Trakai

Tartu (historical name: Dorpat) is the second largest city of Estonia, with a population of 101,297 (as of 2004) and an area of 38.8 km˛. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural centre, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, Tartu is the centre of Southern Estonia. The Emajőgi River, which connects the two largest lakes of Estonia, crosses the city for a length of 10 km.

Education and Culture

The city is best known for being the home to the University of Tartu, founded by King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden in 1632. Mainly for this reason, Tartu was and is also - tongue-in-cheek - known as the "Athens of the Emajőgi" or as the "Heidelberg of the North".

Tartu is also the seat of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, the Baltic Defence College, Tartu Aviation College, and the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research. The Estonian Supreme Court, which was re-established in Tartu in the autumn of 1993, is likewise in the city, as well as the Estonian Historical Archives.

Architecture & Sightseeing

The architecture and city planning of historical Tartu mainly go back to the pre-independence period, with Germans forming the upper and middle classes of society, and therefore contributing many architects, professors, local politicians, etc. Most notable are the old Lutheran St. John's Church (Johanneskirche or Jaani Kirik), the 18th-century town hall, the university building, the remainders of the 13th-century cathedral, the botanical gardens, the main shopping street, and many buildings around the town hall square.

In the suburbs, classic Soviet neighbourhoods - blocks of high-rise flats - were built during the period between the Second World War and restoration of Estonian independence in 1991.

Presently, Tartu is also known for several modern, rather sterile-looking buildings of the "steel, concrete and glass" type, but has managed to retain a mix of old buildings and new buildings in the historical centre of town.

Being the intellectual and cultural centre of Estonia, the Estonian Prime Minister often takes state guests to Tartu. Famous guests have included Charles, Prince of Wales, the presidents of Finland, Latvia, Hungary, the Republic of Ireland, and Lithuania, as well as religious leaders like the Dalai Lama and the head of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, Patriarch Bartholomew I.

Tartu's large student population means that it has a comparatively thriving nightlife, with some bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. Some of the more popular destinations for tourists include the Wilde Irish Pub and the Gunpowder Cellar.