St Olaf's Church

Oleviste has burned down and been rebuilt more times than any other building in Tallinn - lightning has struck the spire at least eight times. In its medieval maximum the spire is thought to have reached around 159 metres, which would have made it the tallest building in the world at the time. Today it stands at about 124 metres, still enough to define the skyline from the sea.

What you actually see

A tall, austere Gothic interior with very little decoration - the congregation is Baptist now, and the whitewashed nave is plain by cathedral standards. The height is the effect rather than the ornament.

The reason most visitors come is the tower. A tight spiral of 232 stone steps leads to a narrow external walkway around the base of the spire, and from there you get the whole old town roofscape, the port, and the Gulf of Finland.

When to go

• April to October - the tower is open; outside that season it closes.
• Early morning or late afternoon - the stair is single-file and gets congested in the middle of the day.
• Clear days - the walkway is exposed and pointless in fog.

Honest expectations

The climb is genuinely tight, unlit in places, and there is no way to pass someone coming down comfortably. Anyone uneasy with confined spaces or heights should skip it - the walkway is narrow with a low railing.

The church interior itself is plain and takes ten minutes. Do not travel for the building alone.

Nearby

The Fat Margaret maritime museum and the Great Coastal Gate are two minutes north. Telliskivi is a fifteen-minute walk through the Balti Jaam area.