Dominican Monastery Museum

Dominican Monastery Museum

The Dominican Monastery Museum was once St. Catherine’s Monastery, founded in 1246. The structure is a typical Catholic monastery and is the oldest intact building in Tallinn. Among all the buildings in the monastic complex, the most authoritative is the church—St. Catherine’s Church is believed to have already taken on its present-day appearance by the late 14th century, and at that time, it was the largest church in the Lower Town. St. Catherine’s Monastery underwent multiple expansions and renovations, with the most recent ones occurring in the 16th century.

The Reformation movement of 1525 put an end to the monastery’s operations, and the monks were forcibly exiled. In a fire in 1531, the church suffered devastating damage, leaving nothing but scorched ruins. Today, only the western wall of the monastery church remains, including its two entrance gates and the eastern section of the southern wall, as well as three pillars, open windows, the base remnants of the southeast tower, and parts of the northern wall. Nowadays, the site mainly hosts exhibitions of artworks by Tallinn stonemasons and temporary displays.

Dominican Monastery Museum

Must-visit reason: The oldest intact building in Tallinn

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Estonia

Province/State where the attraction is located: Harju County

City where the attraction is located: Tallinn