Tartu Things to Do

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The Art Museum is actually a museum of archeology. The objects on display are mostly copies of famous ancient Greek and Roman art works, especially sculptures. The collection was originally assembled to teach students of archeology, art history and art about ancient art and give them models for their own work. Temporary exhibitions present other fields of art.

Nowadays university students buy a cheap ticket for a low cost carrier and fly over to Rome, Athens, Paris, London to see the originals. The collection of casts is visited by school classes for educational purposes.

The place claims to be Estonia's oldest museum. It was founded in 1803, thus has been open to visitors for more than 200 years. From today's point of view, its greatest treasure is the 19th century interior with wall paintings in Pompeian stlye.

The art museum also does the tours to the student lock-up and round the main university building including the aula.

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In earlier days the university had strict rules concerning the behaviour of the students. Breaches and offences were punished with imprisonment in the lock-up between a day and several weeks. Such offences included, for example, being drunk, fighting in the streets, leaving the town unallowed, missing lectures, ofending professors.

This punishment was not as bad as it sounds, though. The prisoner had his room to himself with a desk and bed, an oven and a toilet cabinet. Food and heating were provided by the caretaker who also did the cleaning. Every day the inmate was allowed out for one hour to have lunch. To many, this was about the only period during the semester when they actually studied and wrote papers. Otherwise student life consisted mostly of drinking, fencing and other activities with their corporation.

Vivat Sequens - Long Live The Next
(Inscription over the door)

It seems students were rather proud than ashamed to have been in there. Many left drawings and verses on the walls which are now the main attraction. Around 1900 the main language was German, but we also find inscriptions in Latin, Italian etc. I have not seen any in Estonian, though.

The Kartser is located in the attic of the main university building. It can be visited; ask at the cash desk of the university art museum.

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Tartu University has Already in times when the city was named Dorpat, its university was "the" university for the Baltics. It was founded in 1632 by the Swedish King Gustav Adolph thanks to intervention and support of the Swedish governor in Livonia, Johan Skytte.

Even under the Russian government before 1918 the language of professors and students was the language of the Baltic elite: German. Nowadays it is of course Estonian, with some classes in English.

The main university building was erected shortly after 1800. Rumours tell that the position of the university architect was given to a certain inexperienced candidate only because he was the son-in-law of the rector. However, the university made a good choice. His building is a beautiful masterpiece of neoclassical architecture.

Not to be missed: the neoclassical aula. It can be visited with guided tours.

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Tartu's strangest building is this house in the main square. Built in 1793, it has obviously caused problems quite soon. Somehow the foundations did not support the building as well as they were supposed to. I assume those builders lost their job very soon... Somehow the left corner of the facade sank into the ground and the whole house looks as if it is going to collapse in an instand. It has already survived 200 years, though, so this strange static seems to work. The door is straight, though.

So why is the house leaning? Well, in photo 2 there is the answer: It's all because of Russell the King Kong Wombat!!!

Seriously... This building invites to do some photo experiments if you are with company. There is a wide square in front of it, enough space to position your travel companions to snapshot them pushing or holding the house. Have fun...

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This is the place where KGB kept prisoners 1940s-1950s.
Place is renovated to look what it looked like during those days.
Lot´s of info about crimes that KGB performed in Estonia.

Quite unforgettable place, but I expected little more.

Open Tu-Sa 11.00-16.00

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The Devil´s Bridge was designed by architect Arved Eichhorn in 1913 to celebrate 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty of the Russian Czarist court.
In the middle on 20th century the studenst developed a tradition of singing on the bridge during university festivities. Nowadays Universitys mens choir sing on the Devil´s Bridge. Women´s choir sings on the Angels´s Bridge.

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Toome Hill is a lively and popular historical park near city centre. It is a nice place to take a little walk.
Toome Hill was originally a gift of Tsar Paul I to the University.
Before that it was "nomans land".
It was proclaimed public park in 1805.
Many monument´s can be found in the park.

Statue of two writes with similar names.
Irish writer Oscar Wilde (left) and Estonian writer Eduard Vilde. The writers did not ever actually met, except on this bench.

Estonians donated copy of this statue into Galway, Ireland when Estonia joined into EU.