Kiek in de Kök

Kiek in de Kök (Low German: Kiek in de Kök, lit. 'Peek into the Kitchen') is an artillery tower in Tallinn, Estonia, built in 1475. It gained the name Kiek in de Kök from the ability of tower occupants to see into kitchens of nearby houses. The tower is 38 m (125 ft) high and has walls 4 m (13 ft) thick. Cannon balls dating back to 1577 are still embedded in its outer walls.

Throughout its working life, the tower was extensively remodeled. Work in the 16th and 17th centuries saw the two lowest floors become hidden by earth works and the upper floors receive new gun openings and the uppermost floor a new outer wall and ceiling. By 1760, the tower had become obsolete. At this time it became a repository for archives and some floors were converted to apartments.

Twentieth-century restoration work saw the tower and surrounding area returned to a more historical look. The tower now serves as a museum and photographic gallery.

Text adapted from “Kiek in de Kök, Tallinn” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Kiek in de Kök ranks #947 of 7,044 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #5 of the 26 mapped in Estonia. Founded 1475, it is older than 46% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 410 atlas entries founded in the 15th century. See how Estonia compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗