Discover Tartu and Tartu County 2015

Discover Tartu and Tartu County

www.visittartu.com

There aren’t many places in the world that have such clearly marked seasons and diversity as Estonia. In the warm summer months, Tartu is abuzz with street cafés, festivals and concerts. Then, in the colourful autumn, whispering leaves rustle in the streets as young people hurry between lecture halls, organising student events and livening up the city with their openness and optimism.

The slopes of Toomemägi, the ruins of Tartu Cathedral, the promenade by the Emajõgi River and the Old Town with the main building of the University of Tartu and Town Hall Square create a charming route along which residents of the city and visitors of all ages can enjoy a stroll. Outdoor events are held in unique venues in summer, when Estonia’s oldest professional theatre – the Vanemuine – launches its new season, performing both world classics and original Estonian works.

Autumn is replaced by the bright, cheery winter season and its blanket of fluffy snow. Crisp walks are offset by warming stops in cosy cafés, and the town is lit up with decorations during the pre-Christmas period.

In December, the city becomes a sparkling centre of festivities. The highlight of the season is its glamorous New Year’s party – at the Vanemuine ball you can enjoy some of the best musical and classical performances of every genre.

Participating in the Tartu marathon, thousands of skiers from all over the world face a real challenge in the snow. But then winter hands the reins to spring, when activities of a completely different nature start taking place in the glimmering city. Tartu is a city that’s never the same – and which is seasoned just right!

Kajar Lember Deputy Mayor of Tartu

According to archaeologists, people first settled in what is now Tartu County at least 5000 years ago. At first these people lived mainly off the land, and in so doing forged closer ties with neighbouring tribes and peoples. Tartu County today is on the borderline of southern and eastern Estonia, nestled between Lakes Peipus and Võrtsjärv. Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia and is the gateway to the south of the country. Thanks to the Hanseatic League it became an important centre of trade, and the railway connections established in the second half of the 19th century with Tallinn, Rīga and St Petersburg allowed the city to flourish. Over the centuries Tartu has been a key centre of trade, science and culture. Its university, which was founded in 1632, has transformed the city into the focal point of education in Estonia. It is a city that attracts visitors for its vibrant cultural life, youthful vitality and impressive architecture.

Tartu

Tartu County

Official name: Republic of Estonia Capital: Tallinn Area: 45,339 km2 Population: 1,313,271 Local time: GMT +2 summer time GMT +3 Country code: +372 Emergency number: 112 Member of the EU: since 2004 Currency: euro (€)

First mentioned: in 1030 Historical names: Tarbatu, Dorpat, Jurjev, Dorpt & Derpt Area: 38.87 km2 Population: 97,332 Ethnicity: Estonian – 81.5%, Russian – 14.4%, Other – 4.1% Slogan: Tartu – City of Good Thoughts (in Estonian: Tartu – heade mõtete linn)

Area: 2,993 km2 Population: 151,377 Longest river: Suur-Emajõgi (100 km – 10 km of which passes through Tartu) Biggest lakes: Lake Peipus (3555 km2 – 5th largest lake in Europe) & Lake Võrtsjärv (270 km2) Biggest island: Piirissaar (7.5 km2, on Lake Peipus)

Statistics as of 01.01.2015

Tartu – unique and charming in every season!

Estonia

How to get to Tartu

BY PLANE Tartu is situated in southern Estonia and is connected to the world primarily through Tallinn, the Estonian capital.

Tallinn’s international airport is located just outside the city centre, on the road to Tartu (www.tallinn-airport.ee). It is also possible to fly to Tartu direct from Helsinki – Finnair flies on the route seven days a week. Tartu Airport (www. tartu-airport.ee) is ca 11 km from the city centre, but the Airport Shuttle (www.tartaline.ee) will happily take you from the airport to any location in the city. It departs from the airport for the city around 10 minutes after the plane arrives, but will wait for anyone who needs transport to the city.

BY BUS The trip from Tallinn to Tartu takes around 2.5 hours, with buses leaving Tallinn every half an hour or so from 5:40 to 23:59 (www.tpilet.ee). On the hour, every hour from 7:00 to 20:00 comfortable Lux Express buses depart on the Tartu-Tallinn-Tartu route. You can read newspapers on the bus, use the free WiFi, listen to music or watch movies. All Lux Express buses stop at Tallinn Airport in both directions. There are also international bus connections with Rīga in Latvia (www.eurolines.com, www.ecolines.net or www.luxexpress.eu) and St Petersburg (www.luxexpress. eu) and Pechory (www.tpilet.ee) in Russia.

BY TRAIN Eight times a day you can take a train between Tallinn and Tartu. Fast, comfortable diesel trains take you to your destination in two hours. All trains offer free WiFi (www.elron.ee). The line to Valga also provides opportunities for connections to Rīga. For more information and schedules see www.elron.ee and www.pv.lv/en. Another international route is Tallinn-St Petersburg-Moscow, operated by AS GoRail (www.gorail.ee).

BY CAR For those behind the wheel, Tartu is only ever a pleasant drive away – the 186 km between Tallinn and Tartu takes just two hours, while the Latvian capital, Rīga, is 260 km or three-and-a-half hours to the south-west. Driving here also means you can stop and admire some of Estonia’s prettiest and most interesting sights along the way! (For ideas, see www.visitestonia.com) Those travelling between Rīga, Tartu and St Petersburg can plan their trip through Estonia using the Via Hanseatica travel planner (www.viahanseatica.info). Visitors who want to explore Tartu and Tartu County first-hand can hire a car or bike – information about both options is available from the Tartu Visitor Centre (info@visittartu.com).

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While wandering in the centre of Tartu you’re likely to come across a building that’s very important to the city – St John’s church (www.jaanikirik.ee), which is one of the most unique examples of medieval sacral construction in Northern Europe. From its bell tower you can enjoy the views over the historical Old Town and the surrounding St John’s quarter.

Experience culture and history in Tartu As the oldest city in the Baltic States, Tartu offers something to see around every corner – especially in the unique heart of the city, which has been placed under national heritage protection. Here you’ll find some amazing examples of architecture from different ages: everything from the Middle Ages to contemporary design. Tartu has also played a key role in shaping national culture, identity and awareness – it was here, at its university, that the first Estonian elite sprang up; it was here that the country’s first newspapers and cultural societies established themselves; it was here that the first theatre opened its doors; and it was here that the very first Song Festival was held. Tartu’s culture and history are symbolised by the university, but also reflected in its museums and historical structures, as well as its residential districts with their typical wooden architecture.

The University of Tartu (www.ut.ee), which was founded in 1632, has been one of the most important influences on national culture, identity and awareness.

Its main building, which was completed in 1809, remains the jewel in the crown of Estonian neoclassical design.

Tartu is a city of museums – there are around 20 you can visit. At the Tartu City Museum (http://linnamuuseum.tartu.ee), for example, you can find out all about the history of the city; while at the Estonian National Museum (www.erm.ee) you can learn about the culture and history of the country as a whole, as well as of other Finno-Ugric peoples.

In Ülenurme, 3 km south of the city, is the Estonian Agricultural Museum (www.epm.ee), where anyone

interested can investigate the rural culture, agricultural traditions and working machinery of the local people. The museum offers a range of workshops and family events, and should you wish to you can even take a pony ride.

Intriguing cultural history awaits visitors along the shore of Lake Peipus, which has been a home to Russian Old Believers since the 17th century. Their unique culture and traditions have made the area a fascinating place to visit. You can find out about the history and customs of the Old Believers at the museums in Kolkja (www.hot.ee/k/kolkjamuuseum) and Varnja. Further information about activities and options along the lake shore is also available at the Peipsimaa Visitor Centre (www.peipsimaa.ee) and on the Onion Route network website (www.sibulatee.ee).

A key role in the development and promotion of Estonian culture has also been played by the Vanemuine Theatre (www.vanemuine.ee). It is the only theatre in Estonia to cover five separate genres, staging musical and ballet performances as well as operas and operettas. Subtitles in other languages can be provided for a number of performances if requested.

Concerts are staged at the adjacent Vanemuine Concert Hall (www.concert.ee/tartu).

Further afield, 16 km outside of the city in Veskioru, is the Estonian Aviation Museum (www.lennundusmuuseum.ee). Started from a private collection, its exhibition space showcases almost 400

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highly detailed model planes, as well as life-sized helicopters and aircraft. The Aviation Days held at the museum each June are perhaps the most important event on its calendar.

In addition to the Old Believers, this part of the world is closely associated with the cultures of Estonian serfdom and Baltic-German nobility. A great place to learn about both is at one of the true architectural pearls of the Lake Peipus region, Alatskivi Castle (www.alatskiviloss.ee), which has been renowned for its neogothic appearance since the 19th century. The castle has something for everyone and offers excursions, workshops, accommodation and a fine restaurant.

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Tartu - city of good thoughts and smart solutions As a university town, Tartu has long enjoyed an important place on the map of the world as an influential hub of science and research. It is the centre of both in Estonia today, home to 12 colleges and universities educating more than 22,000 local and international students. In 2015 Tartu also joined the network of European Cities of Scientific Culture. As a youthful and innovative city, it is only natural that Tartu is already using contemporary smart solutions, e.g. m-Parking or m-Ticket in public transport.

The scientific history of Tartu from the 17th century right up to today is showcased in quite a number of places. One of the most notable is the museums of the University of Tartu, whose extensive collections ensure there’s something new to discover for

every visitor. History buffs will also be drawn to the former Tartu Dome Church, one of the oldest and most remarkable Gothic brick constructions in the Baltic States. Today it is home to the University of Tartu Museum (www.muuseum.ut.ee). In addition to soaking up history, little visitors can have fun learning something new in the Crazy Scientist’s Office and riding up and down in an historic lift.

For those interested in the space, you can study the night skies through a telescope, test your skills as a meteor observer or take a ride among the stars in the planetarium at what is now the more than 200-year-old University of Tartu Observatory (www.tahetorn.ut.ee).

Alternatively, try your hand and measure your knowledge using the attractions at the AHHAA Science Centre (www.ahhaa.ee), the biggest and most modern centre of its kind in the Baltic States, which popularises science among visitors of all ages. You can see how the laws of physics operate by trying out hands-on exhibits, taking part in a wide range of workshops and enjoying the performances at the planetarium and science theatre. The centre is home to a fully spherical planetarium which is unique in the world and in which you can see as many as 5 million stars at a time.

Tartu Observatory (www.to.ee) in Tõravere, 21 km

south of Tartu on the road to Valga, is home to astrophysics, cosmology and atmospheric physics departments in which you can find out all about the different branches of astronomy. You can also browse its library of scientific publications, see (and touch!) its iron meteorite and study its model of the solar system.

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Take a break with your family If you’re travelling with kids, Tartu is a safe and easy-going place that has plenty of fun to offer little visitors.

Apart from its many museums and cafés, it has playrooms and playgrounds, and more active youngsters can put themselves to the test in workshops and adventure parks.

No trip to Tartu with the kids would be complete without a visit to the Tartu Toy Museum (www.mm.ee), which will be a trip down memory lane for older visitors as well. The museum exhibits toys that children in these parts have played with over the centuries, while

its courtyard is home to puppets and dolls from Estonian films. Fun also awaits in the museum’s playroom and crafts room. Next door, in the Theatre House (www.teatrikodu.ee), kids can watch performances and put on their own puppet shows.

ture park (www.tartuseikluspark.ee/lounakeskus) at Lõunakeskus. You might also want to make a stop at southern Estonia’s biggest trampoline centre, UP (www.batuudikeskus.ee).

Exciting excursions, training events and outdoor activities are organised by Tartu Nature House (www.teec.ee), while the Estonian Printing Museum (www.trykimuuseum.ee) offers a unique experience of its own.

For a truly earth-moving audio-visual experience with dynamic special effects, try the AHHAA 4D Adventure Cinema (www.ahhaa.ee) at the Lõunakeskus shopping centre, the largest retail centre of its kind in southern Estonia. The range of films you can choose from includes an adrenalin-infused rally car race and an internationally renowned children’s film featuring characters from the Lotte series. You will also find an ice rink, a children’s jungle and an adven-

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If you love water, the Aura Centre (www.aurakeskus.ee) is the perfect place to relax and have fun, whether you prefer its water park, pool or health centre. Kids will adore its waterslides, which range from 38 to 55 metres in length, and there are also water curtains, a fountain, a waterfall, jacuzzis and a pool in which you can swim against the stream. There is even a separate pool just for the littlest visitors. You can enjoy the delights of the Sauna at the Aura Centre as well as at a number of hotels and other accommodation facilities and in bigger sports clubs.

21 km outside of Tartu in Saadjärv is the Ice Age Centre (www.jaaaeg.ee), a unique environmental edu-

cation and visitor centre in which the Ice Age is unravelled in popular science terms in an entertaining and informative way. In summer you can also go on guided nature trips from the centre, taking a raft out onto picturesque Lake Saadjärv.

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migrating birds during spring. Deer, elk and foxes can be seen on the riverbank, and signs of beaver activity can be seen everywhere (although the animals themselves are shy). Information on guided nature tours can be found online at www.naturetours.ee.

Enjoy nature in the city and the vicinity While you’re in Tartu you’re likely to experience something quite remarkable – time moves more slowly here than it does elsewhere. There’s no need to hurry, since everything you’ll want to see is just a short walk away.

What also makes the city so cosy is how green it is: it boasts a number of parks, as well as Toomemägi Hill and the banks of the Emajõgi River, all of which are ideal places to relax and unwind. But if you’d prefer to take time out a little further afield, just a short drive away you’ll find some stunning lakes whose shores are perfect for picnics and camping. There are also plenty of wellmarked hiking and nature trails to explore.

Nature-lovers will be at home in the city centre, too – you can explore the newly renovated Natural History Museum (www.natmuseum.ut.ee) and Botanical Gardens (www.botaanikaaed.ut.ee), both of which are attached to the university. Founded

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in 1803, the gardens are among the oldest in the Baltic States and boast the biggest palm house with the greatest diversity of species in the region. If you like being on the water, virtually year-round you can enjoy trips on Lake Võrtsjärv on a kaleboat called the Paula (www.vortsjarv.ee), while you can admire the Emajõgi River and Lake Peipus from a medieval barge called the Jõmmu, a Viking ship called the Turm (www.lodi.ee) or modern boats Pegasus (www.dorpat.ee /pegasus) and Setoline boats called the Alfa and the Hilara (www.setoline.ee). Setoline also gives you the chance to visit Piirissaar – the only permanently inhabited island on Lake Peipus.

For those who enjoy hiking, some of the best places to explore in Tartu County are its biggest nature reserves, Peipsiveere (formerly known as the Emajõe-Suursoo nature reserve) and Alam-Pedja, which is a site of pan-European importance. Its wetlands, unaffected by direct human activity, are a habitat for the eagle, the black stork, the great snipe and many other rare birds.

Its meadows become a resting place for thousands of

Tartu County’s densest network of hiking trails centres around the town of Elva, 29 km from Tartu. Here you can observe the activities of beavers and see first-hand how wild boar feed. Elva is a small town that is well known for its forested parks, among them Väepark (www.tervisesport.ee), which is dotted with wooden sculptures based on local folk tales. There is a hiking centre in the railway station building. The Elva River is ideal for boating and canoeing. More information about the Elva recreational area can be found online at www.visitelva.ee.

On the shores of Lake Võrtsjärv in Rannu municipality, 48 km from Tartu, is the Lake Museum (www.vortsjarv.ee), at which you can study live fish, aquatic plants and creatures from the very bottom of the lake. Its exhibits include fishing gear, primeval fish and fish fossils and equipment used to study water.

In the Rannu-Jõesuu recreational area you’ll find the Lake Visiting Centre of Lake Võrtsjärv (www.vortsjarv.ee), which can provide information about recreational and tourism opportunities nearby.

You can even order holiday packages from the centre or, for example, have them arrange a trip in a kaleboat on the lake.

Apart from Lake Peipus and Lake Võrtsjärv there are other, smaller lakes and rivers in Tartu County on whose shores and banks you can spend your time.

One area that offers a range of possibilities is Lake Saadjärv, around 22 km from Tartu. To maximise the lake’s beauty, Saadjärve Yacht Club makes both a floating sauna and a barbecue area available to visitors (www.saadjarvejahtklubi.ee).

Advice on spending time in nature can be found online at www.loodusegakoos.ee and www.rmk.ee.

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Looking for adventures?

Both the summer and winter seasons offer visitors to Tartu County a broad range of options for active recreation. Whether you’re into exercise that’s on the lighter and less demanding side or are a competitive athlete, there’s something for everyone. Come and test your mettle on a tennis court or golf course, try your hand at archery or saddle up and go horse-riding.

Sports-lovers will find some excellent bike and rollerblading tracks in Tartu County. A number of EuroVelo routes pass through it, as well as hundreds of kilometres of Tour de LatEst routes

(http://tourdelatest.vidzeme.com), which can be found in both southern Estonia and northern Latvia. One of the longest bike tracks in the region encircles Lake Võrtsjärv, covering 140 km. Cyclists can also get back to nature in the Elva landscape protection areas in Vitipalu (23.5 km track), Vellavere (8 & 13 km tracks), Ilmatsalu (8 km track) and Vapramäe (6.5 km track) (www.vvvs.ee). While in Elva, it’s worth stopping in at Elva Adventure Park (www.facebook.com/elvaseikluspark), where the biggest adrenalin rush is without doubt the aerial crossing of Lake Verevi: 800 metres of free-fall between the water and the sky, one of the longest in the Baltic States.

Of course, there are places in Tartu itself where you can also get your adrenalin pumping. Tartu Adventure Park (www.tartuseikluspark.ee) is a 20-minute walk from the city centre and offers trails with different levels

of difficulty, long ziplines, fun activities for kids and climbing walls for the whole family. And why not take part in the game that’s taking the whole world by storm?

You can put yourself to the test in the escape rooms of both EscapeTartu (www.escapetartu.ee) and Roomscape (www.roomscape.ee).

You can also spend your free time in Tähtvere Recreational Park (www.arena.ee), which is a 20-minute

walk from the city centre. It has its own skate part, children’s park and sports park, a disc golf course, a BMX track and an ice rink. You can hire any equipment you need in summer or winter.

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In addition to the aforesaid activities you can also go paintballing (www.paintland.ee) or hot air ballooning (www.balticballoons.com). Those who love the water will get an adrenalin boost at Rahinge Extreme Sports Park (www.rahinge.ee), where you can try snowboarding and trick ski jumps – even in the middle of summer – as well as wakeboarding, water-skiing, wakeskating and snowtubing. You can also go on canoe and boat trips in different parts ofTartu County (www.ah.ee, www.kanuuretk.ee and www.joematkad.ee).

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Shopping, handicrafts and local food Tartu is a town that was made for shopping: whether it’s cosy little stores you’re after in search of local handicrafts and eco-products or sprawling shopping centres offering the latest fashions from world-renowned designers, Tartu has it all. A number of shopping centres also offer beauty and entertainment services and a range of places to eat and drink. For example, the Tasku centre boasts great views of the city, has its own cinema, offers beauty procedures and has playrooms for the kids.

is also available from the farm market Taluturg (www.taluturg.ee) at the biggest shopping centre in southern Estonia, Lõunakeskus.

Well worth a visit are the beer and wine cellars mainly found in the Old Town, which frequently offer local artisan beers and wines and more exclusive ranges. An example that will interest beer-lovers is Gambrinus Õllepood nr 1 (www.facebook.com/Gambrinus.Tartu).

The biggest shopping centres in Tartu are Lõunakeskus (www.lounakeskus.ee), Kaubamaja department store (www.tartukaubamaja.ee) and Tasku (www.tasku.ee). Somewhat smaller are Kesklinna Keskus (www.kesklinna.ee), Eeden (www.eeden.ee) and Zeppelin (www.zeppelin.ee). The biggest supermarkets in the city are Selver, Rimi, Maxima, Prisma and ETK stores (Konsum, AjaO and Maksimarket), which not only sell food but all kind of things handy for every occasion.

ECO-STORES A number of stores selling eco-products can be found in Tartu, the best known of which are Looduspere (www.looduspere.ee), Ökokeskus (www.okokeskus.ee), Tervisepesa (www.tervisepesa.ee), Aroomipood (www.aroomipood.ee) and Via Naturale (www.vianaturale.ee). Eco-stores can be found in all of the bigger shopping centres – Looduspere and Würtspood in Lõunakeskus, for example, and Biomarket in Kesklinna Keskus. There are several markets in the city, too. Local farmers sell their products at the indoor and outdoor markets in the city centre (www.tartuturg.ee) by the Emajõgi River. Organic and local produce

ANTIQUES Most antique dealers are found in the Old Town and city centre in Tartu, including Alatskivi Antiik Saurus (www.alatskiviantiik.ee) and (www.antiigioksjon.ee). Those interested in furniture might want to pay a visit to Mööbliait (www.moobliait.ee), while stamp-collectors should head for the Postal Museum (www.erm.ee/Postimuuseum) or the philately store on Lai Street.

HANDICRAFTS – TEST YOUR SKILLS! Tartu is known as a former Hanseatic town. It joined the Hanseatic League in the late 13th century, and this led to the expansion of its role in world trade, as it was located midway between Western Europe and the trade routes of the Russian Hanseatic towns of Pskov and Novgorod.

During the Hanseatic era Tartu was home to some true masters of handicrafts, and those traditions have been passed on through the generations and live until today.

You’ll find a huge number of stores and workshops selling special souvenirs, and some will even offer you the chance to produce your own. Why not make a friend a beautiful piece of jewellery, a silk scarf or some organic soap, with your very own hands?

If you’re looking for something by local craft specialists, pop into Antonius Courtyard (www.antonius.ee), where all kind of handicrafts are produced in workshops according to traditions, old and new. A more modern take on crafts and design can be found at the Tartu Centre for Creative Industries (www.lmk.ee). Original design products can be bought

Interesting and unusual dishes are offered by many cafés and restaurants in the city centre, making them well worth a visit. A list of Estonia’s 50 best restaurants is published every year and always features at least four or five that are based in Tartu (www.eestimaitsed.com).

The city also hosts a variety of culinary events, and the number of small, cosy eateries is growing all the time. from both places, which also offer a variety of cultural and culinary experiences and a range of workshops.

Tartu Handicraft Club (www.rahvakultuur.ee) and the Uhti Public Studio (www.uhti.ee, in a stone tavern 10 km outside of the city on the road to Võru) also offer different workshops.

There are many souvenir stores in Tartu as well – the majority of them in the historic Old Town – offering local handicrafts, ceramics and mementos.

Locally produced handicrafts are also sold at fairs. For example, every May there’s the Spring Fair, while in July – as part of one of Tartu’s most important events, the Hanseatic Days – there’s the enormous Hansa Fair.

In September you can go to St Mary’s Fair, and in December, on Town Hall Square and in shopping centres all over the city, you can visit Christmas fairs. Also popular in the county are the Kallaste Onion Fair, Alatskivi Antiques Fair and Lake Võrtsjärv Fish & Handicrafts Fair, all of which are held in July.

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TREAT YOURSELF WIT LOCAL FLAVOURS People who enjoy restaurant and food culture will be happy to know that Tartu has lots of cosy cafés and restaurants offering both national dishes and a variety of world cuisines. Local food culture is unique and diverse, influenced as it has been over the centuries by Germans, Russians and Scandinavian peoples. To try some true local flavour you don’t have to stray very far – Maitseelamuse koda (www.loovtartu.ee) in Antonius Courtyard, for example, offers everyone the chance to make and enjoy authentic local dishes, including herring and mixed grains; while those with a sweet tooth will delight in the Kalev Chocolate Shop (www.kalev.eu), where you’ll find a wide range of Estonian sweets.

Needless to say great food can also be found outside of the city in other parts of Tartu County. For instance, the Estonian Agricultural Museum (www.epm.ee) makes its own bread as well as bakery items using flax; while Uhti Public Studio (www.uhti.ee) produces hand-made sweets. Local food can also be found in Elva, around 30 km from Tartu, which every year marks Café Day. Freshly smoked fish can be ordered from Saadjärve Yacht Club (www.saadjarvejahtklubi.ee), which is served up straight from the oven. Fresh fish can also be enjoyed on the water aboard a barge (www.lodi.ee) or kaleboat (www.vortsjarv.ee), at Pangodi Kalarestoran and at Vapramäe Forell.

Elsewhere, you can try local food along the Onion Route – at the Kolkja fish & onion restaurant (www.hot.ee/k/kolkjarestoran) and at Alatskivi Castle (www.lossirestoran.eu) dishes are prepared from local ingredients in the styles of Manor, Estonian and Scottish cuisine.

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JULY Emajõgi River Festival www.tartu.ee/emajoefestival

Main events in Tartu

Tartu Mill Triathlon www.tartutriatlon.ee ‘Punk’n’Roll’ music festival www.punknroll.ee

A full calendar of events takes place in Tartu year-round, giving you even more reason to visit the city. Whether you’re a culture vulture or a sportaholic, for sure you will find something for yourself!

JANUARY

MARCH

Tartu Winter Music Festival www.kultuuriaken.tartu.ee

‘World Film’ festival of visual culture www.worldfilm.ee APRIL Japanese Animation Film Festival www.animefest.eu ‘Tartu Spring Days’ student festival www.studentdays.ee MAY ‘Prima Vista’ literature festival www.kirjandusfestival.tartu.ee

FEBRUARY Tartu Ski Marathon www.tartumaraton.ee ‘Miss Valentine’ international gymnastics tournament www.missvalentine.eu

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‘Mailaul’ song festival www.mailaul.ee Tartu Marathon www.tartumaraton.ee Museum Night www.oo.muuseum.ee

‘Glasperlenspiel’ festival www.klaasparlimang.com ‘Indiefest’ music festival www.indiefest.eu Estonian Aviation Days www.lennundusmuuseum.ee Tour of Estonia www.tourofestonia.ee JUNE Night of Churches www.kirikuteoo.ee Tartu Road Race www.tartumaraton.ee Tartu City Day www.kultuuriaken.tartu.ee Pop Choir Party www.popkooripidu.ee

Auto24 Rally Estonia www.rallyestonia.com ‘Mürtsub pill’ international wind band festival www.potartu.ee Tartu Hanseatic Days www.hansapaevad.ee

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GUIDED TOURS

AUGUST ‘tARTuFF’ love film festival www.tartuff.ee Tartu Music Week www.kultuuriaken.tartu.ee ‘UIT’ urban festival www.tartumaraton.ee SEPTEMBER ‘Draama’ Estonian theatre festival www.draama.ee Tartu Mountain Bike Marathon www.tartumaraton.ee

‘Tartu Autumn Days’ student festival www.studentdays.ee NOVEMBER

Did you know…?

DECEMBER

Tartu is the oldest city in the Baltic was first mentioned in writing in 1030.

‘Battle of EST’ street dance festival www.boe.ee ‘ART IST KUKU NU UT’ festival of contemporary art www.artistkukunuut.org

still serves as the city’s flag today. Although Poland adopted a similar standard in 1919, Tartu has been using its flag for more than 400 years.

Song Festival (1869), Estonian theatre and the Estonian state.

Tartu City Marathon www.tartumaraton.ee Christmas Town Tartu & Tartu Winter Dance Festival www.joululinntartu.ee Winter Jazz www.jazzkaar.ee Christmas fair www.tartunaitused.ee Vanemuine Theatre Hennessy New Year’s Eve concert and ball www.vanemuine.ee

For more information on everything that’s taking place in Tartu, take a look through the Kultuuriaken (www.kultuuriaken.tartu.ee) or buy tickets from the Piletilevi website (www.piletilevi.ee). See also the homepages of the Vanemuine Theatre (www.vanemuine.ee) and Vanemuine Concert Hall (www.concert.ee/tartu).

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Polish king Stephan Batory presented a red and white flag to Tartu in 1584 which

intellectual capital of Estonia.

National awareness and culture were born here, and the city was the cradle of the Estonian

OCTOBER

‘ORIENT et OCCIDENT’ international early music festival www.festivitas.ee

States. It

Tartu is the

‘RegiÖÖ’ festival of archaic arts www.tartu.ee/regioo

‘IDeeJazz’ Tartu jazz and rhythm music festival www.ideejazz.ee

If you do not have enough time to visit Tartu with a professional guide.. well, then here are some interesting facts about the city you can learn on your own.

Black Nights Film Festival www.poff.ee

Researchers’ Night www.ahhaa.ee

‘Fall of the Leaf Music’ international song festival www.mellnovfest.com

Do you wonder why there are kissing students in front of the Tartu Town Hall and what is the legend about them? If you are curious to learn it, stop in at the Tartu Visitor Centre and ask for the services of a local guide. They will explain you that and even more! Working with the Tartu Tourist Guides Association, services are offered in 11 languages. Guides can also be contacted directly. For more information see www.visittartu.com/en/guides or www.tartugiid.ee.

Many famous people have worked and studied at the University of Tartu, including Wilhelm Ostwald (a Nobel Prize winner in chemistry), Karl Ernst von Baer (an embryology pioneer), Jakob von Uexküll (an animal behaviour studies pioneer), Nikolay Pirogov (one of the first surgeons in Europe to use ether as an anaesthetic) and Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve (an astronomer and geodesist famous for the meridian arc points he measured, which form a UNESCO world heritage site).

Tartu is a city of bridges. A total of seven bridges cross the Emajõgi River within the city’s limits, but there are others, too – such as the Angel’s Bridge and Devil’s Bridge.

The University of Tartu is one of the oldest universities in Northern and Eastern Europe. It was established in 1632 by Swedish King Gustav II Adolf.

Tartu is a city of students, with over 22,000 enrolled in its colleges and universities. They have their own special traditions – for example, walking across the Arch Bridge, holding a song contest on the Angel’s Bridge and Devil’s Bridge and washing the heads of a number of statues with sparkling wine.

The University of Tartu clinics, established in 1804, form the biggest medical institution in Estonia.

They integrate research, studies and health care and introduce new medicines and methods of treatment.

Culture-rich Tartu is the setting for the annual tARTuFF festival of love films, which sees Town Hall Square filled with a big screen and hundreds of chairs every summer.

The Assembly Hall of the University of Tartu has the most remarkable interior of any of the university’s building. Its walls have heard the playing of such famous pianists as Liszt, Schumann and Rubenstein and speeches by King Karl XVI of Sweden and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

The Gunpowder Cellar in the city centre of Tartu is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the highest pub ceiling in the world (11 metres).

Tartu is home to the Leaning House, which is also known as the Pisa Tower of Tartu. Today the permanent exhibition of the Tartu Museum of Art is housed here.

The University of Tartu is well known for the Estonian Student Satellite Programme.

Its satellite, EstCube-1, was launched in May 2013, making Estonia the 41st space nation in the world.

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2015

Raekoja 1A (Town Hall), 50089 Tartu Ph: +372 744 2111 info@visittartu.com www.visittartu.com Open: Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00, Sat & Sun 10:00-17:00 (15 May-15 September) Mon 9:00-18:00, Tue-Fri 9:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-14:00 (16 September-14 May) Publisher: Tartu County Tourism Foundation • Translation: Luisa Translation Agency • Photos: Tartu County Photostock, Alatskivi Castle, Aura Centre, Club Tartu Maraton, Disainimaja, Photostock of Enterprise Estonia, Science Centre AHHAA, Tartu Adventure Park, Tartu Toy Museum, Vanemuine Theatre • Design: GBF Design Print: Paar