Patarei Sea Fortress Prison
Patarei Sea Fortress Prison
4.5
This location was reported permanently closed
About
Patarei fortress-prison is a culture park with rich history, providing various opportunities to spend your leisure time. Discover Patarei on a guided tour or organise your own event in Patarei with an option to order prison-catering for your event! Make your reservations via e-mail or over phone or register through our webpage. Check for more information under attractions! Culture Park Patarei presents the history of Patarei sea fortress-prison and also carries out various events throughout the year. Scheduled tours are available almost daily. Please sign up for a tour at our homepage. Please note: we regret to inform you that as per decision made by the Estonian State Real Estate Ltd., the Patarei fortress has been closed to public access.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
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ET8
Canberra, Australia113 contributions
Jun 2020 • Couples
Happened upon this place by chance and it was really great. The place is quite huge (and chilly even in summer) with all information in Estonian and English. You could easily spend 2 hours reading everything. Well worth a visit, can’t actually believe this isn’t a bigger tourist attraction!
€8 for adults and €5 for students with deals for families.
Open 10am - 6pm Wednesday - Sunday through until 20th September.
€8 for adults and €5 for students with deals for families.
Open 10am - 6pm Wednesday - Sunday through until 20th September.
Written 26 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
klammer
england171 contributions
May 2011 • Couples
Tallinn Prison is not yet mentioned or indeed visited much as yet.Go now before the crowds find it. It is located almost next door to the Maritime exhibition just a little way out of town about 15/20 mins walk. However you can get bus1 or 3 kopii [not 23 as advised in our review of Hotel Metropol].On Soo Road get off at stop Kabmaja and head towards the sea.You will end up on Kalaranna and the metal doors of the prison should be in front of you.However this is not the entrance, just follow the road/track by the left hand side of the solid metal gates and you will find a gap in the prison wall.Go through and look right and there is a little office where your 2 euros will be collected. Now the fun begins!!!!
The prison closed in 2005 and has just recently been opened for the public.You would not be allowed around it in many countries on health and safety grounds as it is in a state of disrepair. However,this all adds to it's appeal and makes it an absolutely atmospheric place to look around.It is a large prison and will take you at least two hours.There is no guide ,you are just allowed to wonder around all over the place.Whilst many areas of the prison are lit ,bring a torch with you as this will enhance your visit. You will be able to see and walk into the many cells/rooms which are not lit.Throughout the prison many fixtures have been left just as they were when it closed.Some of the cells look onto the beach and sea beyound,how despairing for the prisoners. There are too many things to list but make sure you find the hanging room,the operating theatre,the library and office quarters.Near the hanging room is the exercise yard. It is not what you expect. Instead of one large yard there are many little areas holding about 4/6 prisoners. Each was locked and guards patrolled above them. What makes it good is that you can climb the iron stairs and 'patrol' the areas yourself. It's not very safe but hey!!.
Afterwards, go around to the front of the prison to the bar,sit on the sand, have a 2 euros beer and watch the cruise ships come and go, through barbed wire.
Finally, enjoy and don't forget your torch.
The prison closed in 2005 and has just recently been opened for the public.You would not be allowed around it in many countries on health and safety grounds as it is in a state of disrepair. However,this all adds to it's appeal and makes it an absolutely atmospheric place to look around.It is a large prison and will take you at least two hours.There is no guide ,you are just allowed to wonder around all over the place.Whilst many areas of the prison are lit ,bring a torch with you as this will enhance your visit. You will be able to see and walk into the many cells/rooms which are not lit.Throughout the prison many fixtures have been left just as they were when it closed.Some of the cells look onto the beach and sea beyound,how despairing for the prisoners. There are too many things to list but make sure you find the hanging room,the operating theatre,the library and office quarters.Near the hanging room is the exercise yard. It is not what you expect. Instead of one large yard there are many little areas holding about 4/6 prisoners. Each was locked and guards patrolled above them. What makes it good is that you can climb the iron stairs and 'patrol' the areas yourself. It's not very safe but hey!!.
Afterwards, go around to the front of the prison to the bar,sit on the sand, have a 2 euros beer and watch the cruise ships come and go, through barbed wire.
Finally, enjoy and don't forget your torch.
Written 2 July 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LucyStarDust
Rapla, Estonia47 contributions
Feb 2016 • Friends
First of all let me say, take the warning seriously - you need to be dressed warmly and have proper footwear to stand on that awully cold concrete for 1.30 hours despite the warmer temperature outside. On our visit the outdoor temperature was 0 and my winter boots made my stay almost unbearable. Prior the excursion, I had a funny experience to book the tour. The website advertised 2 phone numbers.By calling to Andres obviously a drunk man answered and made me very confused. Eventually he made himself clear and told me to call the other number. You need to have cash to pay for the excursion. Our tour guide was a remarkable well-educated woman who made the excursion worth suffering from cold. The building looks vandalised from all sides and the "art festival" has made it worse in my opinion, but the colourful graffiti seemed to give reason for lots of photographs in our group. So for graffiti-lovers it is a bonus. The story behind this building can expand the idea what it takes or lacks (took and lacked) to be a human being. I wouldn't go there again, to visit a place like that once in a lifetiime is enough for me which doesn't mean I found it uninteresting. In my opinion this tour is meant for adults only, Several areas don't have electricity or daylight. Take a flashlight. You should be able to go up and down the steps and some areas and uneven.
Written 23 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sine S
Oslo, Norway18 contributions
Feb 2016
We booked our tour on patarai.
org - RECOMMENDED! In winter time you cannot access the prison without a guide. Our guide Kadi was just great. It seemed like she knew everything, and she took the time to answer all questions. She took us all over the prison and also let us explore parts of it ourselves if we wanted to. This tour was cheaper than the other ones we found, only € 6 for students.
We really really recommend doing this while in Tallinn, you got a bit of history as well as hearing about the structures and ways of living in a soviet prison. A little creepy, but so exciting! We will remember this for a long time!
org - RECOMMENDED! In winter time you cannot access the prison without a guide. Our guide Kadi was just great. It seemed like she knew everything, and she took the time to answer all questions. She took us all over the prison and also let us explore parts of it ourselves if we wanted to. This tour was cheaper than the other ones we found, only € 6 for students.
We really really recommend doing this while in Tallinn, you got a bit of history as well as hearing about the structures and ways of living in a soviet prison. A little creepy, but so exciting! We will remember this for a long time!
Written 24 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brett O
Dallas, TX24 contributions
Dec 2014 • Solo
Traveled solo here, nomimal fee to get in the door. Didn't have a guide, you're free to wander through the abandoned halls on your own. One of the eeriest places I've ever seen. It will fill you with a feeling of oppression. Important reminder of recent history. Highly recommended.
Written 11 November 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabriel P
London, UK93 contributions
Sept 2014 • Friends
Patarei Prison (Patarei apparently meaning 'battery' in English) is truly one of the weirdest places I've ever been.
A disused Soviet-then-Estonian prison that closed in 2005, it's an enormous complex of brick buildings, but instead of the government taking it upon themselves to knock the crumbling thing down or convert it into something more useful, they literally just left it, and I mean they just left it. It's like the day they released the last prisoner, they all went for a beer and forgot about it.
A little old woman has set up a caravan at the entrance and, being a cheeky little entrepreneur, charges 3 euros for entry, but once you're in, that's it. There are no guides, no security and no strict paths. It hasn't been cleaned since the inmates left; it's a labyrinth of death-trap prison cells, complete with posters of naked women on the walls, rusty metal sticking out of every surface and glass strewn all over the place. Russian newspapers from 10 years ago are littered on every desk. You can even climb up the rusty-as-hell guard towers, which was terrifying. There is nobody there to stop you doing anything, it's all overgrown and it's genuinely astonishing. It's straight out of a zombie film.
And another thing; every room's windows had been blocked out. The cells were literally pitch black; my friend and I had to use my phone and our camera flashes to avoid gutting ourselves on corrugated iron every 5 seconds. In fact, I'll just add this in too; we found a room with a strange pit in the middle of the floor but couldn't figure out what it was. It was filled with insects and rubbish so we just assumed someone had pulled up the floorboards, but in doing my research for this blog today, I've just discovered there was a depression in the floor because that was known as 'The Hanging Room'. I don't think I need to say any more, except that this place is absolutely in no way suitable for anyone other than fit, healthy adults who aren't afraid of the potential for serious injury (or the grotesque imagery that comes with the visit).
Then afterwards you can chill in the inexplicably-placed bar on the site, with nice views over the Baltic and cheap beer. Opportunism at its strangest.
The whole complex is a weird, creepy and twisted place indeed, but maybe the highlight of my entire trip, which involved hundreds of attractions in numerous cities across 4 different countries. Basically, if you're in Tallinn and you DON'T see Paterei, you're a mug.
A disused Soviet-then-Estonian prison that closed in 2005, it's an enormous complex of brick buildings, but instead of the government taking it upon themselves to knock the crumbling thing down or convert it into something more useful, they literally just left it, and I mean they just left it. It's like the day they released the last prisoner, they all went for a beer and forgot about it.
A little old woman has set up a caravan at the entrance and, being a cheeky little entrepreneur, charges 3 euros for entry, but once you're in, that's it. There are no guides, no security and no strict paths. It hasn't been cleaned since the inmates left; it's a labyrinth of death-trap prison cells, complete with posters of naked women on the walls, rusty metal sticking out of every surface and glass strewn all over the place. Russian newspapers from 10 years ago are littered on every desk. You can even climb up the rusty-as-hell guard towers, which was terrifying. There is nobody there to stop you doing anything, it's all overgrown and it's genuinely astonishing. It's straight out of a zombie film.
And another thing; every room's windows had been blocked out. The cells were literally pitch black; my friend and I had to use my phone and our camera flashes to avoid gutting ourselves on corrugated iron every 5 seconds. In fact, I'll just add this in too; we found a room with a strange pit in the middle of the floor but couldn't figure out what it was. It was filled with insects and rubbish so we just assumed someone had pulled up the floorboards, but in doing my research for this blog today, I've just discovered there was a depression in the floor because that was known as 'The Hanging Room'. I don't think I need to say any more, except that this place is absolutely in no way suitable for anyone other than fit, healthy adults who aren't afraid of the potential for serious injury (or the grotesque imagery that comes with the visit).
Then afterwards you can chill in the inexplicably-placed bar on the site, with nice views over the Baltic and cheap beer. Opportunism at its strangest.
The whole complex is a weird, creepy and twisted place indeed, but maybe the highlight of my entire trip, which involved hundreds of attractions in numerous cities across 4 different countries. Basically, if you're in Tallinn and you DON'T see Paterei, you're a mug.
Written 4 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andy M
Stamford, UK306 contributions
Jul 2013 • Couples
We visited in July.
After reading Peter Robinson’s “watching the dark” (an Inspector Banks novel) which describes the prison in detail, we decided to pay a visit, whilst in Tallinn, during a Baltic cruise.
We walked along the “culture kilometre” which starts near the cruise port. About a mile from the town we arrived at the entrance to the prison (dilapidated concrete buildings) and just as in the novel we met an old Estonian lady at the entrance, who tried to explain something in Estonian or Russian. From her gestures we worked out that it was something to do with a deposit for lights/miners helmet lamps, which we declined. We paid our €2 each entry and €1 for a guide book (well worth it) and followed her directions into the prison.
It is a dark, damp, depressing building and it was clear that lamps would have been helpful in some of the rooms, as the lighting system no longer works (obviously what the old lady was trying to tell us), nevertheless we ventured into these rooms, using the camera flash as guidance. The rooms are very eerie and atmospheric. Some have been left exactly as they were when Estonians were imprisoned, tortured or executed by the soviets, other rooms have art installations, left over from when art students lived & worked there, quite surreal.
The prison is both interesting and depressing (when you think about what happened there) and is a poignant memorial to the imprisoned; hopefully the Estonians will leave it as it is.
After reading Peter Robinson’s “watching the dark” (an Inspector Banks novel) which describes the prison in detail, we decided to pay a visit, whilst in Tallinn, during a Baltic cruise.
We walked along the “culture kilometre” which starts near the cruise port. About a mile from the town we arrived at the entrance to the prison (dilapidated concrete buildings) and just as in the novel we met an old Estonian lady at the entrance, who tried to explain something in Estonian or Russian. From her gestures we worked out that it was something to do with a deposit for lights/miners helmet lamps, which we declined. We paid our €2 each entry and €1 for a guide book (well worth it) and followed her directions into the prison.
It is a dark, damp, depressing building and it was clear that lamps would have been helpful in some of the rooms, as the lighting system no longer works (obviously what the old lady was trying to tell us), nevertheless we ventured into these rooms, using the camera flash as guidance. The rooms are very eerie and atmospheric. Some have been left exactly as they were when Estonians were imprisoned, tortured or executed by the soviets, other rooms have art installations, left over from when art students lived & worked there, quite surreal.
The prison is both interesting and depressing (when you think about what happened there) and is a poignant memorial to the imprisoned; hopefully the Estonians will leave it as it is.
Written 24 November 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eva L
Tartu, Estonia1 contribution
May 2013 • Friends
First of all, please note that from now on it is only possible to visit the building with tour guide two times a day - 13.00 and 18.00 due to safety reasons. Also some recommendations: take very warm clothes with you, because we went there on very sunny day and inside the wide stone walls - we were just freezing. I am not sure how it is with a guide, but as the cells and other rooms don´t have lightning, having a flashlight is more than useful (the one with smartphone seemed to be sometimes a bit too weak, though). Also, definitely don´t wear sandals or flipflops as the ground is dirty. If you consider all these points mentioned above, be ready for amazing experience.
This place is just unbelievable and what is more, it is crazy to think that the last inmates left it in 2002. You can see their inhumane living conditions and many of the rooms still have furniture inside (I don´t understand why they abandoned it so in hurrry)- still books in the library or medical devices in the operation room, boots in the cells etc. This is not a romantic visit and please do not take kids with you (maybe from 12-13 years old the earliest), but it is definitely worth seeing and it is very interesting if you like this kind of places. Walking around there, I could not stop wondering how people could have lived there and how this place can be still open to visitors.
One tip (although don´t know if it is possible with tour guide, but if they should open this just for wandering around as well): Walk up the stairs in the middle part of the "walking boxes" and there you can reach the corridors of the left wing that are locked from other side.
We went alone and therefore missed having and explanations and additional information, but although walking with tourguide the visit will not be so "authentic", it might give better details. If there is a chance, recommend to look into every single room, because they might differ.
Through the ambiance there you could imagine the awful living conditions.
.
The brochure that you can buy for 1 euro - does not give much information, but you can buy one for the whole group, because it has some interesting facts and figures inside
All in all, the place is a must go especially for people interested in history and it is great because it is something special. Would recommend going there quite soon, but it is not sure how long the place will be open to visitors..
This place is just unbelievable and what is more, it is crazy to think that the last inmates left it in 2002. You can see their inhumane living conditions and many of the rooms still have furniture inside (I don´t understand why they abandoned it so in hurrry)- still books in the library or medical devices in the operation room, boots in the cells etc. This is not a romantic visit and please do not take kids with you (maybe from 12-13 years old the earliest), but it is definitely worth seeing and it is very interesting if you like this kind of places. Walking around there, I could not stop wondering how people could have lived there and how this place can be still open to visitors.
One tip (although don´t know if it is possible with tour guide, but if they should open this just for wandering around as well): Walk up the stairs in the middle part of the "walking boxes" and there you can reach the corridors of the left wing that are locked from other side.
We went alone and therefore missed having and explanations and additional information, but although walking with tourguide the visit will not be so "authentic", it might give better details. If there is a chance, recommend to look into every single room, because they might differ.
Through the ambiance there you could imagine the awful living conditions.
.
The brochure that you can buy for 1 euro - does not give much information, but you can buy one for the whole group, because it has some interesting facts and figures inside
All in all, the place is a must go especially for people interested in history and it is great because it is something special. Would recommend going there quite soon, but it is not sure how long the place will be open to visitors..
Written 11 June 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lifenadventure
Dubai, United Arab Emirates2,193 contributions
Dec 2012 • Friends
A tour to the Tallinn Prison is a must do when in town, go at night and when it is cold, adds to the atmosphere. Creepy how recently it was used and how horrific the stories are that come from there, worth the 9euros to see and experience first hand.
Written 10 February 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AndrewPMontgomery
Oxford, UK4 contributions
Jul 2011 • Friends
For €2 this was a brilliant adventure.
Tallinn Prison is a bit of a walk from the old town: exit the old town at Fat Margaret's Tower, head up to Kalasadama street, then follow the old railway line (which is now a cycle path) in a north-westerly direction for 1km. It's not the first entrance to the building - if you find a French war memorial stone you're close but you need to continue another 100m up the cycle track - to the second entrance. Alternatively take a taxi.
If possible bring a torch to get a good view of the darker rooms. This is an excellent value experience and an unforgettable adventure. You will see old hanging rooms, prisoners' cells, medical facilities, recreational facilities. As a museum it's very basic, there are only a handful of signs and very little has been restored. It's not really a museum at all, it's just an old prison! One day this will probably be converted into a luxury beach-front hotel so visit it now while you still can.
There is a small bar at the back of the prison (beach side, might only be seasonal). Not suitable for disabled people. Older kids (8+) will find it very cool, especially boys.
Tallinn Prison is a bit of a walk from the old town: exit the old town at Fat Margaret's Tower, head up to Kalasadama street, then follow the old railway line (which is now a cycle path) in a north-westerly direction for 1km. It's not the first entrance to the building - if you find a French war memorial stone you're close but you need to continue another 100m up the cycle track - to the second entrance. Alternatively take a taxi.
If possible bring a torch to get a good view of the darker rooms. This is an excellent value experience and an unforgettable adventure. You will see old hanging rooms, prisoners' cells, medical facilities, recreational facilities. As a museum it's very basic, there are only a handful of signs and very little has been restored. It's not really a museum at all, it's just an old prison! One day this will probably be converted into a luxury beach-front hotel so visit it now while you still can.
There is a small bar at the back of the prison (beach side, might only be seasonal). Not suitable for disabled people. Older kids (8+) will find it very cool, especially boys.
Written 6 October 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is this open again now? I visited in 2016, and would love to come back again.
Written 23 August 2020
Is it still possible to visit Patarei by booking a private tour? The website says that it has closed.
Written 25 December 2016
Unfortunately the State Real Estate w w w ( dot )rkas( dot ) ee has decided to not allow any access to the site.
However, there has been rumours of the site manager conducting private tours. We do not know do these rumours have any grounding; however, for access to Patarei you could contact the site manager.
Written 25 December 2016
How best to get there from Hotel Bern? Is tramway an option?
Written 24 March 2016
Hello :)
I'd say it would be about the same as walking the whole way from the Old Town. For the time being, there is no public transport stops nearby. They plan to have a bus line passing it by, but we do not know when it will be launched.
Many people opt for a taxi (when weather is not good), the address is Kalaranna tee 2a (the gate is close to the Oda street).
You could board a tram at the Merepuiestee stop and ride it towards the railway station -- however, I'd say, it would be the same distance/time to walk from any three of the following stops (Linnahall, Põhja puiestee, Balti jaam).
Perhaps closest you can get would be by bus. Board a bus No 3 at Merepuiestee and exit at Kalamaja. Then it is a bit shorter walk as the bus stop is closer to Patarei than any of the tram stops are.
I wish I could give you a direct link the map to the bus route, but it is not allowed.
The map can be found at soiduplaan(dot)tallinn(dot)ee/#bus/3/a-b/12209-1/map/en
Hope it helps :)
Written 24 March 2016
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