Great Coastal Gate & Fat Margaret’s Tower
Great Coastal Gate & Fat Margaret's Tower
Good morning ladies and gentlemens, and welcome to Great Coastal Gate and Fat
Margaret's Tower. Before we begin the tour, I`d like to tell you a little about their
history.
The Great Coastal Gate (Suur Rannavärav) was the most important gate in Tallinn. It
was built as a defence on the seaward side of Tallinn, but also to impress visitors coming
in from the sea. In the Middle Ages the Great Coastal Gate was about 300 footsteps
from the harbour. Legends say, that during storms, the waves reached the gate. .
In the 16th century, a powerful cannon tower was built next to the Great Coastal Gate.
It had 155 loopholes, diameter of 25 meters, and a height of about 20 meters. The tower
was named Roosikrantsi, but as it was the stoutest tower in the Wall, people started to
call it "Fat Margaret". Through history, the cannon tower has also served as a
storehouse for gunpowder ...
annaabi.ee 
