Streetsign reading "Tallinn Streets dot com" Header

Work in progress

A pile of ro ad signs half-trashed and piled up on a building-site, to indicate the site is in construction.

Website under construction, many entries missing, no photos with the streets, layout not finalized...

This started with a book (last few pages under review) and only 926 of the 1882 articles (A to L included) entered so far, so many links going nowhere.

Contact

Photograph of Simon Hamilton in Pikk street, Tallinn.

Apparently, a company that uses its owner's name is considered more trustworthy because they put themselves on the line.

This is me, in Tallinn this spring (2025), on a 3-month spree to check details, take photos (about 12K), explore (ave. 15K/day), and so on. I think I covered every street in Kesklinn (apart from Mõigu), most of Põhja-Tallinn and some Kristiine.

For information, please contact Simon at this address dot com, thanks!

Logo of the Tallinn Children's Hospital Foundation

The Book

All author earnings of A Rambling Dictionary of Tallinn Street Names to be donated to the foundation or donate here.

If anyone could help or advise as to the legal mechanism, it would be appreciated, thanks!

The Website

Not intended at the beginning, the present website is taking on a life of its own, with plans for relevant discussion forums, picture galleries and, over time, more non-streetname entries.

In theory, it will be funded by advertising relevant to people in Tallinn, to be determined.

A percentage of profits (also to be determined) to be donated to the foundation. 

Home

Kuldjala torn

Kuldjala torn (0) Symbol designating a Point of Interest.

Golden leg/foot tower, built it seems in two phases: Kuldjala I, an initial masonry and wooden superstructure in ±1311-1320, and Kuldjala II, adding height and masonry in 1370-72, at which point it may have been called Kalle Torn, after Evert Kalle, the mayor who received the city funding for its reconstruction. Known at another time as de Guldene Voet (Estonians do not have different words for feet and legs, or hands and arms, rather confusing at times, see Sõnajala) where a footnote in Tallinna Keskaegsed Kindlustused quotes a certain Johansen (1959, not listed in appendix) as saying “d.h. Kuldjalg, warum bleibt unbekannt” (in other words Kuldjalg, but why remains unknown). Sounds a bit like the name of a tavern or cobbler to me. Revamped in the 16/17th C as food and powder store and still used for the latter until 1725. See also Kuradi torn.

Advertise...

Your business, store or consultancy next to your street address and a percentage of your fee (to be determined) goes the the Children's Hospital fund.

Sponsorship logo top bare

Post your favorite local photo and sponsor the foundation. Your entire sponsorship goes go the the Children's Hospital fund

Wanted!

Beautiful photos of your street or Tallinn! Send them in! No remuneration planned for now, but will be attributed according to your preferences.