Dr. Fr. R. Kreutzwald Memorial Museum

A wonderful morning or day tour to explore the Onion Route and Peipsi region! The tour starts from Tartu and takes you to the shores of Lake Peipsi, where you will find Alatskivi Castle and the Old Believers Museum, and encounter the charming and authentic local community. The culinary experiences will lead straight to the heart of Peipsimaa. We'll try our hand at fun workshops, enjoy delicious onion pies, tea ceremonies, and craft wine, and dive into the legends of onion braids. The bravest can also take part in an exciting ghost tour. Transportation from Tartu and back is included in the tour price. Babelhouse tours are flexible and tailored according to the group's wishes and time constraints. During the tour, you can purchase local Peipsi onions, crafts, wine, and other souvenirs. The Onion Route tour is perfect for culture enthusiasts, foreign visitors, pre- and post-conference programs, and groups of friends who want to experience the authentic culture of the Old Believers together. Book your trip and enjoy an unforgettable day by Lake Peipsi!

Luke Manor in Tartu County offers an engaging tour that introduces the manor and its beautiful park. During the walk, stories of Luke Manor's history unfold, and you have the chance to explore the Gardener's House, the Handicraft Workshop, and the historic Steward's House. The tour is well-suited for both smaller groups and larger gatherings and can be combined with other events, providing guests with a memorable cultural experience. Luke Manor Park is one of the best-preserved parks in Southern Estonia, with its original layout, offering a wonderful environment for walking, enjoying nature, and experiencing the unique historical manor atmosphere. In addition to the tour, catering can be ordered from the Luke Manor kitchen, enriching the visit with local flavors and a cozy atmosphere. During the tour, you can purchase Luke Manor's handicrafts. By prior arrangement, the visit can be combined with various additional activities, such as organizing a seminar or catering packages.

The Tartu Song Celebration Museum is located in a 19th-century classicist building, where the organizer of the first Estonian Song Festival and founder of the national theater, the Vanemuine Society, operated. The first Estonian-language play, written by Lydia Koidula, premiered here. Koidula was a prominent female poet of the Estonian National Awakening, who thereby laid the foundation for the Estonian national theater. The museum offers an introduction to the Song Celebration tradition as well as the 150-year history and heritage of the Vanemuine Theater. Visitors can take part in interactive exhibitions, virtual reality experiences, workshops, and guided tours. The museum park is also open during opening hours.

The Museum of Living History in Varnja is a permanent exhibition which introduces the life of the Old Believers in the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The museum examines the life of three villages in the Peipus area.The museum was created with love and it gives the visitor an opportunity to feel the centuries-old vibe.On request, the museum serves samovar tea and pies baked in a Russian oven. The exact price will be agreed upon with the service provider.If you wish, you can order a guide (20 euros). As the museum is small, up to 25 people can visit it at a time.

Tartu Toy Museum, situated in the Old Town of Tartu, takes adults back to the brighter days of their childhood and offers children plenty of interesting things to see and do.The permanent exhibition displays toys that Estonian children have played with throughout the years. Artist-made dolls, souvenir dolls of different nations, and Finno-Ugric traditional toys are also exhibited. Playrooms and workshops are also open. You can see puppets from Estonian puppet films and temporary exhibitions in the outbuilding. The museum also has a theatre building named ’Teatri kodu’ (The Home of Theatre) with a theatre hall, a museum of puppets, and a children’s studio.

Did you know that historically, there were nine manor houses in Tartu? The city of Tartu has expanded in all directions to the areas of former manors, and several districts have been named after these manors. Seven of them still exist and are waiting for you to visit.As part of the guided tour 'Tartu City Manors', we will visit five manors: Tähtvere, Maarjamõisa, Tamme, Ropka, and Karlova. We can take the tour by bike, car, or bus and you can order it in Estonian, English, German, French, Russian, Lithuanian, or Spanish.Contact us and let's explore the historic manors!

The Peipsi County Museum introduces the life of the Old Believers, the kitchen and church culture, and the life and work of the world-famous icon painter Pimen Sofronov from the local village of Tiheda. Samovars, "podrushniks", icons, "lestovkas" are worth seeing. You can buy souvenirs and handicrafts related to the culture and nature of Peipsi, as well as sweets, tea mixtures and other local products. A guided tour introducing the Old Believers and the Ivan Chai tea ceremony can be booked in advance. With a museum ticket, you can also visit the Peipsi Järve Elu room with a permanent exhibition located next door.

The University of Tartu Art Museum is located in the historical University Main Building and has Pompeian-style interior. The museum’s permanent exhibition consists of sculptures, mostly from the antiquity – original size plaster cast copies of the best works of Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic Greece. The Art Museum also displays many ancient originals: coins, vases, clay lamps, and cuneiform tablets. There is also the mysterious mummy chamber, where you can find a genuine Egyptian mummy. You can also visit the beautiful Assembly Hall of the university and the student lock-up in the attic.