"The tower Kiek in de Kök together with the passages of the Ingrian and Swedish bastions is an exciting part of Tallinn historical fortifications.
The exhibition of “Kiek in de Kök and Bastion Passages” reopened in March 2010 takes the visitor to a time journey that begins in 1219 and offers experience, information and entertainment. With the help of innovative video- and sound-effects and means of multimedia the birth and evolution of Tallinn, the history of town fortifications and the most significant military events are introduced to the visitor.
The main part of the passage display- inside the Ingrian Bastion – concentrates on the history of the passages. In a short tunnel that leads to the Swedish bastion, the time train takes the tourist to 1219." (
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"The display gives the visitor an idea about the dawn of the town, the history of its fortifications and main military events from the 13th to the 18th century. Two armours that greet the visitor at the entrance crown the whole exhibition.
The first two floors of the tower – the storage floor and the first defence floor are mainly used for photo exhibitions and concerts now.
The predecessor of Tallinn must have been the Iru hillfort that was deserted at the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries, the model of which you can see whwre the display starts in the second floor. About the same time a stronghold was being built on the limestone elevation of Toompea and a settlement must have appeared at its foot. Early Tallinn is remembered in the finds from the Late Iron Age. The info at the replica of the medieval rack tells you about torture in medieval Tallinn. The gun in the embrasure is a couple of centuries old and provided with reconstructed fittings for shooting.
The model of the town in 1683 is worth mentioning as an interesting and original relic of former Tallinn.
The third floor display is connected with the events of the wars in Tallinn. Three big cannons the Lion, the Bitter Death and a breachloading gun from the early 15th century are displayed. All the guns are replicas of the originals that were taken to St Petersburg in the early 19th century. The cannons were made by local masters, the Lion by Karsten Middeldorp in 1559 and the Bitter Death by Kort Hartmann in 1560. The muzzleloading guns are a perfect example of local masters skills and taste. The Lion bears an image of a lion (that gave the gun its name) and both coats of arms of Tallinn, held up by gryphons. Beneath the coats of arms we can see a verse the translation of which reads as follows: “I was named the Lion by the Tallinn Town Council/ to destroy all their enemies dishonouring peace/ In the year 1559 Karsten Middeldorp cast me/ and this is the whole truth.”
In the showcases the armament of the fighting sides can be seen. The coat of arms of that-time rulers also remind us of the events in the Livonian War, just like the painted epitaph to the Black Heads who werekilled defending Tallinn against Russian troops on 11 September 1560. The epitaph was made by Lambert Glandorf in 1561.
The stone plaque in the centre of another orignal epitaph, a work of Arent Passer, is dedicated to the 1602-03 famine and plague victims. Infectious diseases must also be remembered when finding the Pestilence Doctor in the embrasure.
The fourth floor is Armoury Chamber where the armament from the collection of Tallinn City Museum is displayed. Several firearms from the 15th to the 20th century form a bigger part of the display.
The cafe on the uppermost floor of the tower offers magnificent views of the upper town Toompea, the lower town and the harbour." (
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For more on the Kiek in de Kök Cannon Tower, visit: (
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For more on the Bastion Passages, visit: (
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The Muuseum Kiek in de Kök ja Bastionikäigud is located at Komandandi 2, just west of Freedom Square and the Monument to the War of Independence.