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HOT: History of Tartu & Free walking tours, Arche Bridge, Tartu (2024)

03/02/2024

You know how they say: "Vastlakukkel is a dish best served cold 🥶" or not?

Last week on the way to Tallinn, Vastlakukkel was found in one of the gas stations. We considered it a sign to figure out how this delicious bun appeared in Estonia 🇪🇪

Read new article by Vana Lugu team (checkout story), and how it used to be served 🍲, figure out how it ended Liberty time in Sweden ( ), and what maximum number of buns it's recommended to eat 🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞

Link to article: https://www.vanalugu.com/post/the-infamous-bunspiracy-how-a-bun-usurped-the-monarchy-in-sweden-and-appeared-at-the-table-of-eston

20/01/2024

Estonia is blooming with tech-AI-[insert-your-word-to-impress-investor] businesses - , , . Next week, there's business event sTARTUp Day 2024 , where one can come and see hundreds of businesses flourishing in the Baltic and worldwide. But before , there was 🍻

The beer tradition arrives with Germans from Nother Crusades, and its production was something that you should have rights to. Gladly, in a few centuries, capitalism came, and Tartu became a heavily competitive market with crazy stories of competition, lawsuits, drama, divorces & lovers ☕

In 1800, in his early 30s, Barthold Joachim Hesse, baltic-german, opened the first privately owned brewery in Tartu. He had a stable business, but around the 1820s, Joachim passed away, and Dorpat faced a huge problem - the absence of a good beer 😧

Historical problems require historical solutions, so Tartu municipality invited Justus R. Schrammi. Why? His mother, Christina, owned the best brewery in Tallinn. In 1822, he opened small brewery. But to scale, you need money. Back then, you could find investors. You could also marry a 17-year-old orphan with an annual income of 15,000 silver rubles 👀 In 1827, using his wife's money, Justus rented the former gunpowder cellar in Toomemägi Hill as his lager cellar and started construction of a brewery on Rüütli Street. At the same time, Hesse's widow sold the brewery to a tradesman, Alexander D. Musso, who 1831 built new beer production premises behind the Town Hall, between Jaani Street and Toomemägi. There were other breweries: Pärtels brewery on the current Illegaard yard, a Kütman factory, a Livonia factory in Ülejų, and a Gambrinius in Supplinn

If you wonder about the tradition of drinking alcohol in Pirogov Park came to be - here you're 😌

By the end of the century, Tartu had become a proper beer town with six operating breweries 🏭 It all culminated with their acquisition by Tivoli and construction of a magnificent red brick brewery complex on Tähtvere Hill in 1894-1896, most of which was preserved & owned by , designed by Reinhold Guleke.

💬 More tea & rumors below

10/01/2024

It is always good to have something warm in these colds, like a Chimney 🔥 In the 1960s, a tall heating plant on Turu Street started to bring warmth to thousands of Tartuvians.

Time and demands change, and in 2014, this Chimney was ordered to go to final rest 🫡 Around the same years, Street art in Tartu and global warming were booming. Old Chimney - colossal, old, dangerous, soviet era construction with protected and surveillance area around it - what could be a more delicious place to put graffiti on for bold artists? 🍰

It seems that in 2014-2015 "Full solar is in our reach". The author is unclear, but some rumors (Facebook groups) hint at 👀👀👀

But it was not it as the rise of machines is coming... On a warm day in 2017, the existing graffiti received a stunning neighbor - a 30m tall girl holding a tree in her hands. And it was all done by robots 🤖

Yes, done, but not planned, designed, and organised. Mihkel Joala ( ), an Estonian inventor, has created a robotic painter to produce murals (100m) tall. According to him, Chimney Graffiti was a massive scale prototype testing! Well, we still believe it was a step in the rise of the machines 😱 Nevertheless, a massive and now important piece of Tartu and World History.

That's why we love Estonia; it is so far ahead that even Robots create street art.

More plants & less chimneys 🌿

P.S. if you know any cool stories about chimney from chimney working time -please share in comments as beloooww 🌝 We love tea!

23/12/2023

Jõulud (Christmas) is around the corner, and we want to talk about public Christmas trees in Estonia 🎄

At the beginning of the 20th century, it was more common to put tree at home (photo 1) and ice skating rings were all around Tartu ⛸ (p. 2 - Botanic garden). No trees on Squares as we have them now (p.3 - Tartu, p.4 - Tallinn) The first mention of a public Christmas tree in Tartu is in 1929 .ee newspaper (p. 3). It was co-organised and co-financed by city and Mr. Zimdin, wealthy man from Tartu and it was lit 🔥(metaphorically). Electric lights, orchestra with music and celebration, the author describes the atmosphere of joy in the article (photo 6 - 1938)
Tallinn didn't really accept tradition and only started to put up public trees from 1935. Pretty sure they got jealous of happy faces of Tartuvians 😏

But, we have to give Tallinn a credit - there's a beautiful legend that first decorated public tree was installed in Tallinn back in 1441, by ... The Blackheads, a merchant-military brotherhood, who got their trade rights after... well, let's leave it for another time 😅 The Blackheads brotherhood, full of unmarried young men heard the call of Pope Eugine V "to fest & share in the winter - the harshest time of the year". They picked up some 🍻 and some more🍻🍻 , and food, they took an "unde bom" that was inside the house, and they marched to the main square, had a festive with citizens, and made it lit (literally) 🔥🔥🔥 In the third year, 1444, one of the houses nearby square got burned, soooo no more burning trees openly! But the next year, they started to put "closed fire" on the trees - and that's how the tree lights appeared on the trees.

What happened in reality? Read comments 💬

21/11/2023

Every town has a place where you can make a wish, and in our beloved Tartu, it's Angel Bridge (est. Inglisild, ger. Englische Brücke). Your wish will come true if you hold your breath while running over the bridge. Another way is to close your eyes and pass the bridge, keeping your wish in mind. As we see, you must risk your life in both times to make your wish come true 🧞‍♀️

It seems like it was not always called Angel's Bridge. For example, Georg Friedrich Schlater named bridge "Die alte Dom-Brucke" (Dome's Bridge). It was also called "Astronomers Bridge". Back in 1812, the Astronomy Tower (Tartu tähetorn) was finished. The story says that to reach Tartu's Observatory at night, astronomers had to go through people's gardens, and garden owners didn't like scientific trespassing ✨

The first version of the bridge was completed in 1814/1816 based on the project of Johan Wilhelm Krause (the architect of the University of Tartu). However, the way we see it right now was constructed in 1836 (design by Moritz Jacobi)

As for the current name, there are at least three main hypotheses:
1. The Toome Hill park was designed in the English style, thus “Inglise sild” (“English bridge”). In Estonian, the word Inglise ("english") is very similar to Estonian word Ingel ("angel"). At some point, they might have been mixed up 🧐

2. The medal dedicated to Georg Friedrich von Parrot, the first rector of the Imperial University of Tartu ("Kaiserliche Universität zu Dorpat" from 1802-1918, ), was added in 1913 during the bridge's renovation.
The angel-face of rector Parrot with its curly hair has also been suggested as a possible reason 👶

3. In the 1920s, Heino Eller opened a music school and as with every. Some internet sources claim that there were even men's choir practice and competitions not far from the bridge thus when passing it, you could hear "angels singing" 😇 , maybe you know more

[Check out comments for the last part of the story]

14/08/2023

Hello, Travellers,

Last time we talked about mighty Kalev, the father of Kalevipoeg. Today, let's talk about Linda, Kalev's wife. Linda was born in the Western part of Estonia and had a heart of stone until she met Kalev.

They fell in love, and Linda gave birth to many sons of Kalev. Kalevipoeg was the brightest since he was the strongest and the smartest among his brothers.

Once Kalev died, Linda covered his body with giant boulders. These boulders form Toompea hill. That place has been the seat of power in Estonia for the past eight centuries. Nowadays, the Estonian parliament building is located on top of that hill.

The bitter tears of Linda created the lake Ulemiste. It is that large body of water opposite Tallinn's airport that you pass while commuting from Tallinn to Tartu (or vice versa)

Oskar Kallis, you may remember him from the last post, also depicted Linda. You can see her carrying yet another boulder to Kalev's grave in her apron.

08/08/2023

Hello, Adventurers!

It's been a while since our last post. So it's time to provide you with more interesting facts about Estonia, and for that, let's dive into the fantastic world of Estonian mythology.

The national epic of Estonia called Kalevipoeg was created by two outstanding members of the Estonian Learned Society, Friedrich Faehlman and Friedrich Kreutzwald. In the middle of the XIX century, they compiled this epic based on the verses of folk songs collected during ethnographic expeditions.

Since then, Kalevipoeg has been inspiring multiple generations of artists to share their interpretations of how the main characters might have looked.

Today, let us introduce you to the father of the main character. Kalev (or Kaleva) was born in the Northern lands, and after his two brothers left home, he hopped on an eagle, flew over the Baltic Sea, and became the ruler of what is nowadays Estonian land. An outstanding Estonian artist Oskar Kallis depicted the episode of him flying over the sea, and we feel obliged to share this art piece with you.

P.S. According to the legend, the hill that forms Tallinn's upper town is Kalev's grave, created by his dear wife, Linda. We'll talk about Linda in the next post:)

15/07/2023

What to do after the tour?

Our tour introduces the prominent landmarks of the central part of Tartu, but once the tour is over, it's up to you to explore the surroundings and make your unique memories.

One of the most enjoyable ways of spending your evening in Tartu is to take a refreshing walk around the wooden neighborhoods surrounding the city center and practice catspotting. The population of stray cats in Tartu is practically nonexistent. So, in most cases, you'll meet a feline family member who enjoys outdoor activities. Who said that cats can't contemplate the beauty of the surrounding world?

The best parts of Tartu to meet friendly cats are Supilinn, Karlova, and Kesklinn. Be advised that cats also don't like heat waves, so they're most active once the sun is nearing the horizon. Good luck with your encounters!

11/07/2023

Dear Adventurers!

Today, traveling across Europe is a lesser problem because most European states use the euro currency 💶. However, back in the day, European countries preferred sticking to the national currencies, bothering travelers with complicated exchange rates 📈.

Just like that, on 11 July 1924, the Gold Kroon 💰 was introduced as an abstract unit of exchange, which would later become the first Estonian currency backed by gold. The first Kroon coins entered circulation in 1928, and 4 years later, the first coin depicting the University of Tartu main building 🏦 was minted. The coin celebrated the 300th anniversary of the University's establishment and represents a highly collectible item nowadays.

After a 60 years break, in 1992, the University of Tartu appeared on the Estonian banknote 💵. The main building became a central piece of the two krooni banknote that was in circulation until the introduction of the euro currency in 2011. Being placed on something as significant as national currency is a great honor, and it is fascinating that Tartu University made it several times.

23/06/2023

Hello, Adventurers!

Today is the peak time to introduce another archaic tradition of Estonia, celebrating the Midsummer Day 🌅. This year, celebrations surrounding Jaanipäev 🔥, as locals call it, will take place between the 23 and 24 of June.

Despite the name being inspired by Christianity, the roots of this celebration lead back to prehistoric times and inevitably correspond to astronomical events. One of the legends says that the celebration started once a group of meteorites ☄️ hit Saaremaa, the largest island in Estonia, several thousand years ago.

On the 23rd of June, tens of thousands of bonfires 🔥 will be lit across Estonia, and many brave souls will jump over them for good luck. It is also the prime time to practice fire-related witchcraft 🧙, scare away mischievous spirits 🧟‍♂️, or try to communicate with flowers 🌿, asking them for love advice.

Whatever your goals for this day are, don't miss a chance to get closer to nature and experience some authentic Estonian ritualism! (Especially since the majority of store will be closed anyways)

P.S. Don't forget to look for the blooming fern, as it's the only day in the year, when you can find it😉

🔥

16/06/2023

Hello, Adventurers!

Our tour begins on the river bank 🏖 opposite the city center. You may hear locals calling this part of Tartu "the wrong side," and there's a good reason for that. Indeed, Ülejõe probably shared the most tragic fate among Tartu's neighborhoods since most buildings here got destroyed during World War Two.

Yet, this side of Tartu contains numerous landmarks that may interest you. First of all, Ülejõe is full of parks and green areas 🏡. Numerous monuments are spread across the grasslands, commemorating influential historical figures like Johan Woldemar Jansen, Lydia Koidula, Hugo Treffner, and Friedebert Tuglas 🗽. You can also spot a peculiar monument next to Kaarsild, represented by a baby sitting on top of a carved figure 1. This monument was installed here to commemorate Tartu reaching 100 000 citizens back in the Soviet times.

Ülejõe also hosts the University of Tartu DELTA center 🏦, Tartu's Stadion ⚽️, and Tartu's Boat Station 🛥, so there are plenty of architectural wonders to discover. Four of the largest student dormitories are also located nearby, so you'll have a chance to see many international students doing picnics in the park.

18/05/2023

Hello, Adventurer ✨

Today, we want to introduce you to another picturesque Tartu neighborhood, full of cozy wooden houses 🏠 and lovely cafes 🥐. This neighborhood has the highest concentration of artists 🧑‍🎨 per square meter in Tartu. Of course, this neighborhood is Karlova.

Karlova became a part of Tartu at the beginning of the XX century. Before that, a massive part of its territory belonged to the Karlova manor, once owned by Faddei Bulgarin. You can still observe the remains of the Manor building 🏚 if you visit Karlova Park, located between Kalevi and Salme streets.

Karlova's wooden architecture is fascinating in its diversity. Since the two largest art schools in Tartu are located in Karlova, you can find a massive amount of street art around the district.

An excellent way to experience the unique atmosphere of Karlova is to participate in the Karlova Days festival 🥳 that take place annually. Karlova Days brings together all people of the neighborhood and offers visitors a wide range of fun activities. This year, Karlova Days will take place between 18 and 21 May.
For a more detailed schedule of planned activities, visit https://kultuuriaken.tartu.ee/et/syndmus/karlova-paevad-2023

Don't miss your chance to try homemade dishes from the street cafes event on May 20!

12/05/2023

Good afternoon, Adventurer 🌻

During our tour, we visit the wonderful Toomemägi Park and the remaining of 13th-century Tartu Cathedral 🧱

When we're heading to Angel's bridge, by the right side we see the Supreme Court of Estonia and ... interesting graffiti across the building. A policeman (Witch Hunter) who is arresting old gradpa 👴

If you get closer, you will see Sammalhabe's (“Moss Beard”) famous Estonian fictional children’s character. Please pay attention to his beard, yes, yes, it is 🌿 and a policeman has a name tag that says "Witch hunter" 🔥

In books, Mossbeard is the most balanced and peaceful. He feels strongly connected to nature, for example, when he spends the night in the forest, he never sleeps anywhere other than right on the ground next to the campfire. He knows natural remedies well and can interact with animals 🐗

This way, Edward von Lõnguse protested against the unnecessary strict drug policy implemented in Estonia and even won the Tartu City Culture Award in 2014 for artwork 🏆

28/04/2023

🌙 Volbriöö // Walpurgi öö // Walpurgisnacht 🌃

Walpurgis Night is celebrated on the night of 30 April and the day of 1 May. The Christian festival named after Saint Walpurga coincided with an older May Eve festival, commonly celebrated across northern Europe. One of the essential attributes of Walpurgis Nights is the bonfire 🔥, and you can expect thousands of those being lit all around Estonia.

You might accidentally encounter a witch🧙 casually wandering around the city streets at night. Don't worry; in 99% of cases, those are just friendly locals trying to maintain the carnival atmosphere while paying homage to traditional beliefs. However, if the person you encounter starts floating in thin air, you'd better run.

This year, the Volbriöö celebration is included in the Student Days festival program, so you can expect something special in the city center starting at 23:00. Don't miss your chance to experience something authentic during your stay in Tartu!

23/04/2023

Our main tour introduces the city center because we want provide our guests with a glimpse of the most authentic Tartu and present the most recognizable landmarks. Yet, Tartu has much to offer visitors who are curious to explore it beyond the old city wall. Today, we would like to introduce the most friendly place to practice a cat-spotting routine: Supilinn.

Supilinn (Estonian for "Soup🍲 town🏘") is a cozy neighborhood north of Tartu's center. Its name derives from the fact that practically all streets in the area are named after soup ingredients. The Supilinn charm consists of wonderful wooden houses🏠, often embraced by street art, friendly cats😺 that spend all days outdoors during summer, and a close connection to nature🌳 (a frog pond, dendrological park, and the botanical garden surround Supilinn)

The Supilinn community spirit is also vital in shaping the neighborhood's identity. Locals actively cooperate to keep the streets tidy and the facades clean. The annual competition for the most beautiful house title helps keep the motivation high🥇. What is more, anyone interested in learning more about the unique community of Supilinn could do so by taking part in Supilinn Days - an annual festival that takes place in Spring.

This year, the Supilinn Days will take place between 26 and 30 April. Every day will grant you a chance to attend a tour or a lecture designed to share more exciting facts about Supilinn. Moreover, during these days, Supilinn will host a bunch of open-air performances, workshops and entertaining activities. Many doors will be opened to visitors. which is a rare chance to explore the hidden corners of the city. For a more detailed program schedule, check out this page: http://www.supilinn.ee/supilinna-paevad.

Don't miss your chance to learn more about Tartu and meet amazing Tartuvians!

17/04/2023

At our tours, we're frequently asked about Estonian cuisine🥨, and it's a fair question - each nation and region takes pride in its unique culinary specialties, which may include long-established favorites or even iconic dishes. Trying out some unfamiliar food and discovering new unique flavors🍽 is a fantastic complement to visiting a foreign country.

🍝Mulgipuder, or Mulgian porridge.

The name of this dish deserves a separate comment. In Southern Estonia, in the region of Viljandi County, historically, there was the region of Mulgi County. Mulks lived on this territory - a minority of Estonians with their dialect and cultural features. From them came the names of this and the next dish.

The origins of the porridge recipe aren't clear. Two dishes, boiled cereals and mashed potatoes, share the same name in the Estonian language. Mulgipuder is a potato🥔 mixed with barley. Unusual combination? But that is not all! To make it more satisfying, fried onions🧅 and bacon🥓 are added to traditional porridge. This dish was considered festive in ancient times, but now it can often be served on the table as a good dinner.

In different regions of Estonia, the "mulgipuder" was called differently. One of the names, "kärutädipuder", is translated as "porridge of an aunt with a cart". According to legend, a kind aunt once lived in Mulgimaa who walked around the village with a cart and treated all the children with this porridge.

This March, Estonian representatives submitted Mulgi porridge and the traditions surrounding it to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

31/03/2023

Hello adventurer 🎒
The vital part of every adventurer is to keep an eye on your enterntainments' budget. For that, we introduce tag that helps you navigate the best hot deals in Tartu.

Today, we strongly advise you to visit Tartu's Art Museum🖼 as the ticket price is only 1 EUR:🥇. You can visit all three floors of the museum in exchange of one small coin. This museum has such a vast collection, that displayed exhibits are constantly changing, so your visit will surely grant you unique experience

25/03/2023

The Second World war left a massive scar in collective memory of the Baltic States citizens. To them, the struggle did not end with the fall of Berlin. After the war, many people decided to resisit the Soviet rule, but the resistance movements were largerly outnumbered by the Soviet forces.

One of the darkest chapter of the Baltic Republics fighting for freedom is associated with the post-war deportations. The largest of them took place in late March (25-29) of 1949. During a three-days forceful deportation campaign named "Operation Priboi" almost one hundred thousand people across the Baltic States were forcefully relocated to distant Soviet regions. Over seven thousand families in Estonia were affected by this repressive action that also targeted women and children. Due to the inhumane treatment, many perished on the way to the new destination. To some, Tartu railroad station became the last image of homeland.

14/03/2023

Did you know that before XVIII century, Estonians used to call themselves "maarahvas" - people of the soil", and their language - maakeel "language of the soil/earth"? 🧐

This grumpy man is Kristjan Jaak (not Dwight Schrute), and today it's his 222 birthday and Estonian Mother Tongue day! Kristjan is the harbinger of the Estonian National Awakening and the founder of modern Estonian poetry. His life and immense contribution to the development of Estonian literature are commemorated by a sculpture installed on Toome hill in Tartu.

Our team wishes everyone a happy Mother Tongue Day! Head emakeelepäeva! 💙🖤🤍

HOT: History of Tartu & Free walking tours

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