Tartu in Estonia

Flag of Tartu - Estonia

Tartu is after capital Tallinn the second largest city of Estonia. The Emajogi River, that connects the two largest lakes of Estonia, wanders through the city for 10 km reflecting the beauty of its quaint houses and colourful trees. This small Baltic city, it has a minuscule population of just about 100,000 people, most of whom are students at its famed university. Its most interesting sights are all concentrated in practically the same area— the historic Old Town on one side and the leafy Toome Hill on the other side of the blue river.

Archaeological evidence of the earliest permanent settlement on the site of modern Tartu dates back to 5th century AD.

In the next 200 years , local inhabitants built a wooden fortification on the east side of Toome Hill. However, Tartu was first documented in 1030 by the chroniclers of the Russian Yaroslav I, Prince of Kiev. In fact, Tartu became the largest Russians settlement in the 12th century after which it changed hands frequently.
It was captured by the Livonian knights, then re-captured by the Estonians; this went on until finally it was conquered by German crusaders in 1224.

Evening in Tartu - Estonia

Then it got the German equivalent of Tartu as a name and came to be known as Dorpat. It became an important trading centre and joined the Hanseatic League of merchants in 1280 and became largely German speaking and was dominated culturally and politically by the German bourgeoisie.

In the 18th century fires destroyed much of the medieval architecture and the city was rebuilt along Late Baroque and Neoclassical lines. During the second half of the 19th century, of Romantic nationalism, Tartu became the cultural centre for Estonians and the city hosted Estonia’s first song festival in 1869. This festival has now shifted to Tallinn.

Society of Estonian Writers in 1872

At the end of Estonian War of Independence following World War I, the city officially re-claimed its Estonian name Tartu. A peace treaty between the Bolsheviks and Estonia was signed in February 1920. The treaty meant that Bolshevist Russia renounced territorial claims to Estonia for all time. However, as a result of the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939, the Soviet Union occupied Estonia — and Tartu — in 1940. Since its independence in 1991, Estonia has restored is old town centre to something of its original beauty and grace.

The lovely Estonian town of Tartu certainly has a cultural bent:  top Europe travel tips for Tartu sightseeing include the Crooked Art Museum and the University of Tartu. Another cultural side one will notice if one strolls around Tartu is that they are big on honouring writers.

In any case, people might be especially surprised to come across a statue of Irish writer Oscar Wilde. You will find him sitting on a bench having a talk with Estonian writer Eduard Wilde – of course, Oscar Wilde never visited Estonia but the sculptor “imagined” them having this conversation, that could have been possible as they were both alive in the late nineteenth century. There is space to sit between them if you want to get involved in what must have been an interesting chat.

If you are especially interested in literary figures, keep an eye out for some of the other monuments you can find in Tartu. There are at least four more Tartu attractions that can been seen – for Friedrich Rober Faehlmann and Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald who were both involved in writing Estonian folk tales and epic fables; for Estonian poet Kristjan Jakk Peterson who studied in Tartu; and for twentieth century writer Oskar Luts.

The Leaning House of Tartu

Leaning House - Tartu

Another must-see sight on the town hall square is the Tartu Art Museum, not so much for its artistic contents (which are interesting enough), but because this tall, narrow 18th century building today leans alarmingly to the west.

Mullamaa stresses that Tartu’s calendar revolves around the academic year. “The liveliest time of year is the students’ spring carnival, when they organise a regatta in the river using all kinds of crazy home-made boats,” she says.

During the summer, river cruises head downstream to Lake Peipsi, where relic communities of “Old Believers” still adhere to an ancient form of Orthodox Christianity. Back in Tartu visitors can also go for brief trips in a lovingly reconstructed replica of the broad wooden Peipsi sailing barges earlier used to ship firewood, furs, fish, beer and other vital goods along the region’s shallow waterways.

Places to visit:

Tartu Toy Museum