Almost half of the city’s population of 460,638 (2025) people live in the large city districts that are sometimes called the dormitories and also known as the ‘hills’ (the word ‘mäe’ in their names comes from the Estonian word ‘mägi’, which means ‘mountain’ or ‘hill’). This is why the ‘hills’ are excellent places to visit for those who are interested in the lives of ‘ordinary Tallinners’.
The hills are easy to get to by bus. You can use public transport free of charge if you’ve purchased a Tallinn Card. Find Tallinn public transport timetables and routes here.
The construction of Lasnamäe started in the 1970s and it is still ongoing. Even though its reputation is not the best, it is actually a peaceful district that is home to 118,721 (2025) people. It covers approximately one-fifth of the territory of Tallinn. Lasnamäe is Tallinn’s biggest residential district with a mostly Russian-speaking population - Russian is the native language of two-thirds of the people living there.
Lasnamäe is cut in half by Laagna Road - a tunnel and motorway lined by Tallinn’s most massive blocks of flats on both sides. Many buses that head from the city centre to Lasnamäe use this route.
The service centre Lasnamäe Keskus is located near the Paesilla bus stop, the large shopping centres of Tähesaju City and Lasnamäe Centrum are located near the Taevakivi bus stop.
Those who are interested in sacral art should head for Tallinn’s newest Orthodox church - the Church of the "Quick to Hearken" Icon of the Mother of God in the eastern part of Lasnamäe.
On the other side of Lasnamäe is Jüriöö Park (St George’s Night Park), which is like a textbook of earlier Estonian history. The decisive battle between the forces of the Masters of the Livonian Order and the army of the Estonians was held at the highest point of Tallinn, Sõjamäe, in 1343. In addition to these, there is a memorial in the park to those who fell in the Estonian War of Independence and World War II.
The mood is much brighter at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, located right next to Lasnamäe and the grand Kadriorg Park. It was under this arch that the Estonians sang themselves free for good. In addition to the song festivals held here every five years, the grounds are also a popular venue for sports and open-air events.