Pirita Convent Ruins

The convent of St Bridget at Pirita was founded in 1407 by Tallinn merchants and built through the fifteenth century as a double house of nuns and monks, one of the larger Bridgettine establishments in the region, and it was destroyed in 1577 during the Livonian wars and never rebuilt. The great west gable stands almost to full height, a plain limestone wall pierced by the tall arched window and the portal, with the side walls and parts of the cloister surviving lower. It stands in a graveyard by the Pirita river near the beach and the yacht harbour built for the 1980 Olympic sailing events. Concerts are held in the ruins in summer.

What you actually see

• The west gable - the surviving high wall with its window and portal.
• The church walls - the roofless nave and side walls.
• The graveyard - the burials around the ruins.
• The Pirita setting - the river, beach and marina nearby.

When to go

May to September when the site is staffed and concerts run; access is reduced in winter. The beach and marina beside it make a longer visit. Evenings in summer are used for performances.

Honest expectations

Only the shell survives and there is little interpretation. Opening hours are seasonal. The site is small and takes an hour. Concert evenings restrict ordinary access.

Nearby

Pirita beach and marina are adjacent; Kadriorg lies southwest.