The tower town's main gate to the Toompea. The Long Leg Gate is situated at the lower end of a road artificially made in the hillside. The road, now known as Pikk jag, the Long Leg, was originally built to allow a direct connection between the Toompea Hill and the harbour. The Long Leg slowly winding its way up the slope was also suitable for riders and horse-drawn carts while the steeper ascent called the Short Leg, only could be used by pedestrians. The gate was governed by the lower town. In 1380, a licence was issued by Wilhelm von Friemersheim, the master of the Livonian Order, town's feudal lord, to erect a stone gate tower instead of the old wooden gate structure. The first stone structure comprised only the Toompea side of the later gate tower and was approximately half its height (probably only a little over ten meters high). The gateway could be closed by strong doors for which recesses were left in the side walls; the side towards Toompea was additionally equipped with a portcullis. The tower achieved its final dimensions with the reconstruction in 1450-1456, which was led by mason master Hans Kotke. At the same time, adjacent parts of the town wall, towards both the Short Leg Gate and the Nun's Gate, were also built in stone. The final gate tower has three defence floors connected by a winding staircase and loopholes towards the descending road. An opening in the vault that is still visible allowed to attack enemies from above as well. The tower's facade on the lower town side features well-preserved transport and window openings surrounded with carved stones. When the tower had lost its military function, it was used for various purposes, among others for accomodation of soldiers. For the last hundred years, it has housed artists' flats and studios. 

Type of Data Point - Publicly Available Information

Long Leg Gate - Public Info

Visit page of the element - Long Leg Gate

Inserted: 22-08-2022 17:08:03