Passages and hidden city
· Vanalinn
Secret Stores of a Merchant’s House
Tall merchant-house gables on Pikk Street concealed stores and hoists that made homes into workplaces.
A Tallinn merchant house was more than a family home. Goods could arrive through a courtyard and be hauled to upper floors; gables and hatches reveal the role of storage. The phrase secret storehouse suggests a hidden treasure room, but most storage need not have been secret. The more revealing story is everyday commercial technology: home life, bookkeeping and the physical movement of goods shared one building.
Practical information
Address: Pikk tänav
Look for gables and hoist openings along Pikk Street from public space. Do not enter private lofts or courtyards.