St Olaf's Church tower: should you climb it?

The church that was once the tallest building on Earth

Between 1549 and 1625, the spire of St Olaf’s Church — known in Estonian as Oleviste kirik — was, according to the historical record, the tallest human-built structure in the world at approximately 159 metres. This was a period when Tallinn was a prosperous Hanseatic trading port and the church was a landmark visible to sailors approaching across the Gulf of Finland.

The current spire is 124 metres — reduced after several lightning strikes and fires over the centuries. The church has been struck by lightning at least four times since the original construction, each strike igniting fires that damaged the wooden elements. The 18th-century spire visible today is more modest than the medieval original but still the most distinctive silhouette on the Tallinn skyline.

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Climbing the tower: the practical reality

The tower climb is one of the most visited paid attractions in Old Town, and the experience is honestly mixed. Here is what you should know before buying a ticket.

The staircase: 258 steps, winding and narrow. In the lower section, two people cannot easily pass each other. Some steps are steep and uneven. The walls close in; there is no natural light for most of the ascent. People with claustrophobia or limited mobility should factor this in before committing.

The platform: At approximately 60 metres height (the accessible observation level — you cannot reach the full 124-metre spire peak), the platform is small and exposed. On a busy summer day in July or August, it holds perhaps 10–15 people comfortably. Queues form below.

The views: Genuinely excellent. Looking north: Tallinn Bay and the port, Linnahall and the Noblessner peninsula. Looking south: the full sweep of Old Town rooftops with Toompea Hill and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral rising beyond. Looking east: Kadriorg Park and the edge of the Soviet-era suburbs. Looking west: Kalamaja and Telliskivi, the TV Tower on the Pirita horizon.

For comparison with other viewpoint options, see best viewpoints in Tallinn Old Town.

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Ticket prices and opening hours (2026)

Price: €5 per person (cash or card accepted at the entrance on Olevimägi Street, the lane running alongside the church).

Opening times:

• April and October: 10:00–18:00 daily
• May and September: 10:00–18:00 daily
• June–August (peak): 10:00–20:00 daily
• November–March: tower closed

The tower closes in winter because the staircase and platform become hazardous in icy conditions. If you are visiting outside the April–October window, the tower will not be accessible.

Note: Hours can vary slightly; the church posts current times at the entrance. The tower may close during services or events — these are infrequent but occur.

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The church itself

The tower admission price does not include access to the nave, which is a functioning Baptist congregation (St Olaf’s has been a Baptist church since the Soviet era, when the congregation took over the building). Church services are Sunday morning; the building is sometimes open for brief visits at other times but this is not guaranteed.

The exterior of the church on Pikk Street is worth examining even without entering. The north portal has carved stonework; the building materials include limestone, brick and later rendered surfaces that mark the different construction phases. The current building dates primarily from the 15th century, with later modifications.

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The church’s history in brief

St Olaf’s Church has been one of the defining structures of Tallinn since the medieval period, but its identity has shifted more than its stonework. The history follows the religious and political changes of the city with unusual fidelity.

Origins: The church is mentioned in written records from the 13th century and was likely established by Scandinavian merchants who traded at the Tallinn harbour — St Olaf (Olav II of Norway) was the patron saint of medieval Scandinavian maritime communities. The original building was wooden; the stone structure was built progressively from the 14th century.

Catholic to Lutheran: The Reformation reached Tallinn in the 1520s, and St Olaf’s became a Lutheran church by 1524. The transition was not peaceful — Reformation crowds in 1524 smashed the Catholic furnishings and altarpieces, a pattern repeated across the Baltic cities. The church’s subsequent history as a Lutheran parish lasted through the Swedish and most of the Russian Imperial periods.

Soviet era: During the Soviet occupation, the building was confiscated from the Lutheran congregation and used for various purposes. From 1950, it operated as a radio transmission station — the spire, then as now the tallest structure in the city, was used as an antenna mast. The congregation was not permitted to return.

Baptist occupation: After independence was restored, the building was not returned to the Lutheran church but was granted to a Baptist congregation — the Estonian Evangelic Baptist Church — which has operated the parish since. This is why St Olaf’s is today a Baptist church rather than Lutheran: an accident of post-Soviet property restitution.

The tower strikes: The original 159-metre spire was repeatedly struck by lightning — the tower has been hit at least four times by documented lightning strikes since the medieval period, with major fires in 1433, 1531, 1625 and 1820. Each fire destroyed or damaged the wooden upper sections of the spire; each reconstruction rebuilt it to a smaller height than the original. The current 124-metre spire dates from the 1840 reconstruction.

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Who should and shouldn’t climb the tower

Definitely climb if: You are comfortable with stairs and enclosed spaces, you want 360-degree views rather than the specific Old Town panorama of the Toompea platforms, or you want to experience a church tower that has genuinely been the tallest structure in the world. The historical fact alone is extraordinary.

Consider alternatives if: You have knee problems, significant claustrophobia, difficulty with steep or uneven stairs, or if mobility is a concern. The staircase is narrow, steep and winding. There is no handrail on some sections. People regularly turn back partway up; there is no shame in this, but there is a queue behind you to navigate.

For families: Children who are comfortable on playground climbing equipment tend to find the tower climb exciting. Very young children (under 5) are not safe on the staircase. The minimum practical age is around 6–7, and only if the child is confident and not prone to panicking in enclosed spaces. The platform at the top has a railing, but children should be supervised closely.

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Is the tower climb worth the €5?

Honestly, yes — for most visitors. The 360-degree view from the platform is one of the best in Tallinn, it is accessible by climbing rather than requiring a separate ticket to a purpose-built observation tower, and the experience of a medieval church tower has a different quality to modern viewing platforms. The price is low enough that it is rarely a question of value.

The caveats: if you have knee problems or difficulty with steep, narrow staircases, the climb is uncomfortable. If you are visiting in a group, the small platform means you will be sharing it with strangers. And if you are visiting in peak July or August between 11:00 and 15:00, the queues below can add 20 minutes to your wait.

Compare with other paid viewpoints:

• Tallinn TV Tower (€16, modern, lift available, further from the centre) — see Tallinn TV tower guide
• Toompea viewing platforms (free, excellent Lower Town panorama) — see Toompea Hill
• Kiek in de Kök tower (€8–14, medieval, requires more climbing, good northwestern view) — see Kiek in de Kök and Bastion Tunnels

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What you can photograph from the tower

The platform at the top of St Olaf’s tower is roughly circular, approximately 3–4 metres in diameter. The railing is solid; there is no wire mesh or glass that would obstruct a camera lens. Photography conditions are good if the sky is clear.

North view: Tallinn Bay, the port cranes, Linnahall’s concrete roofline, the Noblessner peninsula and the open water toward Helsinki. On a clear day, the white hulls of Tallink or Viking Line ferries are visible against the water.

South view: Toompea Hill with the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral domes and the parliament building visible above the roofline of the Lower Town. The layered profile — red tile rooftops, then limestone towers, then the Toompea escarpment, then the cathedral spires — makes for the clearest single image of Old Town’s structure from any viewpoint.

East view: Kadriorg Park’s tree canopy, the Kumu Art Museum building (visible in clear conditions), and the start of the Pirita coastal road. The TV Tower’s needle is visible on the horizon.

West view: The Kalamaja neighbourhood, with its mix of wooden vernacular houses and later brick apartment buildings. Telliskivi’s industrial rooflines. The TV broadcast towers further west.

For best results: A slightly wide focal length (24–28mm equivalent) works well on the platform. The platform is circular enough that you can find shooting angles without fighting other visitors for position. If you are sharing the platform with a tour group, wait for them to move through before settling into your preferred angle — they rarely stay more than 5 minutes.

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The church at ground level

Even if you do not climb the tower, St Olaf’s Church rewards attention at street level.

The north facade on Olevimägi Street shows the scale of the medieval building. The portal — the main entrance arch — has decorative carved stonework that is easier to examine here than anywhere on the tower. The materials visible in the wall fabric represent several centuries of construction: original 14th-century limestone, later brick repairs, 19th-century render, and the very different textural quality of different building phases.

The surrounding lane of Olevimägi runs along the north side of the church. At the lane’s end toward the harbour, the Paks Margareeta tower (Fat Margaret) is visible — connecting St Olaf’s to the city wall circuit. Walking from the church north to Fat Margaret takes 5 minutes and passes through one of the quieter corners of the Lower Town.

The Lutheran congregation that operates the nave occasionally holds summer concerts in the church. These are listed at the entrance and on the Estonian church concert listings online — the acoustics of the Gothic nave are very good.

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Location and combining with Old Town

St Olaf’s is on Pikk Street in the northern part of the Lower Town, roughly halfway between Raekoja plats (7 minutes south) and the Great Coastal Gate (2 minutes north). The lane alongside the church, Olevimägi, leads down to the city wall area and toward St Catherine’s Passage.

Building the church into a half-day circuit:

1. Start at Raekoja plats
2. Walk north along Pikk Street past the Great Guild Hall and Three Sisters houses
3. Climb St Olaf’s tower (30–45 minutes)
4. Continue to the Great Coastal Gate and Paks Margareeta tower
5. Walk the city wall towers section back south
6. End at Katariina käik and St Catherine’s Passage

This circuit covers the essential northern half of the Lower Town in about 2.5–3 hours.

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Guided tours that include St Olaf’s

The tower itself is self-guided (no guide inside), but guided tours of Old Town typically pass the church and provide the historical context that the brief on-site information boards lack.

Book the 2-hour medieval Tallinn Old Town tour (includes St Olaf’s exterior and history) Book the Tallinn medieval walking tour