Book in for a guided tour of this fascinating functioning hotel, which was used as a base by KGB operatives during the Soviet era.
Learn about life in Communist Tallinn and the work of Soviet-era spies at the KGB Museum, which is located on the top floor of the still-functioning Hotel Viru. The hotel rooms from which the KGB agents once worked have been left exactly as they were during the height of the Cold War.
Hotel Viru, the first high-rise building in Tallinn, was opened in 1972 to cater to foreign travellers who needed somewhere to stay in the city. During this time, the Soviet surveillance state was in full force and agents were keen to keep track of what foreign visitors to the country were up to, as well as to monitor their interactions with locals. Head to the hotel’s 23rd floor to see the exact location that the KGB used as their espionage base.
To access the KGB Museum, which is located within the still-operated Hotel Viru, take a guided tour. Follow your guide up to the former KGB office and view some of the equipment and devices that they used to listen to hotel guests’ conversations.
Listen as your guide reveals stories about the KGB’s spying practices, highlighting the kind of old-school espionage techniques that were put to use here at Hotel Viru. Guides don’t just confine themselves to spy tales either they will also give some background on the more colourful episodes from the hotel’s history.
After learning about the methods of surveillance employed by the Soviet powers, consider heading to the hotel’s Viru Foreign Currency Bar for a post-tour debrief. Back in the Soviet era, this bar would only accept foreign currencies and, as such, was frequented almost entirely by foreigners.
The KGB Museum is located on the top floor of the Hotel Viru in midtown Tallinn, adjacent to the historic Old Town, and can only be visited as part of a guided tour. Book ahead to ensure a spot on the hour-long tour, which takes place daily from May through to September. From October to April, the tour is not available on Mondays.
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