Estonian Road Museum

Why prefer the old Tartu-Võru road, the so-called Postal road?

One yellow window is next to the Estonian Road Museum, which is located in the Varbuse postal station that dates back to 1863, and was once a stable for 33 horses and served the regular mail route between Tartu and Võru.

Many drivers say that whenever they happen to have a bit more time, they choose the old romantic and winding part of the old Võru road to drive from Tartu to Põlva.

It is part of a trade route and warpath with a dignified and exciting history, a road that once connected Pskov, Vastseliina, Kirumpää and Tartu, a road along which the horses of Swedish, Russian and Polish rulers have galloped. In the middle of the 19th century, stagecoaches began travelling that road and a network of postal stations and inns was established. That is why the road is referred to as a historic Postal Road.

The postal station consists of five historic buildings, all of which have been given a new role – to playfully display and explain the history of Estonian roads and various related topics from travelling and vehicles to innovations introduced by road.

The unique open-air exhibition Teeaeg (The Time of the Road) lets you stroll through the centuries and meet fascinating characters at every twist and turn. The Road Museum is a living museum – you can see vehicles of the past and future moving around. Great emphasis is laid on traffic education for children. The collection of heavy vehicles for road engineering and maintenance is a real delight for those interested in machinery. The road grader collection at the museum is the most extensive in the Baltic States and Nordic countries.