St Catherine's Church Old Town

Perhaps Tallinn’s oldest building, St Catherine's Monastery was founded by Dominican monks in 1246. In its glory days it had its own brewery and hospital. A mob of angry Lutherans torched the place in 1524 and the monastery languished for the next 400 years until its partial restoration in 1954. Today the part-ruined complex includes the gloomy shell of the church (an atmospheric venue for occasional recitals) and a peaceful cloister lined with carved tombstones. Opening hours are sporadic but the complex can often be accessed from a door in the foyer of the neighbouring Catholic cathedral. Mass is heard in a small, 13th-century chapel at 9am on Sundays.