The Spirit of Tartu

The Hanseatic town of Tartu, known as Dorpat auf Deutsch until the turn of the last century, is nestled between Toomigagi Hill and the Emajogi river. It is said that the first written records of Tartu date back to 1030 and since then, the town, which has now developed into a city, has been victim to attacks and attempted and successful sieges by th powerful nations of the time - Russia, Sweden, Poland, and Germany. Tartu's stunning classical architecture, although not ancient in comparison to other European medieval cities, has been a focal point of the old town since the town's revival in the early 1800s. A series of fires almost completely destroyed Tartu's medieval aspect but the town was lovingly rebuilt by its remaining citizens. A closer look at the lifestyle and environment of Tartu's Baltic German population can be seen here at the site of the 19th century Tartu citizens museum. After a reawakening and reinvestment into Estonian culture, Tartu went from strength to strength establishing itself as the spiritual capital of Estonia. It gained independence for 20 years between 1920 and 1940 when it was occupied by the soviet union by way of a swayed parliment . 50 years later, after German occupation, Soviet occupation, mass deportation and mass destruction of literature, property and attempted quelling of the Estonian language, Estonia regained her independence in August 1991. Independence day is still held in February however, the date of initial independence. Tartu is renowned to be the real heart of Estonia. It's considered to be more 'Estonian' than Tallinn by many.
One has to spend only a little time here to understand how the spirit of Estonia (Tartu Vaim!) is living here in Tartu.

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Outside of Tartu, in the village district of Ülenurme, the Estonian Agricultural museum, housed in a 17th century manor, can be visited in spring and summer and it is a lovely place for both young and not so young alike. It's a popular place for school outings because of the fantastic range of exhibitions presenting everything from details of local wildflowers, animal skeletons, old household implements, old horse carts, and different kinds of grain.
The main draw of the museum though is its superb collection of old combine harversters, vegetable machines (potato pickers and the like) steam engines, tractors, and mills. You can view a an old style blacksmith at work in his workshop, (built 1886) view the traditional style of Estonian bread making, enjoy a tour of the buidlings and exhibitions, and a detailed talk on the native flora.
As well as the amazing set of beautifully restored old steamers, combines, and machines that kids love so much, there's a play area with swings, slides, seasaws and climbing frames. There's so much land to explore too, and pretty picnic areas, with a covered section of picnic tables too. You can bring a packed lunch and enjoy being outdoors.
A lovely way to spend an afternoon if you are looking for something different to do in Tartu.