In which European city would you find the “Viru Gate”?

Since the 14th century, there were a total of 45 towers built into the walls that protected the city of Tallinn, Estonia. Twenty-six of those still remain. One of the best-preserved is called “Viru Gate” or “Viru Värav” in Estonian. The gate sits at the entrance of the Old Town of Tallinn. This old section of the city represents one of Europe’s only surviving medieval towns that still have fortified walls intact.

From the 14th century onwards, citizens of Tallinn were required to turn out for guard duty, which meant to wear their armor and demonstrate their readiness to face off invaders. The towers used to be the gates to the city, and a larger set was built a little further in, which were held up by a set of square towers.

Most of the gate was pulled down in 1880, in order to make room for more street traffic to get through the area. Since that time, though, the two towers have become a symbol for the Old City, which used to be the most fortified city in all of Europe in the day.

Viru Street, as it can be seen in the background, with its many shops and restaurants, has become one of the busiest pedestrian streets in the Old Town.

The walls and the many gates are still largely extant today. This is one of the reasons that Tallinn's old town became a World Heritage Site selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).