Need to know: Tartu, Estonia

When to go

Tartu doesn’t suffer from Tallinn’s summer crowds, but it does rain frequently during this time (Jun– Aug). We’d advise visiting in the drier shoulder seasons (Mar–may; Sep–oct). Winters can be very cold (-20ºc).

Getting there & around

Air Baltic (airbaltic.com),

Wizz Air (wizzair.com) and Ryanair (ryanair.com) fly direct to Tallinn from London Gatwick, Luton and Stansted respectively. Returns cost from £70 and take three hours. To get from Tallinn to Tartu, Lux Express buses – fitted with TVS and wifi – run regular departures from Tallinn Central Bus Station and take 2.5 hours (£12; luxexpress.eu). Car rental is available in town at Sixt or Europcar from £11 per day.

Carbon offset

A return flight from London to Tallinn produces 276kg of carbon per passenger. Wanderlust encourages you to offset your travel footprint through a reputable provider. For advice on how to find one, visit wanderlust.co.uk/sustainable-travel.

Visa & currency

Visa: Not required by UK nationals for stays of up to 90 days. Currency: Euro (EUR), currently around €1.17 to the UK£.

Where to stay

Hotel Dorpat goes by Tartu’s historical name and is a short walk from the Old Town. It has a restaurant and spa. Doubles from £66pn. dorpat.ee

Hotel Tartu lies in the city centre and has an on-site sauna, a gym, and a hostel wing for those on a budget. Doubles from £63pn. tartuhotell.ee

Food & drink

Aparaaditehas Creative City (aparaaditehas.ee) is a former umbrella factory repurposed as a hip quadrangle of cafés, restaurants, bars and pop-up concert venues; try brunch spot Cruffin for its croissants and Kolm Tilli for its street food. Elsewhere, TOKO (tokoresto.ee) is a riverfront fusion restaurant well worth a punt – try the scallops with truffle.

In the hamlet of Haanja, Suur Muna (suurmuna.ee) is a family-run café of great charm that sells locally smoked hams and ‘wild meats’ (beaver, boar).

Don’t miss

Estonian National Museum, Tartu, plays host to a series of special Cofc events and exhibitions, including concert Forgotten Peoples, a homage to Indigenous Estonians. erm.ee

KGB Cells Museum is set in a Tartu basement that was used as an NKVD/ KGB pre-trial prison in the 1940s and ’50s. It’s an important history that needs to be heard. muuseum.tartu.ee

Kissing Tartu is a ‘snogathon’ aimed at breaking down prejudice. It takes place around the city’s Kissing Students statue on 17 and 18 May.

Mooska, Haanja, is a smoke sauna on a farm in the south. You’ll spend three hours being whisked, bathed and slathered in honey. mooska.eu

The Onion Route is an ideal day trip from Tartu and traces the shores of Lake Peipus, passing villages inhabited by Russian Old Believers. sibulatee.ee

In winter, try your hand at ice fishing, a karakatitsa safari and sledging. Mesi Tare (mesitare.ee) can arrange tours.

Further information

Tartu2024.ee – Festival site Visitvoru.ee – Tourist board website