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Photo: Toomas Tuul

    St. Bridget's Convent ruins

    MuseumsSights
    For a unique, historic experience, explore the eerily beautiful ruins of St. Bridget's, a medieval convent destroyed in 1577.

    Founded in 1407 as part of a Swedish religious order, St. Bridget's was the largest convent in the Livonian territories and operated until the Livonian War, when it was decimated by the forces of Ivan the Terrible. The most striking feature that remains is a mysterious, 35-metre gabled facade towering above the trees next to Pirita River.

    In addition to its facade, visitors to the ruins can see several walls, staircases and cellars, as well as a farmer's cemetery that developed here in the 17th century.

    The walls of the main structure are still standing, making it an excellent venue for outdoor performances. The spot is often used for concerts, most notably those of the Birgitta Festival, which happens here each August.

    Nearby is the modern building of the St. Bridgettine Order, who re-established a convent here in 2001.


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    TripAdvisor® Traveler Reviews

    TripAdvisor logo tripadvisor rating 4.5 of 5

    based on 311 reviews

    • Nice destination if you want to see more than the Old Town

      tripadvisor rating 5 of 5
      September 22, 2020 By JulieF2978

      The Pirita convent in ruins is a nice building to be visited, specially if you're willing to see more of Tallinn than just the Old Town. Beautiful construction, and the surrounding neighborhood is... Read more comments

    • Worth a visit

      tripadvisor rating 4 of 5
      May 27, 2020 By CAPerth

      We stopped at Pirita late in the afternoon on the way to NOA Chefs Hall for dinner. The small cemetery and convent ruins are hauntingly beautiful. A little bit out of the old town but good public... Read more comments

    • Cool concert venue!

      tripadvisor rating 4 of 5
      April 29, 2020 By cvtmuench

      Beautiful blooms at Kadriorg Park and the ruins of an old monastery for both monks and nuns from the 15th century, St. Brigit’s Convent or Pirita Klooster. This convent is actually used as a venue... Read more comments