Church of the Holy Spirit, Gothic church in Vanalinn, Estonia
The Church of the Holy Spirit is a Gothic structure in the Old Town with whitewashed walls, an octagonal tower, and crow-stepped gables defining its silhouette. Large Gothic windows with stone frames punctuate the exterior and flood the interior with light.
The original church took shape around 1201, with the choir being the oldest surviving section. The nave was added in the late 1200s, allowing the structure to grow gradually into its current form.
The church hosted religious services in Estonian language, marking a shift away from the German-language worship that had dominated for centuries. Visitors can sense this linguistic change as part of the local identity woven into the building itself.
The building is typically open on weekdays with regular visiting hours, though these may shift during holidays or special occasions. It is worth checking current opening times beforehand, particularly if planning a specific visit.
The church displays a clock from the 1600s on its facade that remains one of the oldest working timepieces on a church in the region. Inside, an altar carved by the renowned artist Berndt Notke in 1483 stands as a remarkable piece of craftsmanship.
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