Gates, walls and towers
· Vanalinn
Sauna Gate
Bathhouse Gate was a small passage whose name connects Tallinn’s defensive wall with bathing and social life.
Bathhouse Gate was not one of the city’s ceremonial main entrances. Its name refers to a nearby bathhouse, which in the medieval town served as a place to wash, meet and exchange news. Baths were sometimes associated with immorality, yet they were essential to hygiene in a crowded town. The small gate shows how openings in the wall took their names from ordinary neighbourhood life.
Practical information
Address: Müürivahe tänav
Walk along Müürivahe Street and observe how the wall relates to narrow courtyards and service lanes. The gate has not survived intact.