Just past the fascinating Seaplane Harbour, and Patarei Sea Fortress and former prison, Noblessner is quickly continuing the development of the seaside in Kalamaja.
The historic submarine shipyard is now home to new apartment blocks, boat anchorage facilities, offices, and a growing number of galleries, restaurants, bars and boutiques.
A fascinating history
Noblessner dates back to the early 20th century, when Tsarist Russia and Peter the Great began building up their navy in anticipation of war. Though the original plans of a war harbour were never completed, a huge submarine shipyard, named after Emanuel Nobel, nephew of Alfred Nobel, and his business partner Arthur Lessner (hence Noblessner), was built.The shipyard was famous for its submarines, built for the Russian Empire, but when Estonia gained independence in 1918, Noblessner was declared bankrupt and split between several smaller companies, which began manufacturing smaller ships due to lack of larger orders. During the Soviet period, Noblessner was renamed Factory Number 7 and was used to repair submarines and other ships damaged in World War II.
After Estonia regained its independence in 1991, the shipyard remained active for a decade, with the last vessels built as recently as 2018. Since 2009, the Noblessner Marina and Noblessner Yacht Club and Sailing School (NYCS) have also operated in the area.
Today, Noblessner is flourishing, but it’s far from completion, with building and renovation work expected to continue until the end of the 2020s.
