OREANDA-NEWS. April 13, 2012. After several years of renovations, Tallinn's historic TV Tower will be reopened, boasting Estonia's highest restaurant and a glass floor hanging above 170 meters of emptiness.

The TV Tower will be opened to the general public on Thursday. Modern exhibit rooms tell the story of the tower and give tourists a more general overview of Estonia. The cafe, with an outdoor terrace and panoramic view of Tallinn, was moved from the 21st to the 22 floor during remodeling.

The tower was closed in 2007 due to fire safety violations. The 314-meter tower is Estonia's tallest structure. Besieged by Russian tanks in 1991, the building had a central role in the climax of the country's fight for independence, when Estonian police officers threatened to release gas from the tower's fire extinguishing system to stop invading soldiers attempting to gain control of the nation's broadcasting.

With a total budget of 6.6 million euros for the overhaul, the tower's foundation raised 1 million euros on its own, and received the rest from EU funds.