Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.
Café Reconcile
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
13 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
14 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
15 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
16 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Estonia Tallinn Ichthus Art Gallery

Ichthus Art Gallery

A secluded art gallery hidden within the cellars beneath Tallinn’s medieval monastery.

Tallinn, Estonia

Added By
Gretchen Mora
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The staircase is the entrance to the main monastery.   gretchenmora / Atlas Obscura User
The staircase is the entrance to the main monastery.   gretchenmora / Atlas Obscura User
The entrance to cellars, where the art is located.   gretchenmora / Atlas Obscura User
An alcove way in the back.   gretchenmora / Atlas Obscura User
The steep staircase to cellars.   gretchenmora / Atlas Obscura User
What appears to be an old map of the monastery.   gretchenmora / Atlas Obscura User
Fish light in a corner.   gretchenmora / Atlas Obscura User
The large fireplace within the cellars.   gretchenmora / Atlas Obscura User
A blocked off stairway with tiny opening to surface.   gretchenmora / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

When wandering around Tallinn, Estonia, you’re bound to find little alcoves, tiny courtyards, and winding streets that make you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time. Saint Catherine's Dominican Monastery, one of the oldest buildings in the city, is one such place. But upon closer inspection, it becomes evident there are two things for visitors to explore at the medieval site, not just one. 

You can choose to go up the stairs to the left and enter the main part of the monastery where the monks lived. Or, you can decide to head to the right where an open iron gate and wooden doors lead to a steep staircase that, despite descending into a deep gloom, somehow still looks promising. At the bottom of this staircase, beneath the interior courtyard, you can find a display with an old book of photos and writing that offers a tidbit of the history of the Dominican monks.

The room opens into a series of connected cellars where monks worked from 1246 to 1524. There’s an enormous fireplace in one part, and if you follow the narrow hallways back deeper into the rooms, you’ll discover a small, blocked off stairway (maybe a shortcut?) up to the surface. There is also a nice sitting area under an alcove.

These ancient underground rooms hold original works of art for sale by the the man who currently rents the space, an artist named Aleksandr Savchenkov. The artist is usually in the small gallery, called Ichthus Art Gallery, constructing new pieces while the occasional visitor mills about among the watercolor paintings and Savchenkov’s for-sale work, to a muted soundtrack of Latin chants playing from a discreet CD player.

Related Tags

Art History Monks Gallery Medieval Books

Know Before You Go

There is a donation box underneath the map of the monastery. As of June 2024, there is a mandatory 5 euro ticket

Community Contributors

Added By

gretchenmora

Edited By

ashishb

  • ashishb

Published

September 18, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMFKAJ_St_Catherines_Dominican_Monastery_Tallinn_Estonia
  • http://www.kloostri.ee/?1,5,31,2
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Catherine%27s_Monastery,_Tallinn
  • http://therenaissancetroll.blogspot.com/2012/03/trip-to-tallin-part-ii.html
  • https://www.hotashesfortrees.com/single-post/2017/04/14/5-Things-Not-to-Miss-in-Old-Tallinn
Ichthus Art Gallery
Müürivahe 33
Tallinn
Estonia
59.4378, 24.7493
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Hellemann Tower and City Walls

Tallinn, Estonia

miles away

St Catherine's Passage

Tallinn, Estonia

miles away

Tallinn Black Angus Sculpture

Tallinn, Estonia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tallinn

Tallinn

Estonia

Places 34

Nearby Places

Hellemann Tower and City Walls

Tallinn, Estonia

miles away

St Catherine's Passage

Tallinn, Estonia

miles away

Tallinn Black Angus Sculpture

Tallinn, Estonia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tallinn

Tallinn

Estonia

Places 34

Related Places

  • Dale Abbey, England

    Hermits Cave at Dale Abbey

    Inspired by a dream, a hermit carved out a home in this sandstone bank to live a life of contemplation and prayer.

  • The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries.

    London, England

    Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries

    This long-hidden space above Westminster Abbey now displays the battle gear of the legendary King Henry V.

  • Sculptures on a pillar in the Baroque library at Metten Abbey.

    Metten, Germany

    Baroque Library of Metten Abbey

    This 8th-century Bavarian monastery is home to an exquisite Baroque-era library.

  • Haarlem’s Big Church.

    Haarlem, Netherlands

    Grote Kerk

    This towering church is home to a world-famous organ and a treasure trove of medieval art.

  • Los Ojos de la Mora.

    Cuenca, Spain

    Los Ojos de la Mora

    Two large eyes painted anonymously on a mountain overlooking the city pay homage to an old legend.

  • The Norman cavalry charge being met with Anglo Saxon spearmen.

    Bayeux, France

    Bayeux Tapestry

    This enormous "cloth of the conquest" depicts the Norman invasion of England in mind-blowing detail.

  • Consuegra, Spain

    Consuegra Windmills

    This line of 12 tower mills described in the story of Don Quixote is among the most iconic landscapes in Spain.

  • Cervara di Roma

    Cervara di Roma, Italy

    Cervara di Roma

    The second-highest village in Lazio has attracted artists for 400 years and is now a spectacular open-air art gallery.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.