Three Sisters, Tallinn

This trio of adjoining merchant houses on Pikk Street ranks among the finest surviving Hanseatic dwellings in Tallinn's old town. Built in the fifteenth century for prosperous traders, the gabled facades combine living quarters, offices and warehouse lofts under steep roofs fitted with hoisting beams. Their decorative doorways and stepped gables illustrate the wealth that flowed through the medieval port. The buildings now operate as a hotel, but their exteriors remain a landmark for walkers exploring the northern streets of the walled town.