Tower Fat Margaret, Tallinn, Estonia
Posted by: 
aendgraend
N 59° 26.552 E 024° 44.973
35V E 372385 N 6591488
The Fat Margaret is a tower of the old city fortification of Tallinn, The capital of Estonia.
You can climb to the roof and enjoy the postcard view of the harbor and the old town.
Waymark Code: WM14XZ0
Location: Estonia
Date Posted: 09/09/2021
Views: 2
[EN]
The northern end of Pikk Street is guarded by two of Tallinn's most impressive defensive structures: the Great Beach Gate (Suur Rannavärav) and the Tower of Fat Margaret (Paks Margareeta).
They were not only built to defend the city from attacks from the sea, but also impress every visitor arriving at the port.
Today, Fat Margarethe Tower houses the Estonian Maritime Museum, which presents all the important aspects of seafaring in Estonia's history. On display are fishing utensils from the Stone Age, old diving equipment and a complete wheelhouse of a trawler from the 1950s. The extensive museum is housed on four floors.
The Great Beach Gate as well as the Viru Gate are the last remaining of the former six city gates that controlled access to the city in the Middle Ages. The gate system on Pikk Street dates back to the 14th century, but the Fat Margaret was added only during reconstructions in the early 16th century. This massive tower, built between 1511 and 1530, has a diameter of 25 meters, a height of about 20 meters and walls up to 5 meters thick.
The origin of the name "Fat Margaret" is unclear. According to some theories, it comes from the larger cannons, others refer to a cook named Margarethe who once worked here.
In any case, the tower has had various functions over time. It was a powder magazine, an armory and also a prison.
Website:
(
visit link)