City Information
As the second largest city in Estonia, Tartu is the largest in terms of its student population. In 1632 Swedish king, Gustavus Adolphus, made a decree that there should be a University built here. At that time, Tartu, which was then called Dorpat, belonged to the Swedish Empire and a very fine gentleman by the name of Johann Skytte convinced the king he should do so. There were very few institutions of higher learning in Northern Europe back then so the founding of a University at Tartu was a great undertaking. Due to those actions, Tartu became the City of Good Thoughts which it is to this day.
185 km/ 115 miles from the capital city of Tallinn. Tartu covers an area of 38.8 sq kms.,of which 4.4 sq. kms is occupied by parks, gardens and the green belt. The town is considered to be the oldest in Estonia, having been first mentioned in historical chronicles as early as 1030. Tartu's fame as the cradle of Estonian culture goes back to the foundation of its University - Academia Gustaviana. Today the University has ten faculties and offers a wide range of courses at the Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral levels.
Dome Hill Cathedral. The most interesting place on the Dome Hill is certainly the Dome Hill Cathedral, dating from the 13th century. Rebuilt several times, its final form, as you see it now, dates from the 15th century. Dome Hill has been the favourite place for the citizens of Tartu for centuries. The park is situated on the ancient ruins of the original walled city.
The winding paths, "Angel's Bridge," and the "Devil's Bridge" link several monuments in the shade of ancient trees.
St John's Cathedral dates from the 14th century and is famous among art historians for its miniature terracotta sculptures.
The 200 year old gunpowder cellar on the slope of the Dome Hill now boasts a cafe and restaurant with a truly original interior design.
The Old Town: the centre of Tartu gets its distinctive character from buildings rarely more than two centuries old. The neo-classicist style of the buildings is one of the reasons for Tartu's reputation as the Athens on the Emajõgi.
The brand new Tasku Centre, combines high-end shopping, a state-of-the-art cinema, a huge book store and food outlets.
