Tartu

Arched Bridge

Stands on the site of the original stone bridge of Tartu which was built in 1784 and blown up by the Soviets in World War II. 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. It is said you have to walk over the arch at least once to be a true student in Tartu. Just don't let the cops catch you.

Asian Chef

Authentic Asian cuisine, good price soups and meals of the day.

Sun-Thu 11:00–23:00, Fri Sat 11:00–01:00

Barclay House

Late 18th-century building. Duchess Barclay bought the house in 1819 after the death of her husband, Barclay de Tolly. The riverside wall of the building is actually a reused part 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.

Café Krempel

A cosy café which also offers vegan dishes (breakfast only on Sunday) in which you can apparently get in touch with strangers.

Mon-Fri 08:00-18:00, Sat Sun 09:00-18:00

Café Werner

Kohvik-restoran Werner

Excellent café, in business since 1895. A large selection of baked goods; cakes, pies, buns, sandwiches and so on. They also serve some light dishes.

Cathedral ruins

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.

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.

Estonian National Museum

Eesti Rahva Muuseum, ERM

The new building of the Estonian National Museum features a permanent exhibition on Estonian and Finno-Ugric culture, language, and traditions, as well as various temporary installations. Definitely worth visiting. The museum can be easily reached from the city center on foot by following the newly constructed walkway along Roosi street (ca. 2 km total distance).

Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon·adults €16, concessions €12

Estonian Sports and Olympic Museum

The Baltics' biggest museum designated to sports, with several interactive exhibits.

Daily 10:00-18:00·€12, concession 8€, family 28€

Genialistide klubi

An alternative club with concerts, theater performances, seminars, etc. The bar Möku resides on the ground floor.

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 an eating place. Today, the building hosts a bar/restaurant of the same name, claiming to have the highest pub ceiling in the world, at 11 metres.

Illegaard

Jazz Club. Many sporting events (mainly football) are broadcasted.

Illusion

According to girls more into Genialistide klubi, Illusion is where people get drunk and start fights, and the music is bad. So, the latter basically means main stream music.

KGB Museum

the Gray House

This nondescript building 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.

Kvartal

Shopping centre next to Kaubamaja. Has a spa. Opened in 2016.

Lõunakeskus

Features a wide range of small boutiques, as well as big department stores Maksimarket, Lidl and Rimi. Has a hotel, cinema, indoors adventure park as well as a skating rink.

Main building of the University of Tartu

One of Tartu's grandest buildings, facing a relatively narrow street. As such if you want to take a photo of the whole building you need to do so at an angle.

National Court

In 1763, a military barracks was erected in this place. 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 Anatomical Theatre

One of the first buildings of the re-opened Tartu University, built in 1803-1805 according to the drawings of university architect J. Krause.

Old Observatory

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; indeed the observatory is a point on the world heritage listed Struve Geodetic Arc spanning from the Arctic Sea to the Black Sea.

Pirogov Park

A small park where consuming light (<6%) alcohol is allowed between 15 March and 15 October until 23 (as it's a designated picnic area). It's the only public place in the city where drinking is legal so in the evenings it's full of students and homeless.

Ruunipizza

Different pizza and pancake dishes (both as desserts and as main courses), soups, rice dishes, etc.

Mon–Thu 08:15–22:00, Fri Sat 08:15–23:00, Sun 09:15–22:00·Mostly €4–6

Soup Neighbourhood

Supilinn

Neighbourhood where all of the streets are named after soup ingredients. Features charming old wooden houses.

St. John's Church

Tartu Jaani Church

A 14th-century red brick church, famous for its thousands of medieval terracotta figures.

St. Paul's Church

An outstanding redbrick Finnish National Romanticist style building by the famous Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen.

St. Peter's Church

A Neogothic Lutheran church from 1903, built on the grounds of the first general Estonian song festival, which took place in 1869.

Tartu Centre for Creative Industries

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.

Tartu City Museum

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. The permanent exhibition provides a good insight into Tartu's long history up to 1920.

Tartu Kaubamaja

Department store with several floors full of fascinating things to buy. "Kaubamaja" belongs to Kaubamaja consortium.

Town Hall Square

Raekoja plats

The main square between Emajõgi River and the pink town hall is probably the iconic view of the city. Right in the front of the town hall you can see the kissing students fountain, which is a symbol of Tartu. When standing at the river end of the square, with the town hall in front of you, on the right hand side is the leaning house - first it doesn't seem to lean so much, but go closer and look at it from a right angle!