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Tartu (formerly known as Dorpat or Yuryev) is the second largest city in Estonia with a population of 100,000. It is a Hanseatic city and a university town. It is the oldest city in Estonia, dating back to 1030.

Understand

Tartu Town Hall, where the Tourist Information Centre is located.

Tartu is 185 km south-east of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The Emajõgi River, which connects the two largest lakes of Estonia, flows for 10 km within the city limits.

  • Tourist Information Centre, Raekoja plats, ☏ +372 744 21 11, fax: +372 744 21 11, . Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 10:00-16:00.. Located in the ground floor of Tartu Town Hall. 

Talk

Since Tartu is a student town, English is widely understood. As usual, the older people are more likely to only speak Estonian and Russian; however most can understand English if you speak clearly.

Get in

By plane

Tartu Airport (TAY  IATA) is located 10 km south of the city center. As of October 2015, Tartu is served daily by a single Finnair/Flybe flight from Helsinki. The airport is, therefore, little more than an embarkation/disembarkation point. If you want to rent a car, book in advance. Don't expect any food at the airport. An Airport Shuttle provides door-to-door service from the airport at €5. They can also pick you up before departure (+372 505 4342 order)

Alternatively, you can fly to Tallinn, which is only 180 km away with buses to Tartu running directly from the airport. Riga (250 km from Tartu) may be an option as well - buses from the Riga Bus Station to Tartu are operated by Lux Express.

By bus

Buses arrive at the small bus station at Turu 2, which is across the street from the Kaubamaja department store, 5-10 min walk from the central square of Tartu. The tiny building hosts a ticket office, luggage room, decent cafeteria, and R-kiosk. If you need more, head to the nearby shopping mall. When arriving from Tallinn, you can also get off the bus at one of the stops in the city center.

Bus schedules and fares within Estonia can be accessed here and via the Peatus route planner.

Buses from Tallinn depart several times an hour between 5AM and midnight, and stop at the Tallinn airport. The journey takes 2.5 to 3 hours and costs €8-10, before a discount available with an ISIC card. Some buses have free wireless internet and free drinks available. Note that Friday afternoon departures from Tartu to Tallinn (and Sunday night Tallinn-to-Tartu) are usually crowded during the school year as lots of students go home for the weekend.

Regular buses also run between Tartu and Narva (3 hr), Viljandi (1 hr), Pärnu (2.5 hr), and Kuressaare (6 hr).

Tartu is a stop of international buses running between Saint Petersburg (8 hr) and Riga (4 hr). These buses typically run overnight, which makes their schedule from Tartu somewhat inconvenient. Another international route is from Tartu to Pskov in Russia (4 hr, note that websites and timetables use the Estonian name Pihkva).

By train

Tartu's train station is located only 1 km from the city center (end of J. Kuperjanovi street), but it is not in the city center, and it is not well signposted either. The easiest way to find the train station is to follow Riia street uphill until you see the railway, and turn right along the tracks. The station building amply adorned with wooden carvings is a nice example of Estonian architecture. Inside, you won't find more than a kiosk (not even an R-kiosk!) and a ticket machine.

Elron operates several daily trains between Tartu and Tallinn via Tapa. The journey takes 2 hr (express train) to 2.5 hr (regular train) and costs €11 for 2nd class and €14 for 1st class on an express train, or €10 for 2nd class and €12 for 1st class on a regular train. There is free Wi-Fi and tables with electric outlets on trains. 1st class passengers get more comfortable seats and may book a specific seat online.

Trains also run between Tartu and Valga on the Latvian border, with one daily connection further to Riga (5 hr). Railway tracks likewise go in the direction of Russia, but you can only reach the small station of Koidula on the Russian border. This station is less than 1 km from the 24/7 checkpoint, which is open for pedestrians. Once you are on the Russian side, catch a taxi or simply walk to the bus station of Pechory (2 km from the border), and continue to Pskov by bus.

By car

An excellent day trip is to drive from Tallinn to Tartu. Outside of Tallinn, it is a two-lane paved road with some construction ongoing to upgrade it. It takes two to two and a half hours. There are few sights of interest along the way. The terrain is flat and most of the road is bracketed by a birch trees and a few pines. Sam's Grill (about 1/2 way between Tallinn and Tartu) or a bit fancier Põhjaka Mõis are recommended as a place to stop. There is a gas station (Statoil) some kms away.

By boat

Tartu Sadam AS operates ferry services between Tartu and Lake Peipus and Lake Lämmijärv.

Get around

Tartu's Old Town is navigable by foot, but if you want to go out of Old Town, there's public transportation.

AS Sebe operates a network of 19 intracity bus lines and 2 night bus lines around Tartu. Single tickets cost €0.75 from a newsstand or €1 from the driver. 10 single tickets from a newsstand cost €8. A ticket for 1 day costs €2, 1-hour ticket costs €1. 10-day ticket costs €8. On lines 6A, 31, 32 and 33, which are being operated by Automen, the ticket costs €1.

Since 2011, all public transport buses are colored red with white curvy decorations.

Important lines are:

  • 8 to Lõunakeskus and Anne Kanal (popular beach)
  • 32, 6 and 7 to Lõunakeskus
  • 7 and 20 to Tartu Railway Station

Bus line 69 is free, and runs between the bus station and the Lõunakeskus shopping center on the edge of town. As this is a sponsored line, its buses do not have the red-and-white color scheme of regular municipal buses.

See

Town Hall in Tartu
  • Main building of the University of Tartu. 
  • Town Hall Square. The kissing students fountain is a symbol of Tartu. 
  • Soup Neighborhood. Neighborhood where all of the streets are named after soup ingredients. Features charming old wooden houses. 
  • Former Soviet Airfield (In Raadi, north of Tartu). 

Museums

  • Tartu City Museum, Narva 23. Classicist style structure was built as a town palace in 1790. The building is popularly called Catherine´s House. The legend has it that Empress Catherine II made a short stay there. It is not true, though. 
  • KGB Museum, Riia 15b, ☏ 7461717. This nondescript building was known as the Gray House and was the headquarters of the Estonian KGB. It tells the story of how the prisoners were treated there, and some stories about the Estonian resistance heroes, the Forest Brothers. The museum is small and does not have a very big sign, so look carefully. 

Parks and squares

Statue of Oscar Wilde and Eduard Vilde in Tartu
  • Botanic Garden of the University of Tartu, 38/40 Lai. 
  • Toome Hill. Many monuments, statues and historical buildings 
  • Raadi Park (Located on cross of the streets Vahi and Narva maantee). 
  • Barclay Park. 

Churches

Ruins of Tartu Cathedral
  • St. John's Church. 14th century church is famous for its thousands of medieval terracotta figures. 
  • Cathedral ruins (on top of the Dome Hill). From the 13th century and were dedicated to apostles St. Peter and Paul. Today the choir part houses the Tartu University History Museum, and the towers are reconstructed to sightseeing platforms. 
  • St. Paul's Church, Riia. An outstanding redbrick Finnish National Romanticist style building by the famous Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen. 
  • St. Peter's Church, 104 Narva St. A Neogothic Lutheran church from 1903, is built on the grounds of the first general Estonian song festival which took place in 1869. 
  • Roman Catholic Church, 1 Veski St. A beautiful neo-Historical redbrick building from 1899. 
  • St. Alexander`s Orthodox Church, 19a Sõbra St. A two-story church, designed by architect V. Lunski, with cupolas inspired by the Old Russian church architecture. It was deconsecrated 40 years ago but reconsecrated in summer 2003. 
  • Uspensky Orthodox Church, 1 Magasini St. An early classical church built in 1783 with typical Russian classical elements. It´s located on the same place as the St. Mary Magdalene Church of a Dominican cloister founded before 1300. 

Other buildings

  • Gunpowder Cellar. Dug into the side of the hill in 1767 as part of the complex of the bishop’s citadel. It was used as a gunpowder cellar until 1809. Until 1982 it served as a storage room for many different enterprises, and was later developed into a eating place. Today, the building hosts a bar/restaurant of the same name. 
  • National Court, Lossi 17 (Dome Hill). Construction of the building began in 1763 as military barracks. Onto its ruins was built the university hospital in 1808, which functioned until 1990. Since 1993, the national court is again in Tartu, which is Estonia’s supreme judiciary court. 
  • Old Observatory, Lossi 40 (on the old castle ruins on the Dome Hill). The observatory, designed by university architect J.W. Krause, was built at the beginning of the 19th century. Working place of many famous astronomers including Struve. 
  • Old Anatomical Theatre, Lossi 38 (On the Dome Hill). One of the first buildings of the re-opened Tartu University which was built in 1803-1805 according to the drawings of university architect J. Krause. Today the visitors are offered an exhibition of the history of medicine with preparates. 
  • Aristocratic dwellings and former teachers' college, Lai. 
  • Barclay House, Raekoja 18. Late 18th century building. Duchess Barclay bought the house in 1819 after the death of her husband, Barclay de Tolly. The longitudinal wall of the building toward the river was built on the basis of the old town wall, while the other side was built on a new foundation. This is why the house is now askew and is popularly called the Tower of Pisa. 
  • Remains of the Town Wall. 
  • Tartu Centre for Creative Industries, Kalevi 13, 15, 17 (Kalevi St is the continuation of Ülikooli St after Riia St). Congregates several creative enterprises and creates therefore a creative atmosphere. The three buildings of the centre were built between 1830 and 1913 and represent different architectural styles: historicism and Art Nouveau. 

Bridges

Tigutorn
  • Angel´s Bridge (Toome hill). Built in the 19th century and spans Lossi Street. 
  • Devil´s Bridge. Built in 1913 in honour of the 300th jubilee of tsarist Russia’s Romanov Dynasty, which is memorialised on the bridge by the dates 1613-1913. 
  • Arched Bridge (Stand in the main square and look towards the river). Stands on the site of the original stone bridge of Tartu which was built in 1784 and blown up by the Soviets in WWII. This new bridge is only for pedestrians and allows you to do one of the most loved cultural activities of Tartu, walk over the top of the arch after a big night in the club. Just don't let the cops catch you. 

Modern architecture

During the last decade, Tartu has seen several interesting pieces of modern architecture being built. They are well worth a visit and give an insight of how people in modern Tartu think and live, in addition to traditionally history-driven image of the city. Some of them are right in the city-centre. See the yellow markers on the official [Tartu Modern Architecture map http://www.tartu.ee/nyydisarhitektuur]. The map is in Estonian only, but selected images speak louder than words.

Do

  • Cinamon. The biggest movie theater in Tartu. 
  • Ekraan. A popular movie theatre. It has two movie screens and first-rate Dolby SR/DTS sound system. 
  • Lodi River Cruises, Emajõe 3, ☏ +372 551 8386. Offers various cruises for up to 30 people along River Emajõgi. 
  • Soolakamber, Mõisavahe 21. The salt chamber has two separate treatment rooms. One chamber is for adults and the other is for children. Natural salt treatment has no harmful side effects and it stimulates body's immune and defense mechanisms. 

Festivals

  • Hanseatic Days. Third week of July, exact dates vary from year to year. Medieval festival featuring fairs, festivities, exhibitions, concerts, dances, merchants and tradesmen. Most events are free. 
  • tARTuFF. Film festival in August. Themes include love and tolerance. 
  • PÖFF - Black Nights Film Festival. Film festival at the end of November. 

Learn

Main building of the University of Tartu
  • Tartu University, Ülikooli 18. Established in 1632, it's one of the oldest universities in Europe. The main building was built in 1804-1809 according to university architect Johann Wilhelm Krause's plans in classical architecture. It includes the historic lock-up on the attic, Assembly Hall and the Tartu University Art Museum which displays ancient art. 

Buy

  • Tartu Kaubamaja (100 metres from the Bus Station). Department store with several floors full of fascinating things to buy. "Kaubamaja" belongs to Kaubamaja consortium. 
  • Lõunakeskus (take bus no. 18 from the city centre.). Features a wide range of small boutiques, as well as a big department store Maksimarket. 
  • Annelinna keskus (At Annelinn, a small suburb of Tartu. Take bus 1, 5, 15, 17 from the city centre, just opposite the Kaubamaja.). There is a Selver (big department store), as well as clothes shop, lots of small boutiques and other small shops. 
  • Eeden (buses 1, 3, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16A, 17 stop Emajõe). 
  • Selver (expressbus 33). 
  • Loov Gallery, Kalevi 13. M-F: 12:00 - 18:00. Loov Gallery sells souvenirs produced by young Estonian artists, ranging from jewelry and accessories to paintings. 

Eat

Budget

  • Ruunipizza, Rüütli 2, ☏ +372 7433575, +372 51929211, . Mon–Thu 08:15–22:00, Fri–Sat 08:15–23:00, Sun 09:15–22:00. Different pizza and pancake dishes (both as desserts and as main courses), soups, rice dishes, etc. Mostly €4–€6. 
  • Spargel, Kalevi 13. M 11:00-21:00 T–S 11:00-23:00. 

Mid-range

Splurge

Drink

Pirogov Park - small park where consuming light (<6%) alcohol is allowed between 15 March and 15 October. It's the only public place in the city where drinking is legal so in the evenings it's full of students and homeless.

Cafes

  • Café Crepp. French-themed, serves delicious pancakes 

Bars

In a typical pub, a 0.5L beer usually costs €2. Almost all popular beers are near or more than 5% alcohol content.

  • Illegaard, Ülikooli 5. Jazz Club. Many sporting events (mainly football) are broadcasted. 
  • Krooks, Jakobi 34. English style pub. Offers 40% discounts on any alcoholic beverages after 20:00. 
  • Zavood, Lai 30. Legendary meeting place for students and alternative fashion people. Popular among foreigners. 

Clubs

  • Genialistide klubi, Magasini 5 (Between Magasini 3 and Lai 37). An alternative club with concerts, theater performances, seminars, etc. Recently joined with the bar Möku which now resides on the ground floor. €2 per drink. 

Sleep

Budget

  • Domus Dorpatensis Guest Apartments, Raekoja plats 1. Apartments are located in a historical house on the main square. They offer spacious and clean apartments with all the equipment and privacy needed. €35. 
  • Guesthouse Kastani, Kastani 3 (on the other side of the cathedral hill). Small guest house. The lady who runs it speaks a little English but she is delightful and you can communicate without too much hassle. Best to email ahead. Single: €25. 
  • Terviseks, Raekoja Plats 10. English speaking, overlooking the Town Square, Excellent kitchen and bathrooms. 4 bed dorm: €15. Private room (1 person): €22. 
  • Hotell Tartu, Soola 3 (right across from the bus station). 3-bed dorm bed: €20. 
  • Tartu Student Village, 3 different locations: Raatuse 22, Narva mnt. 27 and Pepleri 14. Best rooms go quickly so book ahead. 
  • Hotel Starest, Mõisavahe 21, ☏ +372 7400 674, +372 56 203 823, . In the Annelinn suburb, is a quality budget hotel. All rooms are equipped with Sat-TV and an internet connection. Located just few minutes by car from Tartu Town Hall square, with frequent bus service from right in front of the hotel. Single: €29, double room €36. 

Mid-range

  • Barclay Hotell, Ülikooli 8, ☏ +372 7 447 100, . 49 rooms including 2 suites with saunas. Amenities include safe-box, hairdryer, cable TV, mini-bar, phone and complimentary wireless internet. Restaurant serves authentic Estonian food. From €50. 
  • Hotel Dorpat, Soola 6 (on the banks of the Emajõgi River, near the bus station). 200 standard rooms and 5 business class rooms. Double: €100, breakfast included. 

Connect

Go next


This city travel guide to Tartu is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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