Tartu Things to Do

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The railway from Tallinn to Tartu was opened in 1877, and ten years later the line from Tartu to Valga was finished. Until mid 1990s passanger traffic was important and Tartu Railway Station was busy. But when the line was privatised cargo came into focus, and passanger traffic has decreased. Nowadays there are only a few passanger trains every day in each direction. The condition of the line is not the best, which means speed is low, and many people prefer to go by bus.

Tartu Railway Station is an architectural pearl, and it is a pity to see the condition of the building today. I hope the owners of the building see it's historical value, and restore it to what it once was.

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Interesting decorum on a probably neoclassical house in Raekoja plats opposite the town hall: The facade towards the square has obviously been redecorated under the Soviet regime. The stucco ornaments between ground and first floor include the Soviet emblem with hammer and sickle.

Most amazing: almost two decades after Estonia's independence it is still there.

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The square in front of the town hall is the heart of Tartu - not only because of the fountain with the kissing students, LOL. The square is entirely pedestrianized and has outdoor seating of cafes and some shops around.

The town hall was built in the 1780s after the big fire that destroyed most of the town in 1775, and the majority of the other buildings around the square are from the same era. These include the leaning house (see separate tip).

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Estonia's song festivals are more than just some music event. They are a centre of national culture. This becmes understandable when taking into consideration that until the early 19th century there was no poetry, literature, song in Estonian language. Estonian used to be the language of the peasants, the poor and the uneducated. Only around 1800 authors began to write in Estonian and the Estonian people began to feel as, well, a people.

In the 1860s Tartu, then still named Dorpat, became the centre of the young Estonian national movement. In 1865 a men's choir singing club was founded. This club organized the first song festival in 1869. Most songs had to be written extra for this festival because there were hardly any. Song festivals take place at regular intervals, nowadays every five years. The first festivals took place in Tartu but the song festival soon moved to Tallinn where festival grounds with a stage for 15,000 singers (!!) have been built.

The building of Tartu singing club, which also hosted the first Estonian theatre in 1870, has been turned into a museum which presents the history of the song festivals and their significance in national culture and politics. Estonia's first short period of independence after World War I was ended by the Soviet occupation in 1940. The Soviet regime aimed to "russify" the country and did not appreciate those song festivals at all but did not succeed in suppressing them. The festival of 1988 became the spark that started the revolution that lead to Estonia's independence in 1991 - Estonians call it the "Singing Revolution".

Check the museum website for up to date information on opening hours, entrance fees, temporary exhibitions and events.

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Tartu's most popular sight, I assume...

The fountain with the kissing couple under the umbrella is in the most prominent location: in Raekoja plats in front of the town hall. Remember what monuments other cities have in their main squares... this one must turn mayor and dity council in a "loving" mood.

Once per year a contest is held in Tartu: Couples have to take the very same position as the sculpture and the couple who holds on longest is the winner. The position does not look too comfortable, especially for the girl who has to lift one foot in the air. Tricky. Give it a try if you are there in two.

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The main church in the old town is one of the rare medieval buildings that survived the big fire of 1775. It is an example of brick gothic like the cathedral on the hill. The building is dated to the 14th century.

Its most remarkable feature are the hundreds of terracotta figures and busts on the facades. Nobody has so far found a convincing explanation for them.
Around the portal we find figures of praying saints and the apostles Peter and Paul, and Christ the Saviour in the mandorla at the top. The lower niches are empty.
Below the eaves a frieze with quatrefoils runs around the whole church; each quatrefoil holds a terracotta head.

Opening hours are limited. Unfortunately I was unlucky, so I cannot tell about the interior. Check the display outside the main portal for up to date opening hours.

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The cathedral of Tartu was one of the earliest and most important brick gothic buildings in the Baltics. The church was destroyed in the Livonian War (First Nordic War, 1558-1583) and never repaired. The majestic ruin on top of Toome Hill gives an idea of its past splendour. It is surrounded by a park and can be accessed for free any time.

The ruin of the choir was repaired in the 19th century to install the university library. Now it hosts the museum of university history (see separate tip).

Photographers: The best views into the ruin can be caught from the windows on the upper floors of the historical museum. One reason more to visit this interesting museum.

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The museum presents the history of Tartu University from the foundation to the present. Historical equipment and precious instruments represent the history of science. Student life throughout the centuries is also a topic.
To understand Tartu's history and culture, a visit to this museum is the key.

The seat of the msueum is the former choir of the cathedral on top of Toome hill. After the university's refoundation in 1802 the ruin of the choir was repaired and refurbished for the university library. When the library moved into a larger building it became museum.
The beautiful halls, ornated in neogothic style, are also used for conventions and concerts.

See the website for up to date information about opening hours, entrance fees, guided tours and events.