Perhaps the most historic place in Tallinn is Castle Square or Palace Square (Lossi plats), located between Toompea Castle and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. It was on this very spot that the Estonian capital began to take shape at the beginning of the 13th century.
When Danish troops captured the ancient Estonian hillfort, they built two fortresses here, separated by an inner wall. The larger fortress was built as a residence for the feudal lords and the bishop. And the smaller one (Toompea Castle) provided additional protection for the Upper Town.
At the end of the 14th century, the city was sold to the Livonian Order. During the Great Northern War, Tallinn was taken by the Russians, and after that the castle remained neglected for a long time. It was only in the 18th century, by order of Catherine II, that construction work began here. The empress decided to house the Governor-General in the castle. However, by that time the old building had badly deteriorated, so Catherine II ordered the defensive moat to be filled in and the fortress wall to be demolished in order to build a palace on this site. Thus, in 1767-1773, a luxurious representative Baroque building appeared in place of the eastern wall of Toompea Castle. Today, the Estonian Parliament meets here.
Today, only three towers and two bastions remain from the old fortress: the northern and the western. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in a style foreign to Tallinn, slightly disrupts the harmony of the square. However, it is also what gives it its uniqueness.
