Europe's 'Capital of Culture' has beer restaurants and harrowing KGB museum
The second biggest city in Estonia has been named as the European Capital of Culture.
Beyond the shores of the East European country and outside of those who spend their time learning cities on Sporcle, probably not that many people have heard of Tartu. That is certainly going to change this year thanks to its current status as the continent's cultural hub for 2024.
It's not surprising, considering the small, underrated city is packed full of interesting sights, places to drink and, this year, cultural events. Among the things to see is the ruined Tartu Cathedral in hilltop Toomemägi Park which has two restored towers featuring platforms with magnificent views.
Tartu is a small city of 90,000 people (Getty Images/Westend61)Travel blogger Otto's Rambles, who recently visited Tartu, wrote of the city: "Like many university towns, Tartu has a lively, creative spirit. One of the most striking aspects of this is the strong culture of street art. From large murals adorning the sides of buildings and museums to small portraits popping up in shuttered windows of old buildings, there are many fun and detailed pieces to be found."
Another key aspect of the city is its status as the intellectual hub of Estonia. It is home to a 17th century university and a population of 93,000, a quarter of which are students.
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They bring a lively atmosphere to a settlement which is home to the Gunpowder Cellar of Tartu - built by order of Catherine II of Russia before becoming a beer storage room and then a uni lecture hall. Students would sit and conduct experiments on top of the gunpowder barrels in what would arguably be considered a health and safety risk today.
In the 1990s it was converted into a large medieval restaurant before reopening in 2001 as a pub and disco, which it remains today. The watering hole also holds the Guinness World Record as the pub with the tallest ceiling in the world.
For those looking to learn more about the city and its history, one of the more harrowing places to visit is the Museum of KGB Cells. During the 1940s and 50s the building housed the notoriously brutal secret intelligence service. Part of the cells, lock-ups and the corridor in the basement have been restored to their former shape, and feature plans drawn up by the Soviet authorities including deportation plots, leaflets distributed by the schoolchildren's underground organisations and objects from the GULAG prison camps.
In Estonia around 30,000 people were killed by security forces during the Soviet occupation which ended in 1991, according to the Museum of the KGB Cells website.
If ever you are going to visit Tartu, now is the time. There is a varied program of over 300 events throughout the year under the theme 'The Art of Survival', which centres around notions of an environmentally friendly future filled with real human interactions, strong communities, and survival skills.
A raft of exciting events have been laid on to celebrate the City of Culture status, starting on January 26 when a "joyful children’s disco" will be held at Club Illusion featuring a host of hit European DJs.
Later on that day a stage erected in Tartu Town Hall Square will host local artists Púr Múdd, Merimell, YASMYN, Rozell, Eleryn Tiit, Inga Tislar, Kersten Kõrge, and Robert Kähr before a play written specially for the occasion will serve as the official opening ceremony. Details of how to stream the grand opening can be found on the official Capital of Culture website.
During the week that follows the broader South Estonia area will host a number of events including a performance by Angus, a band from the region which specialise in summery reggae and ska music and jazz artist Karmen Rõivassepp.
The easiest way to reach Tartu from the UK is to book direct flights to Tallinn, with airlines such as Wizz Air operating the route from Luton. It's then a two-hour train or car journey to reach Tartu.
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