Curiosities and rarities
· Vanalinn
Tallinn’s Dragon Heads
Dragon heads on the facade at Pikk 18 bring medieval imagery into the decoration of a later city building.
Dragon figures look down at passersby from an Art Nouveau facade on Pikk Street. They do not prove that the building itself dates from the Middle Ages: later architecture readily borrowed old mythical motifs and gave them new forms. A dragon might suggest a guardian, a flourish or a playful detail. Look up and see how Tallinn does more than preserve the old; each period also invents new ways of imagining it.
Practical information
Address: Pikk 18
View the upper facade of Pikk 18 from across the street. Watch for traffic and keep entrances clear.