Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

110 NORTH EASTERN EUROPE

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp116–17

Home to the venerable Tartu University,

the town is frequently referred to as the

intellectual capital of Estonia. The university

was founded in 1632 by King Gustav II

Adolph of Sweden (see p108) and has

played a major role in Estonian history ever

since. With the second largest population

in Estonia, Tartu has a thriving cultural scene

and exciting night life, and makes a con-

venient base from which to explore the

southeast of the country.

Tartu 4

TARTU TOWN CENTRE

Father and Son Statue 5

St John’s Church 3

Tartu Art Museum 4

Tartu University Main

Building 2

Town Hall Square 1

Key to Symbols see back flap

P Town Hall Square
Tartu’s historic centre is set
around this square (Raekoja
plats), with the Emajõgi river
to the east and Toomemägi
hill just behind. Overlooking
it from the top is the Town
Hall, in front of which stands
the Kissing Students Fountain

Statue of

King Gustav II

Adolph

R St John’s Church

Jaani 5. Tel 744 2229. # May–Sep:

10am–6pm Tue–Sat, 10am–1pm Sun.

& 5 http://www.eelk.ee/tartu.jaani

Dating from 1330, this church

(Jaani kirik) was severely

damaged by bomb ing during

World War II. Despite

extensive reno va tions and

the addition of a new spire

in 1999, the church remains

one of Northern Europe’s

best examples of brick Gothic

architecture. Hundreds of

elabor ate terra cotta figures,

dating from the Middle

Ages, adorn its interior and

exterior. Originally there

were more than 1,000 such

figures but some have been

destroyed over time.

Town Hall Square, with the Kissing Students Fountain in the centre

P Tartu University

Main Building

Ülikooli 18. Tel 737 5100. #

11am–5pm Mon–Fri. & 8 7

http://www.ut.ee

Completed in 1809, Tartu

University Main Building

(Tartu ülikooli peahoone),

with its impressive Art

Museum, is one of Estonia’s

finest Neo-Classical buildings.

The first students registered in

this university in 1632 mak ing

this only the second in the

province of Swedish Livonia.

The original graffiti by the

stu dents on the walls makes

for amusing reading.

erected in 1998. Most of the

square’s original med ieval

architecture burned down in

the Great Fire of 1775, and

today, the gently sloping

cobble stoned square is dis-

tinctly Neo-Classical, a look

that is in sync with the rest

of the city centre.

0 metres

0 yards

150

150

KGB Cells

Museum

Estonian

National Museum

Bus Station

320 m (350 yards)

River Boat Pier

100 m

(110 yards)

Tartu Airport

3.5 km (2 miles)

Railway Station

1.5 km (1 mile)

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Tartu Art
Museum
Cathedral Town Hall HALL SQUARETOWN
Statue of Karl
Ernst von Baer
Tartu University
Main Building
Father and
Son Statue
St John’s
Church
Devil’s Bridge
Angel’s
Bridge
Em
aj
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TOOMEMÄGI