Passages and hidden city
· Toompea
Swedish Bastion
The Swedish Bastion is hidden beneath the greenery of Linda Hill: what looks like a park is an artillery-era fortification.
Tallinn’s Swedish-era defensive belt was designed to withstand increasingly powerful artillery. A low, massive earthwork performed better than a thin high wall: soil absorbed impacts and the bastion’s angles allowed defenders to fire along the approaches. Visitors now see trees, stairs and a monument on Linda Hill, but the basic form of the landscape comes from military engineering.
Practical information
Address: Linda mägi
Walk around Linda Hill and notice the unusually regular form of its slopes. Do not attempt to enter closed passage openings.