Sightseeing tour of Tartu, the City of Good Thoughts
9.45 a.m. Meeting at the hotel Dorpat. We will start the tour with a walk along the riverside
Emajõgi.
You can see the Arch Bridge and get to know what to do to be a real student and why there is
a baby - statue sitting on the number 100 000 nearby. Next we reach the Town Hall Square
with its mainly 19th century neo-classical buildings. Tartu is called Athens on the River
Emajõgi because of the neo-classical architecture in the Old Town.
We find out the reason why Tartu has got the leaning house (the so-called Pisa tower). We
learn the story behind the Fountain of Kissing Students, which is one of the symbols of
Tartu. Then you can see the Town Hall, where the City Council and the City Government
still work. Every day the carillion of 18 bells can be heard in the Town Hall.
Before we start our way up to Toome Hill (Cathedral Hill), which is the most historical part
of Tartu, we can compare how the Main Building of the University of Tartu looked like in
the 19th century and how it looks like today.
On Toome Hill, you can see the medieval partly-ruined Dome Cathedral which was the
biggest sacral building of the whole Old Livonia. Several neo-classical buildings constructed
in the first half of the 19th century can be seen. One of the buildings houses the Supreme
Court of Estonia. In the opposite of the Court, there is a monument dedicated to Johan
Skytte, the founder of the University of Tartu. In addition to the historical buildings and
several statues of famous people (K. E. von Baer, K. J. Peterson, V. Reiman), we see the
original Estonian sacrificial stone where students sacrifice their lecture materials to ancient
gods. Kissing Hill and the Bridge of Sighs offer moments for a little break. During the walk,
you will hear stories about the Angel’s and Devil’s Bridges and a legend about the Cathedral
(why isn’t it advised for young ladies to walk near the Cathedral on New Year´s Eve?). You
also learn about medical students strange way to honour K.E von Baer- the founder of
embryology.
We descend from Toome Hill back to downtown, to see the statue of the Swedish King
Gustav II Adolf, Uppsala House, Tampere House, St.John`s Church, the Main Building
of the University.
We visit gothic St. John`s Church, Tartu`s oldest
surviving church from the 14th century, which is also
treasure trove of medieval terracota figures.
Originally there could be about 2000 of them, but
only half of them have survived till our day. Due to
these unique burnt clay statues UNESCO has entered
the church on the list of cultural monuments. The
church was badly damaged in WW II. After a long
period of restoration, it was reopened both as a house
of God and museum and a concert hall in 2005.
11.45 a.m. Visit to the 475 years old University of Tartu Assembly Hall and the Student
Lock-up, which are situated in the Main Building of the University. We will hear intresting
facts and exciting stories about the University`s past and present.
12.30 p.m.-1.30.p.m. Lunch in the restaurant Volga, which is carefully renovated Art Deco
revival of an exclusive cafe from the 1930s.
1.30 p.m. Drive to Estonian Agricultural Museum which is situated at Ülenurme, 6km
south of Tartu, on the grounds of the pervious Ülenurme manor house. The museum explores
every aspect of Estonian agriculture from the old days about 200 years ago to modern
horticulture. In various exibition buildings you can see antique carriages and harnesses, a
working blacksmith shop, flax-making, bee-keeping etc. A collection of old farm machinery
is lined up in the courtyard. You can also taste the traditional home-made black bread.
2.45 p.m. Drive to Estonian Aviation Museum,
about 16 km from Tartu. The exibition house is
filled with glass cases containing about 400
model aircraft, fighters, bombers of every type
and from around the world. Most of the 13
aircraft on show outside in the fields are military
ones abandoned by the Soviet and Polish air
forces, but there are some passengers planes from
the 1990s too.
4.00 p.m. Drive back to the hotel.