Tartu, Estonia: 2024 European Capital of Culture

Come to Tartu to wander in a historic Estonian enclave. It is the oldest city in the Baltic States—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—and home to the country’s oldest university. 

I discovered concert venues, exhibition halls, theatres, churches, museums, and cafes. But my favorite part was climbing the steep streets to wander on the campus.

Imagine that this southernmost city dates back to 1030 when the first written records were created. “Tartu has played an important role in the development of Estonian culture and national consciousness: the first national elite stemmed from the local university, the first newspapers, and cultural societies, the first national theater – all began their work here, and the first national song festival took place here as well,” according to the city’s tourist bureau.

Tallinn vs. Tartu

I love old cities visited anywhere in the world, but I am particularly enamored with Europe’s historic cities and towns. 

I had no real knowledge of what I would find in Tartu prior to my visit. The previous day, I toured the old town of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site complete with medieval cathedrals, towers, castle fortresses, and shops.

Tartu is different. Certainly, it is smaller in scale, which makes it feel like you are slipping on a leather glove. You won’t feel overwhelmed by a frenetic desire to do and see everything in Tallinn.

Tartu’s Footprint

In Tartu, life revolves around the historic university. You feel cosseted whether you wind your way around the hilltop campus or stare at a sign of the smiling University of Tartu professors. 

The tourist bureau attributes Tartu’s romantic allure to “a serene park with medieval ruins and a river running through the city . . .”

But Tartu is also a living city due to its vibrant student population, as opposed to a decaying relic with a dwindling population base. 

The city teems with life. Students comprise around a quarter of the population. Events and festivals take place all 12 months.

“Part of its appeal is the way Tartu blends old and new – walking through the city, one can literally touch its history, at the same time feeling a renewed energy and curiosity about what the future will bring.” (Visit Tartu)

2024 European Capital of Culture

Tartu was recognized as one of the two European Cultural Capitals in 2024. The capital of southern Estonia, Tartu is the second-largest city in this Baltic state. 

This recognition is not surprising since the university town offers an elite university, a large town square, historic buildings, a crumbling cathedral, forested walks, and a thriving river area lined with restaurants.

The idea behind the annual European Capitals of Culture (ECOC) initiative is to spotlight cities and towns that travelers should visit—whether day, weekend, or lengthy visit.

Why Visit A Capital of Culture

I discovered that the ECOC highlights the richness and diversity of European cultures. Tartu celebrated the recognition with a huge sign in the town square. The idea is for travelers to take a photo and share it on social media. 

“An initiative putting culture at the heart of European cities with EU support for a yearlong celebration of art and culture.” (EU)

The ECOC also helps increase European citizens’ sense of a common cultural heritage. As a non-European, I felt like I learned more about the contribution of culture to develop the city, which is recognized. It is clear to me that being home to Estonia’s oldest university helped Tartu become a lively city. I could see that culture helps to foster the development of cities.

Personal Experience 

This EU initiative helps to regenerate cities, raise the international profile of European cities, enhance the image of the cities in the eyes of residents, breathe new life into a city’s culture, and boost tourism.

This is the only second time that I have been lucky enough to visit a Capital of Culture during a European vacation. It is an incredible opportunity to go beyond visiting a country’s capital and experience unique towns. I previously visited Matera, Italy, and wrote about this wonderful city with its cave dwellings (here is the link.)

University of Tartu

The heart and soul of Tartu is its 17th century university. The college sits on a hill that overlooks the river. I highly suggest a long walk on the first evening of your stay to watch the sun set over the campus.

Originally, Baron Johan Skytte and the Swedish Governor General founded the university under the n Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus founded the university before his death in 1632. Originally, the university was named Academia Gustaviana. The portico of the main university is recognized as the symbol of higher education in Estonia.

Architect W. Kraus built the main building of the university on the site of the old St. Mary’s church (1803-1809). Today the university also includes an art museum in the southern wing. Founded in 1803, it is the oldest museum in Estonia.

The Bishops Cathedral 

Inside the campus is the ruined cathedral, which was destroyed during the Nordic War. The church was dedicated to the apostles Peter and Paul. The building dates back to the 13th century. After its destruction, the cathedral was turned into the university’s library.

I wandered among the stately columns that look like the skeleton of a church. You could see the sky above you as there is no roof. Instead of being depressing, the decrepit cathedral seems like a mori poem. 

“Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs and towards our distant rest began to trudge.” (Wilfred Owens)

This building found its distant rest not as a cathedral packed with church goers, but as a monument to longevity, a skeleton buried on top of the ground.

Angel Bridge

No visit to Tartu is complete without walking across the Angel Bridge. Architect Johann Wilhelm Kraus completed the first version of the bridge in 1816. But the present day version of the bridge is based on the blueprint of a Tartu University architect professor. The town fathers added a memorial medal for Tartu University’s first director Georg Friedrich von Parrot in 1913.

There is no one reason why the bridge is named Angel. Some suggest that the angel face of the parrot with its curly hair might be the reason. Others suggest the bridge derived its name as “English Bridge.”

“At present, Angel Bridge and Devil Bridge are among the best-known symbols of Tartu.”

Kissing Students Sculpture & Fountain

I suspect that this Kissing Students sculpture prominently sited on the town square is the most photographed place in Tartu. While I toured it, I saw a photographer waiting to photograph a bride and groom. He twisted their body in the same pose, so it became a mirror image. I wouldn’t be surprised if the couple were Unicersity of Tartu alumni.

“The fountain has stood in the same place since 1948, when newlyweds and their guests would visit it for luck, and people would also take a dip in it.” (Visit Estonia)

Mati Karmin created the sculpture, which was completed in 1998. You can also see the names of Tartu’s sister cities (Bærum, Deventer, Ferrara, Fredriksberg, Hafnarfjörður, Hämeenlinna, Kaunas, Lüneburg, Pihkva, Riia, Salisbury, Tampere, Turu, Uppsala, Veszprem and Zutphen) on tiles which surround the fountain.

Check out my guide’s explanation about the popularity of the Kissing Students Sculpture on my YouTube page here.

Toomemägi Park

The hilltop park was filled on a Friday night with children riding bicycles, students walking shoulder to shoulder, and lovers out for a romantic stroll. 

This is a place where you can read a poetry book, listen to music on your ear pods, or study for an exam. In a fashion, the tall trees turned it into a natural cathedral. 

I learned that Emperor Paul I gifted Toomemägi Park (also known as Toome Hill) to the university. Apparently, locals once used these lands to graze their cattle. Now, students and tourists graze on benches. The park includes an anatomical theatre, clinic, and observatory. 

Town Square

Clearly, the best viewing area to casually watch the pedestrians is the historic Town Square. The cobblestoned square is expensive. Cafes and bars line the perimeter. 

Ruutli Street

Ruutli Street (Ruutli tanav) is one of the oldest streets in Tartu. Dating back to the 13th century, the street originally was built from logs set between wooden frames perpendicular to the direction of movement. Unbelievably, the logs are well preserved at a depth of 2.5 meters.

By the 15th century, the city fathers reconstructed the street with cobblestones. Sadly, the medieval buildings were destroyed during the “Great Northern War” and fire of 1775. Today, you will see different types of architecture on the street, ranging from classical to modern. But there are red tiles to denote the buildings from the medieval period, such as Jaani (St. John’s) Church.

Father-Son Sculpture

On June 1, 2004, Tartu unveiled the bronze “Father and Son” sculpture for Children’s Day. Sculptor Ülo Õun (1944-1988) sculpted himself with his son Kristjan when he was one and a half years old. You can see it on Küüni Street.

The sculpture “Father and Son” is a symbol of the relationship between different generations, where children are increasingly growing apart from their parents.

Wilde-Vilde Sculpture

In front of a local restaurant in the old town is a sculpture of two European writers. Artist Tiiu Kirsipuu sculpted novelist Oscar Wilde (Irish) and writer Eduard Vilde (Estonian), who might have met for a chat about the craft of writing. (It is entirely speculation whether they even knew each other!)

Kirsipuu used photographs of the two writers to create the sculpture of them sitting on a bench. She chose 1890 as the year they first saw each other.

Conveniently, the sculpture includes a space between the two writers where a tourist (or local) can pose for a photograph. I happily inserted myself into this scene. As an English major, I would have loved to discuss the craft of writing with these two famous authors.

Check out my posts on other small towns in Europe, including Hay-on-Wye in Wales, Fiskardo on the island of Kefalonia, Greece, and Erice, Italy.