Tallinn of vice
· Vanalinn
Boleman’s Sauna
Boleman’s bathhouse recalls a time when public washing also meant meeting people and exchanging news.
Boleman’s bathhouse on Rüütli Street belongs to the everyday history of old Tallinn. Before washing facilities became common at home, a bathhouse required fuel, water and labour, and gave townspeople a place to meet. Stories about brothels also gathered around bathhouses. Such general associations do not prove that every named bathhouse served the same purpose. Here it is better to distinguish the history of bathing from later rumour.
Practical information
Address: Rüütli tänav
Walk along Rüütli Street and consider the services once tucked among its houses. Access and the former bathhouse’s use may have changed.