Tartu
Not been yet
At a glance
- Country
- Estonia
- Region
- Tartu County
- Population
- 97,000
- Best time to go
- May to September
- Main airport
- Tartu (TAY); most travellers fly into Tallinn Lennart Meri (TLL)
- Coordinates
- 58.38°N, 26.73°E
Visited Still to go Click a pin or country to read more. Zoom with + and −, a double-click or a pinch.
Overview
Tartu is Estonia's second city and its intellectual heart, home to one of the oldest universities in northern Europe. Students fill the cafés around Town Hall Square, and the River Emajõgi winds past the old centre.
It is a relaxed, walkable place, with wooden suburbs, a hill full of parks and ruins, and some of the country's best museums. It was a European Capital of Culture in 2024 and makes an easy trip from Tallinn.
Things to see
-
Photo: Evelin Lahesoo, CC BY-SA 3.0 Town Hall Square
A sloping square closed by the pink town hall and the Kissing Students fountain, with a famously tilted house nearby.
-
Photo: A.Savin, FAL University of Tartu main building
A neoclassical building with white columns, home to a small university museum and an old student lock-up.
-
Photo: Oop, CC BY-SA 3.0 Toome Hill
A park on the old castle hill, with the ruins of a brick Gothic cathedral and shady paths.
-
Photo: WanderingTrad, CC BY-SA 4.0 Estonian National Museum
A long, low building on a former Soviet airfield, telling the story of Estonian life with real imagination.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: Sillerkiil, CC BY-SA 4.0 AHHAA Science Centre
Hands-on science exhibits and a domed planetarium by the river that work well on a rainy day with children.
Tickets and tours
Things to do
-
Photo: Maasaak, CC BY-SA 4.0 Wander Supilinn
The "soup town" district by the river has wooden houses on streets named after vegetables.
-
Photo: Ninara, CC BY 2.0 Walk the riverside
Follow the Emajõgi on footpaths past bridges and the city beach in summer.
-
Photo: Jens-Olaf, CC BY 2.0 Student bars and cafés
Term time brings a lively evening scene in the small bars and cafés around the old town.
Where to stay
Old Town
The obvious base, close to the square, the river and Toome Hill.
Hotels in Old TownSupilinn
Quiet and characterful, with guesthouses a short walk from the centre.
Hotels in SupilinnKarlova
A wooden-house neighbourhood with a local feel, suited to longer stays.
Hotels in Karlova
Getting around
The centre is compact and flat by the river, and the city bike-share scheme is useful in summer. Local buses link the outer areas.
Trains from Tallinn take around two hours, and there are frequent buses too.
When to go
Late spring and summer are warm and bright, with outdoor events and terraces. Early autumn brings students back and a livelier evening scene, while winters are cold and snowy.
Plan your trip to Tartu
Guide last checked October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.