Oleviste church in Tallinn address. Olevista Church. Observation deck and view of Tallinn

lutheran church St. Olaf (Oleviste) is one of the main attractions of Tallinn and the main city dominant - the spire of the church is visible for many tens of kilometers.

In its current form, St. Olaf's Church has a height of 123.7 meters and, according to the decision of the Tallinn City Council, skyscrapers under construction in the business center of the city cannot be higher than Church of Oleviste.

The legend of the construction of the Church of St. Olaf (Olevist)

In the Middle Ages st olaf church was the tallest building in Eastern Europe, with the construction of which the following legend was associated with its very name:

In those years, Tallinn was still very small and merchant ships preferred other, larger harbors to it. And the townspeople decided to build in their city such a temple that would overshadow all other buildings in the world with its height and splendor - then the ships would notice it and come to Tallinn with their goods. The search went on for a long time, and the townspeople were already completely desperate to find an architect capable of such work, when suddenly an unknown master of enormous growth appeared and agreed to build a unique church - but the trouble is, he asked for a considerable fee, ten kegs of gold.

So much money could not be found in all of the then Tallinn - and the townspeople were again depressed. Then the master added the following condition: if the townspeople know his name, he will not take a single coin from them. The Tallinners agreed with relief - the church is being built for a long time, during its construction they will somehow contrive and find out the name of the builder, and thus avoid payment. Then the question arose where exactly to build a new church - in the Upper City or the Lower.

Opponents of construction in the Upper City claimed that there the highest church in the world would reach the clouds with its calm, and if lightning struck it during a thunderstorm, it would burn down (the legend is a legend, but the further fate of the church has repeatedly confirmed the validity of their fears). The argument was recognized as reasonable and it was decided to build a church in the Lower City, not far from its northern border.

The master set to work - and she argued very much with him: he lays a stone - the wall rises, he lays another - and the vault is ready. And the shoes on him are unusual, magical - just a step, but a mile away. The townspeople tried to make friends with him and find out his name, but all to no avail - the architect was laconic, he did not get close to anyone.

In the meantime, construction was nearing completion, and the higher the walls of the church rose, the greater the fear of the cunning Tallinners became in front of the ten barrels of gold promised to the architect. Where to take them? The townspeople decided to send a spy to the builder's wife - well, how can he find out anything. The spy was unlucky for a long time, until one day he heard her cradling the child and saying:

“Sleep, my little one, sleep.
Olev will return home soon
with a bag full of gold.

The scout hurried to the city with good news - the name of the builder is Olev! The architect was just at the top of the tower, setting up the cross. The Tallinners started shouting to him from below:

- Olev, you really try! Look, the cross is tilted! You fix him!

The master was struck by lightning: the townspeople recognized his name and would not see him gold! In horror, his hands unclenched, released the cross, his foot stumbled - he lost his balance and flew down from the scaffolding. The church was tall, and its builder fell for a long time - and when he hit the ground, his body turned to stone, and a toad jumped out of his mouth and crawled out a snake. So the petrified Olev remained in the courtyard of the church, and she herself was called Oleviste - after the name of the master who built it.

Of course, this is nothing more than a beautiful legend, which every decent building is supposed to have. And the historical truth is that by its name the church St. Olaf - Oleviste(Oleviste kirik) is obliged to the Norwegian king Olaf II Haraldson, who brought Christianity to Northern Europe and for this was canonized as a saint. In addition, Saint Olaf was revered as the patron saint of sailors.

For many years, a spire shot up to the sky St Olaf's Church served as an excellent guide for ships calling at the port of Tallinn - in the 16th century, the height of the church reached 159 meters. True, the height of the spire also carried a serious danger: the church was struck by lightning eight times, and devastating fires occurred in it three times during the load - according to the chronicle, once the fiery glow was visible even from the coast of Finland, which is 80 kilometers away from Tallinn .

In 1820 st olaf church once again burned down and after the restructuring became significantly lower - now its height is 123.7 meters. The fire also destroyed the rich interior decoration, which became much more modest after the restoration.

In 1547 in history St Olaf's Church there was an event mentioned in the chronicle of the famous chronicler Baltazar Russov: tightrope walkers arrived in the city, pulled their rope between the tower Church of St. Olaf-Oleviste and the city fortress wall and began to perform their tricks on it to the horror and delight of the townspeople.

Belfry of St. Olaf's Church

In summer, you can climb the bell tower of the Oleviste Church - for this you need to climb the medieval spiral staircase:

In terms of climbing, the bell tower of St. Olaf's Church is the most interesting of all the bell towers in Tallinn (because it is the highest and extremely well located) - and, by the way, the most inexpensive: you can climb up to the observation deck for only 2 euros. The views from there are simply amazing - the entire Lower Town and Toompea Hill are in full view:

From my point of view, the views from the observation deck more than compensate for the costs incurred: on a fine day, the Upper and Lower cities of Tallinn are perfectly visible, as well as the Baltic Sea and the ferry port, from where huge ships leave for Helsinki, Stockholm, Riga and St. Petersburg.

The bell tower of St. Olaf's Church is open from April 1 to June 30 from 10:00 to 18:00; from July 1 to August 31 from 10:00 to 20:00; from September 1 to October 31 from 10:00 to 18:00.

Bas-relief depicting the construction of the Church of St. Olaf:

The Church of St. Olaf - or as it is also called Oleviste - is known primarily for the fact that it was once the tallest building not only in Tallinn, but also in Europe. At this point in time, it occupies only the second place in height in the Estonian capital, losing leadership to the television tower.

The church tower is the best viewing platform in Tallinn and gives you the opportunity to see the city from all four sides from a bird's eye view.

1. How to get there, location of the church

We sailed to Tallinn by ferry from Helsinki. If you sail Tallink Silja Line, then when landing it is better to take a taxi or take a bus to the old city (the terminal is far away), but if you get by Viking Line ferry company, then you can walk on foot - the terminal is 10 minutes walk. The photo below shows the terminal, the photo was taken from the Oleviste tower:

Church of St. Olaf is almost the first attraction on the way from the terminal to the old city. Located on Lai Street.

Full address:

Lai 50, 10133 Tallinn, Estonia

2. Church opening hours, ticket price

Entrance to the church building itself is free, you can get there freely, however, the entrance to the spire is paid and will cost 3 euros for an adult, for children and pensioners the price is lower. By issuing a Tallinn Card, you will get to the observation deck for free. You can climb the tower from 10 am to 8 pm, but only from April 1 to October 31.

Prices can be found even without entering the building, there is a sign with prices at the entrance. All inscriptions are duplicated in Russian. You can only pay by cash, cards are not accepted.
There, at the checkout, you can buy various souvenirs: magnets, professional photographs of Tallinn, magazines.

There was no queue at the box office, we quickly bought tickets.

Before you go to the observation deck, the controller will tear off the ticket stubs:

3. Olaf's Church as an observation deck

I wrote in detail about the three observation decks of Tallinn in a separate review and talked about the fact that the tower of the Oleviste Church, although objectively the best platform in terms of viewing the city, but in terms of safety and convenience, you can’t imagine worse.

The fact is that in order to get to the spire, you have to go through 258 steps. At first glance, this seems like nonsense. But you don't know all the conditions

A narrow corridor leads to the top of the tower, in which a couple of people can hardly fit.

Who am I kidding! Two people cannot pass at once - the different thickness of the steps interferes (this is a spiral staircase, where one part of the steps is wider and the other is narrower).

The height of the steps is different, the illumination is weak, there are no railings other than a stretched rope. Moreover, the rope sags in some places and if you stumble, then this rope will not even save))

Lighting in this "corridor" are lamps screwed into the ceiling. There are very narrow windows on the walls, but in fact they do not serve as a source of light.

In general, going upstairs is another quest! You need to have good physical fitness and dexterity to go all the way back and forth and get out of the church alive.

By the way, the church administration is not responsible for your health and life, it is even written in the cash register area.

My husband and I are courageous and desperate people, during our fourth visit to Tallinn we decided on this feat (all three trips before that we walked in circles around the church and went into the inner hall as much as possible). And, you know, I regretted it, although I think that it is better to do it and regret it than to regret not having done it.

But it's one thing to experience difficulties during the ascent and descent, and another thing to experience inconvenience on the tower itself - the aisles are too narrow, again, you can't part with another person.
Summing up, I want to say that I categorically do not recommend the Church of St. Olaf as an observation deck! It's not that it's not worth three euros, I seriously believe that we should have been paid extra for such a feat

A long time ago, the tower was even higher, but survived many fires and was repeatedly restored; over time, its spire became smaller.

Photos of Tallinn taken from the Oleviste observation deck:

4. The inner hall of the Church of St. Olaf

Oleviste Church is Protestant. Here you will not see luxury, wealth, a gilded iconostasis, a maximum of one or two hand-painted frescoes, no ancient icons, maximum simplicity and modesty. We counted only two icons.

Very kind and bright atmosphere. This temple inside reminded me of the Cathedral of Finland, by the way, the same age as Olevista (also built in the 13th century). He is also Lutheran.

Inside, it may seem boring, gray and uninteresting. But this is only at first glance.

As I mentioned above, the church repeatedly fell victim to fires, but mainly the spire suffered, but we can now see the "innards" of the hall as they were many years ago. The last time the interior was restored was about two hundred years ago.

Inside, you can see several arches that seem to support the supporting structures of the roof. They are arranged symmetrically and at a certain angle create an interesting geometric pattern. Under the arch is an organ that plays every Sunday service at 10 and 12 am. The chandeliers hang very low and are suspended from the dome with metal chains.

The hall is bright thanks to the numerous windows.

On both sides of the aisle are numerous benches, each row of which is closed by a door. You can walk around the whole hall in a circle, you can also sit down on a free seat and enjoy a calm and peaceful atmosphere.

There is an altar in the center, where the only icon of the crucifixion of Christ is located (maybe this is a fresco, because of the fence it is not visible).

One of the most attractive buildings in the Estonian capital is one of the 20 tallest churches in the world, although in fact it is only the second tallest building in Tallinn after the TV tower.

Due to its size, the church attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists. They come to enjoy the observation deck, which offers a panoramic view of the sea and the Old Town.

Church history

The exact date of construction of the temple is unknown. Most sources suggest that Oleviste Church already stood in the heart of medieval Tallinn in the 13th century. Legend has it that the church was built here because the inhabitants of the city wanted to have the highest and beautiful temple in the world. Its size was supposed to be a beacon for foreign merchants who came to Tallinn to trade.

The name of the church comes from the Norwegian king Olaf II Haraldson, who was canonized for the conversion of Northern Europe and Estonia to Christianity. At 159 meters high, the Gothic St. Olav's Church was the tallest building in Europe of that period. The building held this status until the devastating fire of 1625, which was then caused by a thunderstorm. Lightning strikes struck the temple eight times, three of which set it on fire. People say that the fire was so strong that it could be seen even from the coast of Finland.

Oleviste Church was restored in the 16th century after the construction of the chapel of St. Mary. It was also richly decorated with late Gothic ornaments. However, in 1524, the church was plundered and destroyed by supporters of the Reformation. The modern layout of the religious site was established in the middle of the 19th century, after the building was again repaired after another fire. Today, the Gothic starry ceilings and the bas-relief of St. Olaf are the most remarkable elements of the temple.

On the main tower of the church, right above the entrance, there is a large 14-meter window. Nine windows of the same shape, but smaller, are slightly higher.

The height of the stone base is 63 m, and the spire is 70 m.

Church Tower - Chapel of the Virgin Mary

The chapel was added at the beginning of the 16th century. Then the temple was erected by German architects - Bernt Wolf and Gert Koning. Interior painting was done by Clemence Palais and Henrik Bildensnider.

A fire that broke out due to a lightning strike at the beginning of the 19th century led to ten years of restoration of the Chapel of the Virgin Mary. It was caused by lightning that struck the spire of the church.

Features of the church organ

The church acquired an organ in 1842. It was made by the well-known company of Eberhard Friedrich Walker and delivered by sea to Tallinn straight from Germany. main feature organ in perfectly matched details, which is why it still surprises visitors with its clarity and diversity of sound.

Observation deck and view of Tallinn

In Tallinn, the highest view point opens in the summer. It is located 60 meters above ground level and can be reached by a long spiral staircase. Such a difficult ascent is worth the effort, as the observation deck of the Oleviste church offers exceptionally good views to the Old City. From here you can see Tallinn from all sides and take beautiful panoramic photos.

Entrance to the observation deck is paid.

Contact Information

Popular hotels near Oleviste Church: Three Sisters Hotel (Pikk 71/Tolli 2, Tallinn 10133), Meriton Old Town (Lai 49, Tallinn 10133), Rixwell Gotthard Hotel (Pikk 66, Tallinn 10133) and Braavo Hotel (Aia 20, Tallinn 10111).
Tickets: With Tallinn Card entrance to the temple is free. Adult - 2 EUR, and children - 1 EUR.
Address: Lai 50
Working hours: from April 20 to June 30 from 10:00 to 18:00 (Monday - Sunday); from July 1 to August 31 from 10:00 to 20:00 (Monday - Sunday); from September 1 to October 31 from 10:00 to 18:00 (Monday - Sunday).
Web site: www.oleviste.ee
Telephone: +3726412241

In Tallinn there is a very beautiful and ancient building, which is called Oleviste Church. However, this is how the townspeople call the temple, the official name of the church was in honor of one famous saint of the Norwegian king Olaf II. This building has been the tallest building in the Estonian capital for many years. What to say about Estonia, the church was the highest in all of Europe. This building influenced the history of the country, so, for example, it was from this place that the Reformation began.

Initially, in the XIII century, this building was erected for the needs catholic church. The temple got its name "Church of St. Olaf" in honor of one king of Norway, who after his earthly life was canonized. The first documents that have survived today indicate that it was erected in 1267 and already at that time towered over the city with a height of 159 meters. The spire of the church was of particular importance for the sailors, it was their guide to the city.

Moreover, this spire was not only an assistant in navigation, but also served as a lightning rod. It was for natural reasons that the church was completely burned down three times, but each time it was restored. When the church burned, it was said that people saw flames even in the neighboring country, in Finland.

The most serious reconstruction of the church was carried out in the 15th century. It was during this period of time that new choirs were built, and the longitudinal part was also redone in these years, and it was she who turned into a basilica with tetrahedral pillars. About 100 years later, a chapel of the Virgin Mary was added to the Olevista Church.

Height

As already reported, in the Middle Ages, the height of this church was 159 meters, however, after the last fire, which happened in 1830, the height of the building decreased to 123 meters. It was then that the last mass reconstruction of the premises took place, which a modern tourist can see today.

How many steps

The ascent to the top of the observation deck of this building is quite difficult. The staircase is made according to the spiral method, the steps are not the same, and they have different heights, which further complicates the ascent to the highest building in the capital. To get to the top, each person will have to overcome 232 steps. However, such difficulty of the ascent fully justifies itself, when the tourist is on the observation deck, in good weather, there is an opportunity to see the lights of the city of Helsinki.

Oleviste: the legend of the construction of the church

According to urban legend, the Oleviste church got its name not at all from the name of St. Olaf, King Olaf II of Norway, but from the name of the master who agreed to erect the church with the highest spire.

By the way, today the Oleviste Church is in the TOP-20 of the highest temples in the world and is the second tallest building in the Estonian capital after the Tallinn TV tower.

Many centuries ago, the inhabitants of Tallinn decided to build a church in their city with the highest spire, which would become a landmark for foreign merchants sailing across the sea to the city. Among the masters, there was only one architect who decided to take on such a difficult task. For his work, the master asked for 10 barrels of gold, but this amount seemed too high to the city authorities. Then the young man offered a deal: if before the end of the construction the locals find out his name, then he will not take a penny for his work, otherwise the city authorities will have to pay him 10 barrels of gold.

The townspeople did not want to pay the architect such a large amount, and when the construction of the temple was already coming to an end, a spy was sent to the wife of the master. After waiting for the night, he overheard a lullaby that a mother sang to her little son. In her song, the woman mentioned the name of her husband: “Tomorrow Papa Olev will return home,” she sang. On the last day of construction, when the mysterious architect was installing a cross on the spire of the church, one of the townspeople called him by name. The frustrated master dropped the cross from his hands, and in surprise he fell from a height to the ground. When Olev fell, his body immediately turned to stone, and a snake crawled out of his mouth and a frog jumped out. The townspeople believe that Olev fell victim evil spirit because without help otherworldly forces it was simply impossible to build such a tall building in those days.

Opening hours

It is worth noting that you can visit the Church of St. Olaf from April 1 to October 31 daily from 10:00 to 18:00. If you want to visit the Oleviste observation deck, which is located in the tower of the Church of St. Olaf, then you can do this from April 1 to June 31 and from September 1 to October 31 daily from 10:00 to 18:00, and from July 1 to August 31 daily from 10:00 to 20:00.

Church of St Olaf

01.04–31.10

• Daily: from 10:00 to 18:00

Observation deck Oleviste

01.04–31.06 , 01.09–31.10

• Daily: from 10:00 to 18:00

01.07–31.08

• Daily: from 10:00 to 20:00

Ticket price

A visit to the Church of Oleviste is free, but the entrance to the observation deck for adults will be 2 €, for children - 1 €.

Address

This building is located in the northern part of the Old City, at the address:

• Lai tanav 50

How to get there

First of all, you need to understand that public transport does not go through the Old Town in Tallinn, so you need to get to nearby stops by public transport or taxi, and then go on foot to the church.

Your best bet is to take the tram and get off at the Linnahall stop, then walk for a few minutes. Leaving at this stop, the tower will be visible from afar, this is the tallest building in Tallinn, according to the law, the construction of structures above it is prohibited.

Official site

If there is a need to find out up-to-date information about the Olevista Church, then a person can go to the official website

• oleviste.her

and find out all the news that are related to this place.

Oleviste Church (Estonia) - description, history, location. The exact address and website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

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The attention of many tourists walking around Tallinn is attracted by the slender spire of one attraction that goes into the sky. You won't miss it either: it's the Oleviste Baptist Church. It is named after the canonized Norwegian king Olaf II. And here the exact date when the Oleviste Church was erected, historians cannot name and are inclined to believe that this happened around 1267.

Tourists can climb to the observation deck of the Oleviste Church, from here Tallinn looks at a glance.

Until the middle of the 16th century, the temple remained the tallest religious building in the world, but it was precisely because of this that it repeatedly suffered from natural disasters. The fact is that the spire of the Church of Oleviste attracted lightning strikes, from which the temple even ignited several times. They say that once the same point was used by ... tightrope walkers. The artists stretched a rope from the spire to the city walls of Tallinn and staged an unforgettable performance for the townspeople.

Oleviste Church is open to everyone: both believers and tourists. By the way, guests of Tallinn have the opportunity to climb the observation deck of the temple.

This pleasure costs some 3 EUR for adults and 1 EUR for children from 7 to 14 years old, and the impressions from the seen panorama of the city will remain for a lifetime. But for this you will need to remember your "favorite" activities in the fitness club, since you have to overcome more than one steep staircase - in medieval church Olevista, as you understand, there is no elevator.

The church and the observation deck are open daily from 10:00 to 18:00.

If you're lucky, you can still visit an organ concert or become a listener of choral singing. Musical events in the Oleviste Church are held quite often.

Prices on the page are for November 2018.