Gates, walls and towers
· Toompea
Short Leg Gate Tower
The Lühike jalg gate closed the route between Toompea and the Lower Town at night, marking a boundary between two centres of power.
Lühike jalg was not merely a steep shortcut but a controlled passage between districts governed in different ways. Above stood Toompea, associated with nobles and territorial rulers; below lay the merchants’ town with its own council and law. The gate tower allowed the route to be locked at night. It recalls a Tallinn where a political and legal border could run directly across a street.
Practical information
Address: Lühike jalg 9
Walk through the gate in both directions and notice how steeply and narrowly Lühike jalg joins Toompea to the Lower Town.