Tower thick margarita tallinn. Large sea gate and thick margarita tower in Tallinn - from the gun tower to the museum. Opening hours of the Estonian Maritime Museum
Fat Margaret Tower (Tallinn, Estonia) - expositions, opening hours, address, phone numbers, official website.
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To the right of the Sea Gate, the main entrance from the port beyond the city wall of Tallinn, rises an elegant, slender turret, and to the left is a huge, heavy, frightening-looking structure that clearly does not harmonize with it. This is a gun tower, built according to the rules of fortification of the 16th century, three centuries later than the fortress itself, when the defense of the port waters required the use of heavy long-range artillery. At first she was called simply New and only over time, under the influence of urban tales, she was renamed Fat Margarita.
Legends and witchcraft
Guides always tell tourists about the great love between fisherman Margarita and craftsman Herman. A certain evil sorceress did not like their bright feeling and she turned the guy into the tallest tower of the Toompea castle - Long Herman, and his beloved became Fat Margarita.
But there is another version - the girl did not meet the beauty standards of that time, she was too thin. And the witch conjured that all she had to do was circle around any local plump woman to take away all her corpulence. But Margarita got carried away and became a huge tower. Nowadays, many girls believe that if they walk around her in a circle, the witchcraft will work again and they will lose weight.
New life for an old tower
The ancient structure still looks very menacing today. The gray walls, 6 m thick, are cut through with loopholes, and cast iron and bronze cannons of impressive size and weight are laid out on the lawn next to them. Inside there is an exhibition of the Estonian Maritime Museum, an interesting collection of nautical maps, ancient navigational instruments, ship models, photographs and documents telling about the long and complex history of mankind’s exploration of maritime affairs.
All people who look at the panorama of the capital of Estonia for the first time see a rather interesting feature of the city. No matter which way they look, various towers will be visible. It doesn’t matter what kind of building it is: St. Olaf’s Church, the Dome Cathedral or the sea gate, all these structures have massive towers. That is why they are a kind of calling card of Tallinn.
When a tourist descends into the lower city, he can see with his own eyes how majestic all these structures with spiers at the top look. It is very difficult to imagine Old Tallinn without large fortress walls, which still have not survived to our time, as they were 300 years ago. However, even what has been preserved is enough to fully experience the power of the Middle Ages.
Most of all the defensive structures in Tallinn look somehow the same, however, there is one structure that stands out strongly from the general background - this tower is called Fat Margaret.
According to surviving documents, Fat Margaret was built in the 16th century. At that time, the tower was located at the extreme northern point, and due to its location, at one time it served as an excellent place for conducting aimed fire at all invaders, of whom there were many in the Middle Ages. The walls of the tower are quite massive and very powerful, everyone inside was very well protected from various attacks, so there were many archers there, hitting their targets.
Adjacent to Fat Margaret is the Great Sea Gate, which was erected 200 years before the construction of the tower. Naturally, they acquired this name because of the close proximity to the port, where all kinds of traders, ambassadors and other personalities came. All sailors who arrived in the city passed through this structure.
As for the name of the tower, there are no supporting documents of its origin. However, there is one fairly popular legend about two lovers. A curse was placed on this young couple; they could not see each other after midnight. But, as it happens, they were so carried away by each other that they forgot about time. When the couple noticed that it was already midnight, they began to run away from each other in different directions, but it was already too late. The young man’s name was Herman, he turned into the “Long Herman” tower, and the girl’s name was Margarita, so she turned into the “Fat Margarita” tower.
Maritime Museum of Estonia
This museum is the main one in the country in terms of maritime themes. All exhibits that are located here are directly related to the history of the development of navigation. There are also various artifacts necessary for underwater exploration of the seas. The first diving suit is quite interesting; many tourists pay special attention to it.
The pride of the museum is a large mast with a sail. It was installed in the center of the tower, and the extreme point of the mast almost reaches the very top of Fat Margarita.
It is worth noting separately that all the signs that are located near the exhibits are written in five languages (including Russian).
Observation deck
Here is not only the best maritime museum in the country, but also an observation deck. All visitors to this museum have the right to visit this site. It is worth noting that it is far from the highest in the city, however, tourists have the opportunity to see the historical part of the city from a new perspective, because it is located a little higher even from this tower.
Address on the map
This attraction is located slightly north of the Old Town. Thick Margarina is located at:
- Pikk tanav 70
How to get to the Fat Margaret Tower
Walking distance to the tower from the train station is only 10 - 15 minutes. The tourist needs to focus on the northeastern part of the Old Town. If a person gets there from another place, then in this case you can use the tram; there is a tram stop very close to the tower - Linnahall. It is worth noting that tram travel costs 1.2 Euro.
Working hours
Depending on the time of year, the museum and observation deck are open until different times. from May 1 to September 31, Fat Margaret is open from 10:00 to 19:00; from October 1 to April 30, the museum opens as usual, but only closes one hour earlier, at 18:00.
From May to October
- Monday-Sunday: from 10:00 to 19:00
From October to April
- Monday-Sunday: from 10:00 to 18:00
Ticket prices
The entrance ticket for an adult is 6 euros, a child and student ticket is 3 euros. If a tourist has, then entry to the museum and the observation deck is completely free.
Fat Margaret Tower is located at the end of Pikk Street and, by its diameter, is the largest tower of the city wall in Tallinn.
From the history
The Margaret gun tower was built in the 16th century in front of the large sea gate and was originally called the New Tower. Its dimensions are 20 meters in height and 25 meters in diameter, the thickness of the walls is from 4.5 to 5.2 meters, and the number of loopholes on it is 155. Fat Margaret received its modern name about 150 years ago.
Even today, when there are many large buildings around, this structure surprises with its power. And four hundred years ago it made an even stronger impression.
Above the Great Sea Gate, between two embrasures on a dolomite slab, a small coat of arms of the city is carved in stone, represented in the form of a battle shield with a cross, supported by two griffins and crowned with a knight's helmet.
Currently, the ancient building houses the Estonian Maritime Museum, the exhibits of which tell about the history of seafaring and fish farming, shipbuilding and navigation in Estonia. The museum displays a large-scale model of the ferry Estonia, which sank between Tallinn and Stockholm. Quite ancient objects created even before our era are also on display - fishing utensils made of bone and horn.
- At a time when the warring parties were armed with bows and arrows, crossbows and stones, the higher the tower was, the more convenient it was to attack the enemy. Therefore, they tried to build towers as high as possible. At the end of the 14th century, firearms appeared in the European north - cannons and arquebuses. The more powerful the cores were, the heavier they were and the wider the walls for the towers were required. Then they began to build them thicker and squat.
- All fortresses eventually become unnecessary and useless structures, which are very difficult to find use for. At the end of the 19th century, an extension was erected to house the prison. It was the first building in Tallinn built specifically for a prison. From 1905 to 1917, political prisoners were kept there. During the revolution of 1917, an uprising arose in the city and detachments of workers, soldiers and sailors dealt with the prison guards.
The Fat Margaret Tower protected the entrance to the city and the harbor and thus guarded the treasury of Tallinn.
Opening hours of the Tallinn Maritime Museum in 2019
The exhibition of the Maritime Museum in the Fat Margaret Tower is closed for reconstruction. Opening is expected in autumn 2019.
Address: Estonia, Tallinn, st. Pikk
Coordinates: 59°26"33.1"N 24°44"58.7"E
Short description
In the Lower Town of Tallinn, surrounded by defensive fortifications in the Middle Ages, numerous fragments of walls, gates and towers have been preserved.
Great Sea Gate and Fat Margaret Tower from a bird's eye view
The Great Sea Gate, located in the northern part of Old Tallinn, next to the harbor, can easily claim the title of “the most impregnable defensive structures.” The defensive ensemble with watchtowers protected the city from pirate raids and contributed to the prosperity of the trading harbor, attracting the attention of overseas merchants.
The Great Sea Gate, which originally connected the port of Tallinn with Toompea along the line of modern Pikk Street, was built in 1265 by order of the Danish Queen Margaret. In the 16th century, during the reconstruction of the Sea Gate, the Westphalian master Gert Koning added a gun tower with 155 loopholes to it. This squat tower, only 20 meters high, thanks to its thick walls - from 4.5 to 5.2 meters - was a formidable weapon against the attackers. For its impressive size - 25 meters in diameter - the tower was called “Fat Margaret”.
View of the Fat Margaret Tower from Rannamee Street
Protecting the entrance to the harbor and the city, "Fat Margaret" served as the guardian of Tallinn's revenue. The artistic value of the ensemble is enhanced by the small coat of arms of the city carved in stone, located on a dolomite slab, between two embrasures, above the Great Sea Gate. The heraldic emblem is made in the form of a battle shield with a cross, supported by two griffins and crowned with a knight's helmet. In the Middle Ages, a guard was on duty at each loophole of the tower.
In connection with the development of artillery, medieval fortifications were replaced by bastions and reduits, and the Fat Margaret Tower, having lost its defensive significance, began to be used as a barracks, a warehouse, and from the 1830s there was a prison within its walls. From 1905 to 1917, political prisoners were kept in the prison. In 1917, Estonian proletarians set fire to the tower. However, “Fat Margaret” was lucky - on April 23, 1981, a branch of the Estonian Maritime Museum opened in the tower restored by Polish restorers.
View of the Great Sea Gate from Pikk Street
“Fat Margarita” and “Long Herman” - a cheerful couple
Estonians often joke that “Fat Margarita” is the wife of “Long Herman”. Surely the reader guessed that “Long Herman” is also a tower. “Herman” reaches 45.6 meters in height, but its volume is much more modest than that of his wife “Margarita” - only 9.5 meters in diameter. It is worth noting that the “long boy” and the “fat girl” are located far from each other, in different parts of Old Tallinn.
Maritime Museum within the walls of the Fat Margaret Tower
Reminding city guests and Tallinn residents of the terrible times, “Fat Margarita” stores 70 thousand exhibits in its museum collections, but due to limited space, only a small part of them is exhibited. The Maritime Museum of the Tower (Pikk St., 70) displays a rich collection of ancient ship models, navigation instruments, models of the most important lighthouses of the Baltic, the steering wheel of the English steamer "Auk", which sank during the First World War, barrels, ropes, anchors and other items related to with the sea and sailors, fishing gear, etc.
View of the Great Sea Gate and the Fat Margaret Tower from the west
From the observation deck located on the roof of the Fat Margaret tower, amazing views of the street open up. Pikk,
When I first saw the panorama of the old part of Tallinn, I was struck by the abundance of towers and spiers rising above the main buildings. It is noteworthy that all these buildings, be it the town hall, St. Olaf's Church or the Dome Cathedral, to one degree or another are the calling cards of the Estonian capital.
At the same time, having descended into the Lower City, I saw with my own eyes that its face is determined not only by the majestic spiers visible from afar. For example, it is difficult to imagine Old without fortress walls, which, unfortunately, have not been fully preserved. But even those sites that have survived to this day are enough for one to look at them and mentally transport them back several centuries.
If we talk about the defensive towers of Tallinn fortifications, most of them are made quite laconically and are in many ways similar to each other. But there is one among them that stands out significantly from the rest of the elements of the fortification system of the Old City. So, Fat Margaret Tower.
The story of Tolstoy Margarita
The tower was built at the beginning of the 16th century. Since it was located at the northernmost point of the city wall, it is quite logical that the tower is a mini-bastion from which, if necessary, it is possible to conduct massive shelling of the enemy, and thanks to the increased thickness of the walls, its defenders were much safer than those who fought fire from the fortress walls.
Adjacent to the tower is the Great Sea Gate, built two centuries before Fat Margaret. They received this name because they are closest to the Tallinn port, and merchants and foreign ambassadors arriving in the city by sea entered through them.
About the name of the tower
I could not find any reliable information about the origin of its name, but there is a legend about two lovers who were under a curse that did not allow them to be together after midnight. It’s not for nothing that they say that happy people don’t notice the hours, because once they stayed together longer than usual and when, realizing this, they started running in different directions, it was already too late. As a result, a young man named Herman turned into the “Long Herman” tower of Toompea Castle, and the girl Margarita became the heroine of my story today.
How to get to the Fat Margaret Tower
First of all, we should get to the historical part of the city. Fat Margaret Tower (Paks Margareeta in Estonian) is part of the surviving fortifications of the Old Town and is located on its northeastern border. The address where the tower is located is st. Pikk, 70.
The tower is within walking distance from the railway station and port, and the average travel time is 15 and 10 minutes, respectively. In addition, the Linnahall tram stop is very close to the tower. The cost of one trip is 1.2 euros, unless, of course, you are the holder of a Tallinn Card tourist card, which will be discussed below.
Maritime Museum of Estonia
Today, the main exhibition of the Estonian Maritime Museum is located inside the tower. The exhibits collected there are in one way or another connected with the history of navigation, as well as research into the depths of the sea and underwater archeology. One of the exhibits that stands out is a mast with a sail, installed in the center of the tower and reaching almost to the ceiling of the upper tier.
Signatures under the exhibits are made in five languages, including Russian, and among the curious artifacts, I was impressed by the first diving suits.
Observation deck of Tolstoy Margarita
In addition to the exhibition, visitors to the Maritime Museum have the opportunity to go up to the observation deck of the tower. Of course, in height it is significantly inferior to the tower of the Olaviste Cathedral, but thanks to this fact, from it you can look at the historical part of the city not only from top to bottom, but also from bottom to top.
Opening hours of the Estonian Maritime Museum
The museum is open to the public every day from 10.00 to 19.00, although most exhibitions in the Old Town close at 18.00.
The entrance ticket price is:
- for adults - 5 euros,
- for minors and students - 3 euros.
You can visit the museum for free if you have a TallinnCard tourist card. It gives you the right to free admission to several dozen museums in the Estonian capital, the right to free travel on intracity transport, the right to receive discounts in some shops and restaurants and a number of other pleasant bonuses. The validity period is 1, 2 or 3 days, and the cost is 32, 42 and 52 euros, respectively.
You can purchase a map at the tourist information center, not far from the Niguliste Church, at st. Niguliste, 2.
Instead of a conclusion
Traveling through countries and cities, I have long noted to myself that every medieval fortress has one or more details that are a kind of calling card of a particular fortification. The Sea Gate of Old Rhodes, the Bokar Bastion and the Minceta Tower in Croatian Dubrovnik, and finally, the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin - if desired, this list can be continued for a very long time, and if you set yourself the goal of bringing it to the end, it will inevitably include the Long Herman and Fat Margarita towers in Tallinn.