What to do and see in Tartu County, Tartu County: The Best Budget-friendly Things to do

TYPA is a design centre for print and paper art where we display a host of historic presses and traditional techniques from papermaking to letterpress book printing. Old machinery is complemented by contemporary architectural paper objects and folded designs. Artists from all around the world work in the studio and display their works in the on-site gallery. As a visitor, you will be given a tour around the centre, during which you will be able to experience work both as a papermaker and a printer. We will take you 2000 years back in history and work our way back into the modern digital world. The tour is included in the price of the ticket, lasts for about 1-1,5 h and is suitable for kids as well as adults. In addition to the tour, we can host various workshops. Ask your tour guide for more information. In our shop corner, you can find a selection of journals and notebooks that we manufacture by hand and we also take custom orders for diaries and albums, as well as custom prints.

Located in an old wooden building in the heart of Tartu’s Old Town, the Toy Museum transports its adult visitors back to their most joyous childhood days and offers children plenty to see and do. The permanent exhibit displays toys that children in Estonia have played with throughout the ages. The display also includes artist-made dolls, souvenir dolls from around the globe and traditional Finno-Ugric toys. The museum has play and workshop rooms, and the exhibit rooms also offer plenty to keep one busy. Alternating exhibits and children’s activities are organized at the museum. In Theatre House there is a theatre stage, Children’s Studio, and dollhouse museum. Theatre House is a unique theatre which gets its inspiration from the Toy Museum, childhood, games and memories.

New temporary exhibition "Aha, Phobias!" open from 5 June! A perfect place for a family holiday, AHHAA is the biggest science centre in Estonia and the Baltic states, located in Tartu. Physics, chemistry, biology and technology have never been made so simple and fun. In addition to three large exhibition halls, you're welcome to our workshops, science theatre shows and one-of-a-kind fully spherical planetarium. AHHAA is open 363 days a year, which means you're always welcome to visit us!

Come and visit one of the oldest Botanical Gardens in the world (founded in 1803). The Botanical Gardens were designed under the supervision of world-famous botanists, Prof Ledebour and Prof Bunge.The Botanical Gardens currently belong to the University of Tartu and they are used as a study base for students. The Botanical Gardens introduce new decorative plans and different methods of landscaping.Interesting facts:- there are 6500 species of plants from all climatic belts of the world in the Botanical Gardens, which makes it the most species-rich area in Estonia;- the palm house of the Botanical Gardens is the biggest in the Baltic States and also the richest in species.

The Kissing Students' sculpture and fountain is one of the most recognised symbols of Tartu. A fountain has stood in the same place since 1948, when newlyweds and their guests would visit it for luck, and people would also take a dip in it. The sculpture was created by Mati Karmin and completed in 1998. Since 2006 the fountain has been surrounded by tiles bearing the names of Tartu's sister cities: Bærum, Deventer, Ferrara, Fredriksberg, Hafnarfjorður, Hameenlinna, Kaunas, Luneburg, Pihkva, Riia, Salisbury, Tampere, Turu, Uppsala, Veszprem and Zutphen. They are situated in the direction that the cities lie from Tartu, marking the distances.

Ideas Rule the World - 400 Years of University History The University of Tartu Museum gives an overview of the history of science and university education from the 17th century to the present day - come and experience the rich legacy of the University and explore its tales of science, art, astronomy, medicine and student life! The Museum is situated in the centre of Tartu on Toome Hill, the historic heart of both Tartu and the University campus. The permanent exhibition of the Museum gives an overview of the history of the University of Tartu and science. Each year a new annual exhibition is opened to visitors. The Museum's White Hall is one of the most prestigious venues in Tartu and invites you to visit its display on the history of the University of Tartu. Morgenstern Hall introduces the history of student organisations and the Museum building. The Treasury is home to the truly rare gems of the University, which have rarely, if ever, been on display. The Crazy Scientist's Office invites both young and old researchers to take part in its interactive explorations, experiments and construction workshops. The towers of Tartu Cathedral and their viewing platforms are open to visitors from spring to autumn. On the ground floor of the museum you can find the Cathedral Shop that offers different products on the tales of Toome Hill as well as the historical and contemporary scientific achievements of the University of Tartu, souvenirs, jewellery, both books and films on the history of the university as well as objects inked to the deeds of famous professors and much more. The University of Tartu Museum other branches are the University of Tartu Art Museum, the Old Observatory and the Old Anatomical Theatre (the Old Anatomical Theatre is currently closed due to renovation).

A grand and stylish pseudo-gothic brick church (architects Viktor Johann Gottlieb Schroter, Georg Hellat) greets you right next to the site of the first general song festival of Estonia. In the church, you can admire Johann Koler's altar painting 'Inviting Christ' (1897) and enjoy concerts in the hall that has room for up to 3000 people.Interesting facts:- WG Eisenschmidt, one of the first Estonian pastors, was the first pastor of the congregation and he served them for 53 years;- St Peter’s Church has a 19th century organ with 22 registers.