Karilatsi Open Air Museum is a unique open air museum in Southern Estonia which provides an overview of the life of Vana-Võromaa County about 100 years ago.On the 5-hectare territory of the museum, you can experience moments from the school life and farm work of that time and get to know everyday simple tools. Workshops and lessons on traditions and customs: smoke sauna customs, Võromaa wedding customs, celebrations, folk calendar year, and many other experience programmes (e.g. court session in Võru language, old school lesson). You can see a school, a court, and an almshouse with their smaller buildings, a granary, a barn-dwelling, a cottar farm, and a Dutch windmill. Agricultural machinery and vehicles are also on display. Ticket sales to the museum end one hour before closing.
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 Estonian Aviation Museum near Tartu is an exciting destination for aviation enthusiasts and families! Here you can see rare planes and helicopters from various countries, including the USA, England, and France. The indoor and outdoor areas display anti-aircraft weapons and an aviation collection consisting of over 500 models, which provides a valuable overview of the history of aviation. It is also possible to peek inside the planes. In addition to the exhibition, the museum offers plenty of experiences, including a 20-meter catapult, various flight simulators, and trampolines. The Aviation Museum can host lectures and company and family events.
The 19th-century Tartu Citizen's Home Museum is located in one of the most unique areas of Tartu's Old Town, close to St. John's Church. The museum is housed in a wooden building completed in the 1740s, making it one of the oldest surviving residential houses in Tartu. With its historical ambiance and meticulously restored interior, the building takes visitors back to the early 19th century, when Tartu was a vibrant city of wealthy citizens and craftsmen. At the museum, you can learn more about the daily lives of urban citizens in the 1830s. Various rooms, furnished in the German Biedermeier style typical of the era, can be seen. The cozy, authentic atmosphere offers an opportunity to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of everyday life in a 19th-century Tartu home. During the summer season, a small garden is open, where plants and flowers of the period thrive, offering a glimpse of what urban greenery might have looked like almost two centuries ago. It is possible to participate in guided, thematic tours and educational programs.
Mustvee Old Believer’s Museum is one of the 21 places in Southern Estonia worth discovering that are marked by a yellow National Geographic window; all those interested in culture and history should definitely pay a visit.The exhibits give an overview of the culture of Old Believers both in the past and in the present. The collection includes samovars, irons, clothes worn by the Old Believers, commodities, furniture and fishing equipment. Also on display – J. Kolpakov’s paintings of the churches of Mustvee, P. Mihhailov’s and his son’s wood engravings and L. Korobova’s paintings and drawings of Lake Peipus.
Hellenurme Mill Museum in Southern Estonia is the last operational historical watermill in Estonia and one of the few examples of a water-powered mill as industrial heritage in the Nordic countries. Visiting the mill feels like a trip back in time. Visitors can see century-old equipment across four floors of the mill, from the turbine to the milling machines and millstones, which still grind rye into bread flour. In the bread house, the mill hostess offers guests traditional Estonian rye bread made on-site and shares stories that bring the everyday life of centuries past to life. The large mill building of Hellenurme Manor, built in 1880 in Tartu County, hides surprises at every step. In addition to the working mill, guests can enjoy workshops and meals in the bread house. It is possible to stay overnight in the freshly renovated mill chambers, which offer views of the river and lake. Visitors can admire the lake's beauty and the surrounding nature.Here, you can also enjoy cultural events and celebrate festive moments with friends, family, or colleagues.
Tartu is one of Estonia's most important literary cities! Have you ever wondered which streets and places have inspired writers and where famous stories were born? On this literary walk, you will discover Tartu through literature and stories. You will visit places associated with various authors and their work, and learn more about the city's rich literary history. The walk takes you through Tartu's Old Town to Aparaaditehas, where you meet familiar characters and authors. The guide tells stories of writers who have lived, studied, or found inspiration here. Real places and literary stories intertwine, revealing the city from a completely new angle. This tour is suitable for everyone who wants to view Tartu through a literary lens. Babelhouse's guided tours are flexible and tailored according to the group's wishes and time constraints.
The big beautiful prayer house in Varnja Village on the shores of Lake Peipus was funded and built by the congregation itself. Most of the many icons of the prayer house date back to the start of the 20th century.Visitors can only enter the church with a reservation.The cost of a single visit for a group starts from 50 euros. Visitors get an interesting overview of the life and history of the Old Believers from a local guide who is also an Old Believer. The excursion may last for about an hour - the visit and a warm experience are worth it!Reminder: Women are asked to enter the prayer house with a covered head.We ask you not to take photos or videos in the prayer house.