to
enjoy the view (church entry free, daily 9:00-18:00,
www.eelk.ee/tallinna.toom
)
.
