Tere kallid sõbrad,
tere Euroopa,
this is Tartu calling.
Tartu is the European Capital of Culture 2024. Get to know the capital of Southern Estonia, see some impressions and find out about some must-see spots here.
#Tartu2024 Impressions
#Tartu2024 as far as the eye can see – otherwise “Tartu Euroopa Kultuuripealinn 2024” (Est.: Tartu European Capital of Culture 2024). Flags, constructions, banners are spread all around the city from the entrance up to the city center. This decoration of the South Estonian capital gives you the feeling that this is the place to be. Personally, my first visit of Tartu in connection with it being the Eurpoean Capital of Culture rose the sweet nostalgic memory on my first trip to Estonia back (also) in May 2011, 13 years ago. Back then I traveled with my parent’s while I was spending my days in Tallinn with two still very close friends of mine. Tallinn the general capital of Estonia was the European Capital of Culture back then as I learned from one of my friends whom I consider one of my best friends as well as a big sister. Until then I had never heard of this title
Since 1985 the European Union entitles cities all around Europe the continent’s Capital of Culture annually. The idea was initialized by the back then Greek minister of culture Melina Mercouri and supports the idea of Creative Europe, which you can read about here. Generally cities can apply for this title with a culture program. Independent experts then pick the city to be entitled. The first European Capital of Culture has been Athens. You can read more about Tartu’s cultural program in my article about the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 here. As a big travel and culture enthusiast I love the idea of “chasing” this title and travel to as many capitals of culture as I can. So it looks like I would pay another visit to Chemnitz, which you have read about here.
Town Hall
“You never really saw a city completely if you have not passed by the town hall” – that is what I always say about every city trip. Tartu’s town hall as well as town hall square were especially and inviting even without the preparations for the big cultural events on behalf of #Tartu2024. The sculpture perfectly reflected Tartu’s trademark as university-city with a book and then there was this couple kissing on a fountain. Come on which couple, however old-established, could resist taking a picture mimicrying exactly this position? Do you need a hint?
Right in the heart of the city we found many souvenir shops which we needed to check out to save our collection from Tartu. Sadly because of the old architecture you could not necessarily enter it with a small pram so that someone needed to wait outside with our little one. But the sight of our two beloved babies in the country of my dreams was just as dreamlike.
University of Tartu
Tartu is a famous university-city as I already told you. The University of Tartu is a national attraction and must-see sight on its very own and a place where the creative Estonian talents of tomorrow are born and educated from fashion designers up to musicians. No surprise that as a fresh alumna I was kind of living my unfulfilled dream of playing pretend to be a student from the University of Tartu and even captured my little female treasure in front of it imagining how she might once study there. I mean, Estonian schools are absolutely pretty anyway but the University of Tartu is internationally famous. I loved how hidden behind the town hall within the tiny streets the university was located and how paintings on building were teasing that you are going to right way getting closer. Just more beautiful than that was the breath-taking part which you can see before heading right to the university.
Tartu City Center
The city center of Tartu is the place where the old charm of traditional Estonian architecture meets the breakthrough to the future. Thinking about the capital of Estonia it is like Tallinn, just in the south. The city center of Tartu which includes a beautiful park, a child-friendly playground and a lake on the other side foremost attracts with its numerous shopping-centers (among others Kaubamaja and Kvartal) all gathered at one place without disturbing each other. While we parked our car at Kaubamaja and equipped us with drinks (me especially with juice by “AURA Eesti” which my idol Piret Järvis-Milder from Vanilla Ninja has been advertising) as well as Vanilla Ninja-ice-cream at the end of our Tartu-city-trip we landed in the Kvartal-shopping-center. Not only that you have a little indoor playing area for children upstairs and good shopping- and dining-opportunities but I also found the Apollo book-store there where I saw the special edition of Vanilla Ninja’s latest album “Encore” as well as lead singer Lenna Kuurmaa’s book “Elu Ilmaveerel” (Engl.: “Life at the edge of the weather”) which I bought. Upstairs I found the beauty and cosmetic store Tradehouse – Pretty Curious which guitarist Piret was the campaign model for. The latter was the actual reasson which led me to the Kvartal-center. After our shopping tour we decided to eat at Vapiano, another tradition of mine connected to my time in Estonia. I loved this place so much because it had a little playing area for children so that my husband and I could actually enjoy a few moments for ourselves as parents.
Artful Tartu
Another thing that caught my eye in Tartu was the row of posters that were attached on the lighting columns. No, they were not just simply paintings and no, I am also not talking about some kind of photograph. The posters were a composition of different material such as jewelry, even CDs and much more. The unlimited amount of creativity that these pieces of art were expressing was simply impressive. With regard to the famous University of Tartu and art (especially in music and design) as special qualification of many Estonians I always say that in Estonia foremost Tartu the artistic and creative talents of tomorrow are educated. Having the cultural aspect of art in mind this makes Tartu more than a worthy European Capital of Culture. Last but not least I also wanted to thank the students of Tartu who were so kind to take photos of our family – suur tänu teid!
Tartu definitely has it all and is worth visiting. Make sure to add it to your bucket-list.
Love, Johanna
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