Town Hall Square and Tallinn Town Hall (Raekoda)

Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats) has been the civic and commercial centre of Tallinn's Old Town since the Middle Ages, when merchants of the Hanseatic city traded here and the town council met in the building that still dominates the east side of the square. The Gothic Town Hall (Raekoda), completed in 1404, is regarded as the only surviving medieval town hall of its kind in northern Europe. Its arcaded ground floor, limestone facade and slender octagonal spire are the main subject of photographs, and the weathervane at the top, a figure known as Old Thomas (Vana Toomas), has watched over the square since 1530. Inside, visitors who time their trip for the open season can walk through the Citizens' Hall, the Council Chamber with its carved oak benches and the vaulted rooms where the city's magistrates once sat, and in summer the tower can be climbed for a view back over the square. Around the square stand tall merchants' houses with stepped gables, cafes with outdoor tables, and the Town Council Pharmacy (Raeapteek), one of the oldest continuously operating pharmacies in Europe. A round paving stone near the centre, the 'Kaardiring' or compass stone, is a popular spot for photographs. The best vantage points are the corner by Dunkri street for a full view of the spire, and the cafe terraces on the west side. In Estonia the square is also the home of the city's Christmas market in December, with a large tree, wooden stalls and mulled wine, and the open space hosts a medieval market in summer. The square takes about 30 minutes to see, and the Town Hall interior adds 45 to 60 minutes. Crowds peak between late morning and mid-afternoon when cruise ship groups arrive from the nearby harbour; early mornings and late evenings are noticeably quieter.