The ancient and mysterious sights of Tartu

Tartu is one of the oldest cities in Europe. The first mention of it dates back to the ninth century. Approximately the same age is seen in some buildings, which still stand on the streets of the city. The sights of Tartu cover almost a whole millennium and are invaluable monuments of architecture, art, sculpture and history. So now we will look at some of them and make a journey "through the centuries", following the avenues of this Estonian town.

So, the sights of Tartu are most often visited from the hill of Toomemyagi, which is located in Toome Park, near the city center. On this elevation are the ruins of the once-standing Dome Cathedral of Saint Peter and Paul. It is worth noting that with this small at first glance hills, you can carefully explore the whole city, see its streets, traffic on them, dome cathedrals and the roof of old houses.

As already mentioned above, almost all the sights of Tartu are the buildings that were erected in the Middle Ages, and among them one can not help but mention the Church of St. John. It was built in the 14th century and already then, despite all the restrictions and prohibitions, was decorated with a huge number of decorative elements. Basically, they were all presented in the form of stucco and small sculptures and terracotta. Unfortunately, many elements have sunk into oblivion, but the temple itself remains as still rich and majestic.

The very center of this Estonian city is decorated in the style of early classicism. A striking example of this era is the town hall erected here in 1767. However, this is by no means the first building of the government that was built on this site. Earlier there were already erected about three town halls, but all of them were destroyed during the Livonian War, and the city center was built only by the 18th century.

Many of Tartu's entertainment attractions are located on the city's central pavement. Here there is a large number of cozy restaurants and bars. The square is adjoined by green alleys, on which couples are constantly strolling, and on nearby avenues, local residents gather, who on holidays organize real shows there. Thanks to such flash mobs, Tartu comes to life.

Sights of the fine arts of this city are stored in museums, which there are as many as 20. The most valuable and at the same time the oldest of them is the Museum of Art of the University of Tartu. It was inaugurated in 1803, and since then, the masterpieces of Estonian paintings, sculptures and ceramic artifacts, which are of great value to the whole country, are presented in its walls. Also in the city there are museum houses, which literally can be used to teach world history and the past of Tartu itself.

Estonia, whose attractions can be described endlessly, also has an outlet to the Peipsi Lake. Not far from its coast there is the city of Tartu, therefore, after driving a few kilometers by car, you can reach the shores of one of the world's finest lakes, and if the weather allows, then take a dip in its waters.