Tallinn Old Town — Hanseatic Secret Ledger

Your investigation begins on Raekoja plats, the Town Hall Square, Tallinn's administrative center since the 13th century. In front of the Town Hall, built in 1404 and restored in 1684 with its 64 m Baroque spire, you can imagine the markets and public executions held there until the 18th century. Nearby, at 11 Raekoja plats, the Raeapteek, a 15th-century Gothic pharmacy, is Europe's oldest still in operation, founded in 1422. It sold medieval remedies, including mummy powder mixtures until the 19th century, and is now classified as an Estonian historical monument. A first clue might be hidden there, revealing the initial step of your quest for the Hanseatic merchants.

Continuing your journey through Tallinn's Old Town, you enter Katariina käik, a narrow 110 m cobbled alley dating from the 14th century. It is lined with artisan workshops, the last vestiges of the Hanseatic guilds, and runs along the outer wall of St. Catherine's Church. Until the 18th century, this wall displayed nearly 1500 skulls of medieval executed individuals, a sight that would have impressed the merchants of the time. The alley, restored in 1952 after war damage, leads you towards the fortifications, where the Kiek in de Kök artillery tower, built around 1475, dominates the city from its 38 m height. Its name, 'Look into the kitchen' in Low German, refers to its function of monitoring the lower houses of Tallinn. It resisted Swedish attacks in 1710 and, since 2009, has been part of the Bastion of Legends with its 22 underground tunnels.

Your route through the city of Tallinn then takes you to Niguliste kirik, St. Nicholas' Church, built in the 13th century by the Holy Cross Merchants' Guild. This Estonian historical monument, 44 m long with an interior height of 20 m, housed a 105 m tower before its partial destruction in 1941. It is here that Bernt Notke, the famous Hanseatic painter and sculptor, created his altarpiece of the Dance Macabre in 1474, an emblematic work of medieval art. Restored in 1984, the church is now an art museum, where traces of the Great Guild are still palpable. The Secret Ledger might have been hidden here by Valdemar II of Denmark, who conquered Tallinn, to keep it from rival merchants.

Your quest then leads you to the Suurgildi hoone, the Great Guild Hall, built in 1410 for the Hanseatic Great Guild of Tallinn. Located at 15 Pikk tänav, this 900 m² Gothic building was the center for foreign merchants until the 17th century, testifying to Tallinn's commercial importance in the Harju region. Today, it houses the Museum of Occupations of Estonia since 2003, a place that recalls Estonia's historical upheavals. Nearby, the Mustpeade maja, the House of the Brotherhood of Black Heads, built in 1597 and rebuilt in 2000 after its destruction in 1941, features a Baroque Renaissance facade. This guild of unmarried merchants, founded in the 14th century under the patronage of St. Maurice, has a 700 m² Gothic hall with a 4.5 m fireplace, where clues might still exist.

Your journey through Tallinn's Hanseatic heritage concludes at Viru väravad, the 14th-century city gates, part of the Hanseatic fortifications. These two twin towers, 18 m high, restored in 1963, marked the southern entrance to the Old Town and were the main passage for trade caravans. They are the remains of the 2 km long ramparts that once protected Tallinn. By solving the final puzzles, you reconstruct the journey of the Hanseatic merchants and discover the location of the Secret Ledger. This interactive visit will have allowed you to delve into the heart of Tallinn's history, its Estonian historical monuments, and its essential role in medieval trade, an unforgettable experience for any visit to Tallinn with family or friends.