TARTU | Exploring Estonia's University City 🇪🇪 (Day Trip from Tallinn)

A tour of Tartu - Estonia’s second largest city well known for its university and the haunting ruins of Tartu cathedral. It’s a 2 hour bus ride from Tallinn & worthy of a day trip!
🇱🇹 🇱🇻 🇪🇪 See all of my videos from this trip here → bit.ly/InTheBaltics
Tartu is Estonia’s oldest city and located about 180 km southeast of Tallinn, fairly close to the Russian border. It’s the second largest city in the country and famous for its prestigious universities - perhaps why the locals know it as the intellectual capital of Estonia. I visited on a day trip from Tallinn and spent just over two hours on a bus to make the journey - each way!
My walk around Tartu started alongside the beautiful Emajõgi River where it’s quiet and very pretty. There’s a few static riverboats doubling up as restaurants and an interesting looking bridge called the Arch Bridge (Kaarsild) that delivered me straight into Town hall Square (Tartu Raekoja Plats). It was a stunning blue-sky day and perfect for looking around.
At the top of the square is Tartu Town Hall which is these days used as a city government building and tourist information centre. In front of it is perhaps the most famous sight in the city, the Kissing Students' Sculpture and Fountain - the perfect meeting place for students and shoppers alike! My favourite building on the square was the Tartu Kunstimuuseum (Tartu Art Museum) which due to inconsistent foundations leans to one side.
From there I walked up to the University campus which is much larger and more impressive than I anticipated. On the grounds are plenty of statues, monuments and a wide open space called Cathedral Hill Park (Toomemäe Park). Tartu Angel's Bridge (Tartu Inglisild) is hidden away and Tartu Observatory (Tartu Tähetorni Astronoomiaring) is atop a small hill to the south of the main university buildings.
To the west is the magnificent and surprising ruins of Tartu Cathedral sitting proudly on Toome Hill. The building dates back to the 13th century but was partially destroyed in the Livonian War. Later on a fire added to the damage suffered. I bought a ticket to have a look around the museum (Tartu Ülikooli Muuseum) which also gave me access to the two towers of the church - a place where I launched the drone and got some wild views of the surrounding landscape.
Before catching my bus back to Tallinn I stopped off at the Botanical Garden of the University of Tartu (Tartu Ülikooli Botaanikaaed) where I walked around the various displays and enjoyed the peace and quiet!
Chapters
📖 00:00 Tallinn to Tartu
📖 01:15 Tallinn Riverside Walk
📖 02:51 Town Hall Square (Tartu Raekoja Plats)
📖 04:56 University of Tartu
📖 05:34 Ruins of Tartu Cathedral
📖 11:10 Wandering the Grounds of Tartu University
📖 12:44 Tartu Botanical Garden
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Soundtrack
🎵 Give Me Some Answers by The New Fools
🎵 Autumnal Equinox by Ave Air
🎵 Someone Else's Memories by So Vea
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[@MattWhitingsEurope]

THANKS FOR WATCHING!! 👍 If you enjoyed the video please consider LIKING & SUBSCRIBING - they really help me out! 👍 🇱🇹 🇱🇻 🇪🇪 More videos from this trip here → bit.ly/InTheBaltics | 📍 My videos on a TRAVEL MAP → bit.ly/mwt_map | Connect on INSTAGRAM → bit.ly/mwt_instagram

[@raiyanharris1188]

I have lived in Tallinn for 5 years and will move to Tartu in September. I have visited it several times and it's really calm. So if you are into nature, calmness then Tartu is definitely for you!

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Good luck with the move, hope all goes to plan!

[@hamzagencay6744]

Loved every second of this vlog! Thanks for this.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it 😁

[@painterlegsboro3685]

We did exactly the same as you a few years ago. We had a day out in Tartu with no plans. We stumbled upon the same walk as you did. Great day out

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Yes indeed. Quite a journey from Tallinn but totally worth it!

[@sleepybubbi9638]

Forgot to leave a comment the first time round- this is a really lovely video. Tartu looks so charming. I love the look of the botanical gardens especially. Did it feel like a peaceful place? And did you get to go inside any Univerity buildings? 🙂

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thank you, glad you liked it. It was actually a really pleasant day, the type of day that passes by way too quickly! The Botanical Gardens were really nice but it's a shame I didn't get there a little earlier whilst they still had all the indoor areas open. Still, it was nice relaxing in that garden chair for a bit. Sadly didn't get to go in any university buildings which is a shame.

[@WITYTRAVELS]

Surprised you're scared of heights when you love climbing stairs! That building is really leaning. Kids, stop kissing and get to class. Really liked the laying down on the bench montage!

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

It's mainly tall ladders that do it for me but I'm getting better. Thankfully mountains aren't a problem 😅

[@GPosner8]

Greetings my friend✌🏻 would you recommend spending a night in Tartu if possible? I have 7 days in Estonia and Tartu looks very appealing. Thanks again for your entertaining and informative videos.👏🏻👍🏻✌🏻🤙🏻

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

It was a long day trip so spending a night would take the heat off and perhaps let you explore some other villages nearby. Glad you're enjoying the videos, bet you're looking forward to visiting now!!

[@GPosner8]

@@MattWhitingsEurope thank you Matt. Looking forward to my adventure is an understatement 🤣I’ll give credit to where credit is due and your videos have been so inspirational. You’re a legend👏🏻👍🏻✌🏻🤙🏻

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks very much! Really appreciate you saying.

[@IgorAhmedov]

How long ago was this video filmed? 3-4 years?

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

2019. Bit slow with the editing to this one!!