Not far from St. Olaf's Church and the famous Three Sisters hotel stands an unusual round structure resembling a low tower. But interestingly, it is not located in the fortress wall at all, but next to it. What's the catch, you ask? It's simple - the thing is, it's not a tower at all :)
Before you is a horse mill, used for its intended purpose in the event of a siege of Tallinn. As a rule, city residents used watermills and windmills located outside the city to grind grain - it was both easier and cheaper. However, in those times when Reval was under siege (which, as you know, was a rather frequent occurrence), horses came into play. They were brought into this building and harnessed to a wooden shaft; it turned and made the millstones located one floor below move. The city received flour and could remain under siege for some time without major harm to the lives of its inhabitants.
In the 19th century, when Tallinn had long been part of the lands of the Russian Empire, the horse mill stood idle and began to fall into disrepair. For some time, warehouse premises and church storerooms were located here, and not so long ago the building underwent major renovations and a small restaurant was opened in it.
