Kiek in de Kok and Bastion Passages Museum

Kiek in de Kok and Bastion Passages Museum

Kiek in de Kok and Bastion Passages Museum
4
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
The tower Kiek in de Kök together with the passages of the Ingrian and Swedish bastions is an exciting part of Tallinn historical fortifications.The exhibition of “Kiek in de Kök and Bastion Passages” reopened in March 2010 takes the visitor to a time journey that begins in 1219 and offers experience, information and entertainment. With the help of innovative video- and sound-effects and means of multimedia the birth and evolution of Tallinn, the history of town fortifications and the most significant military events are introduced to the visitor.The time train in the bastion passages takes the tourist to 2219. The other part of the passage display concentrates on the history of the passages.The cafe on the uppermost floor of the tower offers magnificent views of the upper town Toompea, the lower town and the harbor.
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  • Marc K
    Munich, Germany616 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Kiek in de kök Tower is closed till June 2024
    I can only give a 3 points grade, as the main Tower is closed for renovations. The tunnel is a 5 points. Interesting and well made with history and it’s giving you a certain feeling. The passage to the other towers is ok but not really necessary. For 12€ pP tunnel and passage is not fair price, why too expensive and we were frustrated paying so much for only one interesting thing, the tunnel. Too sad that the Kiek in de Kök was closed and the entrance fee was not adjusted regarding this.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 March 2024
  • Zarino Zappia
    Liverpool, United Kingdom111 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Four towers for the price of one, with some info that all the other museums lack
    If you can get past the incredibly confusing layout of this series of towers (each with multiple floors, staircases, and access levels to the walls linking them) you’ll find a number of things here that other museums, like the City Hall and People’s History museums, don’t cover – like this mysterious “Brotherhood of Black Heads” that the other museums all mention but never explain. There’s a video on the ground floor that runs every half hour and is kinda interesting. There are also some excellent views over the city centre, from the top floor of the Kiek de Kök Tower, and a cute recreation of an artist’s studio in the Maiden Tower. The final tower in the run (the Gate Tower) currently hosts a temporary exhibition about coffee culture in Tallinn, which was fascinating – although I’m not sure whether that’s part of the “museum” or not, as I think you could also get to it by walking up through the cafe on the second floor of the Maiden Tower. I visited right at the end of the day, and ran out of time to go down into the bastion passages. Oh well! As far as I could tell, the venue wasn’t wheelchair accessible at all – and while some of the floors are connected by modern staircases, others require use of a number of narrow, spiral staircases, some very steep.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 18 August 2024
  • Ian A
    77 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant day in this museum
    This was brilliant, very educational and very informative. Added to that you can walk on the city wall. The Bastions were brilliant but I feel they could have been better if, as you walked through, they went in chronological order. As it is now you start with the homeless and go backwards. I think it would work better if it was set out the other way around. Highly recommended.
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 9 September 2024
  • Cristinel
    Romania1,378 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Not expect something spectacular
    Nice place, beautiful area, very well preserved, transmits old centuries spirit. Cannot be missed while in Old Town of Tallinn. The fee for museum visit seems to be a little too high for what it really offers, so we choose not to. But we enjoyed the whole outside area as well.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 14 September 2024
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midway42
Georgia3,423 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
Easily one of the more quirky and unique names for any attraction I’ve seen, “Peep in the Kitchen” is actually a general term taken from Low German that refers to a general tower-type (tall and squat) found throughout Germany and Eastern Europe. As it pertains to Tallinn, the eponymously named tower was constructed over two centuries, starting in the 1400’s. The only military action it saw was during a Russian attack in 1577 and as warfare changed and it became obsolete, the structure was converted into barracks, a haven for aspiring artists, and finally a popular cafe before its metamorphosis into todays museum. I visited on a Monday, partly because most museums in the city seemed to be closed.

There are essentially three parts to this experience: the Bastion Passages, the tower itself, and “everything else.” The Bastion Passages were built in the 17th century in expectation of a long siege and are by far the most atmospheric portion of the attraction. A history of the passages is given in reverse chronological order, covering everything from the initial engineering of the passages to the history of homeless people living there in the early 2000’s. A carved stone museum rounds out the visit. The tower proper provides the main didactic portion of the experience, with five levels covering city life (with a special exhibit on insects and rats in the basement), the role of the fortress, military history, an armory, and finally an artists studio in roughly ascending order. The final portion of the museum is a relaxing stroll on the city walls and through the Maiden, Stable, and Gate towers. I spent almost three hours on site.

In summary, this was one of the most memorable attractions I saw during my time in Estonia. The tower portion in particular provided information on the medieval era that I didn’t find anywhere else during my week in the city. The experience provides a little bit of everything: history and learning in the tower, atmosphere in the tunnels, and memorable views from the ramparts. If you are pressed for time a stopover here should easily take precedence over individual visits to the city walls and Guild Hall (see separate reviews) as there are several varied experiences under one roof (and underground). A highly recommended visit.
Written 25 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tavis
Angmering, UK44 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
The Bastion Passages were really good and well worth the visit - lots of interesting history from different periods of Tallinn's history, including medieval, wars, occupation and more recent times. The Towers were also good, although were not as interesting as the passage part of the museum. We were also lucky to visit on the first Sunday of the month, when the museum is free - if you are visiting Tallinn early in the month it is worth looking out for this offer.
Written 13 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Crystaly303
Eastlake, CO478 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
My friends and I visited this museum and were very surprised at the history and architecture. There is such a wide range of history, which I know should be expected as old as this city is, but wasn't entirely expecting the underground passages to have also been used as bomb shelters. We really enjoyed walking along the city wall. There is also a nice cafe that is on the second floor where you can relax and take in the scenery, indoor or outdoor. This was probably one of our favorite activities.
Written 23 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Honest reviews
Belfast, UK57 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Couples
This place was absolutely fantastic. I personally enjoyed the underground tunnels, the history was fantastic and super interesting! There was a lovely walk where you could look out over the city. A lovely cafe in the middle of it meant you could sit with a coffee. The museum was questionable but the children also visiting at the same time seemed to enjoy it!
Written 16 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

m50lws
Staffordshire180 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
On Tallinn Day (15th May) this museum is only 1 euro, making it really good value. The Bastion passages are a long tunnel, which you then have to return along to exit. There are some steep steps early on, uneven ground at many parts and some low headroom parts. My 1.6m tall wife was having to duck sometimes. The exhibits are interesting if sometimes a little repetitive. The tower started with modern steps but nearer the to the original steep steps were all that were available. Free lockers did help with not having to carry your stuff all the way round.
Written 22 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Explorer
434 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
Well worth a visit for an insight into local history. Walking the tunnels was fascinating with lots of information and displays on the way (in Estonian & English). Of note if you are in Tallinn on first Sunday of the month admission to this and some other Tallinn City museums are free.
Written 6 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Richard M
Hampstead Norreys, UK937 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
Incredible place. There are two parts to the museum. Firstly are the towers. There is a lot of history and exibitions in the main tower which is interesting. You can also get from there into a number of adjacent towers which also have a lot of informaiton to take in. The second part is the underground bastion tunnels. There are sections covering a huge amount of the history of the tunnels from the present day going back in time through amazing historical events. The end contains a museum containing loads of old pieces of sculpture and building decoration. Overall an absolute must see for the buildings and the history.
Written 25 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

laczkozsu
Debrecen, Hungary2,326 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
It’s an important part of the Town Wall. It was built in 1475, its height 38 metres, the walls are 4 metres thick. This funny name means that the defenders of the tower could peek into the kitchens of the lower town. Now we can see some cannonballs from 1577 in the walls. Nowdays it houses the Tallinn City Museum's exhibition on the history of the city wall. I think it’s worth a visit.
Written 4 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nina
Delft, The Netherlands177 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021
Kiek in de Kok houses a surprisngly large amount of exhibits. The main tower houses the main exhibition on Tallinn's history, ranging from trade to military exploits. The temporary exhibitions are also free to visit and offer interesting takes on life in Tallinn.

The views from the tower and the walkways are amazing. All in all, worth a visit.
Written 27 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cristinel
Romania1,378 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Family
Nice place, beautiful area, very well preserved, transmits old centuries spirit.
Cannot be missed while in Old Town of Tallinn.
The fee for museum visit seems to be a little too high for what it really offers, so we choose not to. But we enjoyed the whole outside area as well.
Written 14 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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KIEK IN DE KOK AND BASTION PASSAGES MUSEUM (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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