Fat Margaret, Fortified tower in Vanalinn, Estonia
Fat Margaret is a fortified tower built from flagstone at the northern edge of Tallinn's Old Town, marking the entrance to Pikk Street. It has an unusually wide, rounded body and very thick walls, making it one of the bulkiest structures in the medieval city wall system.
The tower was built in the early 16th century as part of Tallinn's northern defenses, designed to control the main gate leading into the city. Over the following centuries it was repurposed as a prison and then as a weapons store before becoming a museum.
The Estonian Maritime Museum fills the interior with objects recovered from the Baltic Sea and exhibits on seafaring life. Walking through it gives a clear sense of how central the sea was to Tallinn's daily life for centuries.
The tower sits at the edge of Old Town and works well as a starting point for walking the medieval city walls or heading down Pikk Street into the historic center. The area around it is easy to reach on foot from most parts of Old Town.
Although the tower was built as a defensive structure, its wall facing the city was noticeably thinner than the side facing the sea, suggesting that the main threat was expected from outside rather than from within. This difference in wall thickness is visible when looking at the floor plan inside.
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