Niguliste Museum (Tallinn)

The Niguliste Museum is one of Tallinn’s most important cultural attractions, housed in the beautiful medieval church of St Nicolas. Located at Harjumagi in the shadow of Toompea Hill, this is one of the oldest buildings in the city that despite extensive damage during the Second World War has most of its iconic art treasures intact. Its most imposing external feature is its baroque spire, one of the many that punctuate the Tallinn skyline. However its enduring popularity is in its fabulous collection of priceless medieval relics which promise to captivate all art lovers on cheap city breaks in Tallinn.

 

The jewel in the crown at the Niguliste Museum is undoubtedly the’ Danse Macabre’, painted by the Lubeck master Bernt Notke, dating from the 15th century. This is considered a national treasure by Estonians, but there are plenty of other iconic works and religious treasures waiting to be discovered during short breaks in Tallinn. For starters, there is a remarkable collection of Renaissance and Baroque chandeliers, the so called ‘gallery of saints’- a series of 30 wooden sculptures and exquisite altarpieces from the 15th century. It also boasts the Silver Chamber, reputedly the largest collection of guild silver in Europe. 

 

The Niguliste Museum conducts English speaking guided tours for visitors which are conducted with lots of enthusiasm and passion. Numbers are limited and need to be reserved at least one day in advance. The Niguliste Museum also doubles as one of Tallinn’s favourite concert halls and boasts excellent acoustics. It is a suitably inspiring location for lavish gala concerts which happen occasionally during the summer. On weekend breaks in Tallinn, you can simply pop along each Saturday or Sunday afternoon for the regular organ and choral performances which take place free of charge.