Individual Tour: Tartu - The Most Bohemian City in Estonia

Itinerary

• At 120 km from Tallinn, we will stop at Adavere Mill to have tea with a delicate apple pie. Southern Estonia is different from the North. Southern Estonia is our breadbasket: fertile soils, green grass in pastures where pure white cows graze. Southern Estonians are also different from the Northerners. And the architecture of Southern Estonia is unlike the North. I will tell you about these differences.
• Upon arrival in Tartu, we will immediately embark on a tour of the Old Town. It is divided into Lower and Upper. We will start by exploring the Town Hall Square. You will appreciate the city's symbol, the monument of the 'kissing students,' listen to modern compositions played by the bells over the Town Hall clock. On the other side of the square, you cannot miss Barclay House - the local leaning tower of Pisa.
• We will stroll through the University Quarter, one of the oldest 10 Universities in Europe. The University comprises 150 buildings, and its budget far exceeds that of the city of Tartu. I will tell you about the history of the University's foundation and explain why it is still one of the most prestigious in Europe. And about fun student traditions.
• In the main University building, there is a karzer where disobedient students served punishment. On the walls of the karzer, we will read what kind of misbehaviors led to the punishments and how each punishment was redeemed.
• Next, we will climb to Toome Hill and visit the panoramic platform of the Cathedral Dom, walk across Angel's Bridge, visit the observatory of the astronomy luminary V. Struve, appreciate the original design of the city's monuments. They are everywhere!
• I will tell you about the connections between Tartu and the Russian surgeon and anatomist Nikolay Pirogov, the Soviet military doctor Nikolay Burdenko, and the founder of embryology Karl Ernst von Baer.
• To mark our arrival in Tartu, I suggest enjoying a cup of fragrant tea and local Britto pastries at the antique cafe across from the University.
• After the coffee break, we will see a snail-shaped skyscraper, visit the Botanical Garden and the Singing Field.
• If you are traveling with children, we will definitely visit the entertainment center 'AHHA,' where you can see the effects of various physical phenomena in practice.

As a result, you will learn the influence that the bohemian city had on the culture of the whole country, and understand how the structure, residents, and architecture of Southern Estonia differ from the North.