Kadriorg Palace
Baroque palace park with KUMU art museum and presidential residence.
Ideal: Ideal for those who want palace, park, art, and a calm stroll.
After Peter the Great took Estonia from Sweden, he had this built for his wife Catherine in 1718; the name already means 'Catherine's valley' in Estonian. The Baroque design is by Italian architect Niccolò Michetti, and the small cottage where the tsar stayed while watching the construction site still stands in the park. The KUMU museum in the same park opened in 2006, embedded in the limestone slope, and was named European Museum of the Year in 2008; it stands out for showing Soviet-era official art and dissident art side by side. The presidential residence is also inside this park.
Why go?
- To see one of Estonia's most elegant palace and park areas
- For a calm walk through the gardens
- To combine with art museums and a culture route
Travel tip
It makes a lot of sense to put Kadriorg and the KUMU Art Museum on the same day.
