Toompea Castle was erected on the foundations of the crumbling eastern wing of the fortress built on the site in the 13th and 14th centuries. Eyecatching for its late baroque facade, the castle was built between 1767 and 1773.
The history of Toompea is the story of the rulers and conquerors of Tallinn, each of whom moulded and reinforced the place to their own needs and according to their own taste. Today the castle is home to the Riigikogu (the Estonian parliament). The blue, black and white of the national flag can be seen flying on top of the 45-metre Tall Hermann tower as the symbol of Estonia's independence.