Introducing ... Tartu and Southern Estonia
Tartu – an old Hanseatic town, a university town and a town of science – is the gateway to Southern Estonia. With thousands of years of history and cultural heritage, Tartu has plenty to offer its visitors interested both in history as well as culture, with more than 20 museums and 4000 events being held here annually. Families with children will have a great time at the AHHAA science centre – the biggest of its kind in the Baltic States – which has attractions for young and old alike. Those with an interest in handicraft will be enchanted by the city’s many workshops, studios and fairs.
As a region, Southern Estonia – comprising Tartu, Põlva, Jõgeva, Valga, Võru and Viljandi Counties – boasts around 125 hiking, nature and health trails, more than 40 conservation areas and breath-taking summer landscapes. An active holidaymaker will be welcomed by numerous sporting events. In summer the visitors can also enjoy canoeing, adventure trails, riding, fishing as well as kilometres of boardwalks in bogs and woods and primal silence.
The heritage of the region is equally rich: there are more than 140 sites of historical and cultural interest in the area, countless cultural events, fairs, open air events, concerts and festivals, including many related to folklore. The region is also enriched by its population diversity – it is home to the Mulgi people, the Setos (whose language and unique leelo singing style form part of the UNESCO World Heritage list) and the Old Believers of Lake Peipus, famed for their customs and traditions. In the field of spa tourism we can take pride in small, but unique spas and health centres, medical spas, sauna culture, locally grown organic food and simply the peace and quiet and privacy it offers.
Since the territory of Southern Estonia is relatively small, even a trip only a couple of days long can be filled with an incredible amount of unique experiences, diverse sights and cultural and nature-related experiences full of contrasts, also varied activities for those with an active nature.
We look forward to seeing you in Tartu and Southern Estonia!
Welcome to the world of wide horizons!
Throughout its history Tartu has been a town of intellect, wisdom and science! This has been the place where new ideas have met and diverted, this has been the beginning of many innovative ventures and this has been the venue for many unique and epoch-making events. Hundreds of Tartu’s renowned scientists, entrepreneurs and internationally known citizens have introduced Tartu to the world and have brought the world closer to Tartu. However, mental closeness requires the removal or reduction of physical boundaries that, in turn, helps to save a lot of time that could be used for meeting eye-to-eye and establishing personal contacts. The existence of an airport in Tartu and the operation of flights makes travelling easier both for our citizens as well as the guests of our town.
Everyone who has ever studied abroad now has a chance to visit friends over the weekend quickly and comfortably. Friends living abroad, on the other hand, can visit the Estonians’ homeland and the hometown of our citizens. It now only takes our entrepreneurs a few days to win the trust of their potential business partners and prove that they can be taken seriously – until now this had required months and months of e-mail correspondence. Due to frequent flight connections foreign partners can visit their associates and get to know the culture here – this helps them to understand their shared ideas better and get a feel of the local aura and spirit.
Thanks to the airways Tartu, as well as the whole of Southern Estonia, has been given an extra gear for its rhythm and pace. Time is of value to all of us and the use of the airways clearly helps to save time – it saves us time in experiencing the world and the South of Estonia from above!
Urmas Kruuse
Mayor of Tartu
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