As you know, in the Middle Ages, to protect cities from the enemy, powerful stone walls were erected around them, deep moats were dug, and watchtowers were built. Viru Gates in Tallinn are exactly what remains of a formidable and reliable bastion, on the site where one of the entrances to the Old Town once stood.
It is hard to believe now, but use your imagination and picture this: back in the XIV century, there was a real moat here and a drawbridge across it. Later, the fortress walls were dismantled, and the moat was filled in so as not to obstruct street traffic. However, two towers were preserved in memory of those times, and now they serve as a kind of "gateway through time" between modern and medieval Tallinn, a place where skyscrapers disappear and a real medieval fairy tale begins.
Many tourist routes around the city begin here – walks along Viru and Vene streets, excursions heading to Town Hall Square and Toompea.
