Obinitsa Museum

Fairytale Alatskivi Castle awaits visitors in South Estonia, about 40 km from Tartu. In the castle, you travel back in time to the 19th century, get acquainted with the life of a noble family and the manor's daily routine, and meet the servants who worked here a hundred years ago, brought to life with wax figures in the basement. Castle guides share captivating stories, and visitors can create a personal souvenir in the ceramic workshop. Allocate at least 1.5 hours to explore the exhibition, which spans three floors. On the castle's third floor is the museum of composer Eduard Tubin, which presents the life and works of one of Estonia's most famous musicians. The former carriage-horse stable next to the castle offers insight into the manor's management and daily operations. Alatskivi Castle is part of the Onion Route, which can also be explored through the bright yellow National Geographic windows. Stroll in the castle park, enjoy nature on the Alatskivi hiking trail, stay in romantic castle suites, and taste local dishes at the castle restaurant.

You are invited to Obinitsa Museum to dress up! The Seto culture workshop "Putting on Seto clothes" is about putting on Seto women's clothes. One member of the company or group will put on the garments. While dressing, the guide will tell you how a Seto woman and man should dress according to tradition, including how to distinguish a married woman from an unmarried girl. The historical context and significance of the objects in Seto culture will also be presented. Come and learn about Seto folk costumes and history!

The Tartu Art Museum is located in one of the most special buildings in the Town Hall Square – the leaning house of Tartu. This prominent building, built in 1793, leans 5.8 degrees, which is even more than Italy's famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. Tartu Art Museum is the heart of Estonian contemporary art, showcasing 20th and 21st-century art, modern themes, and creative thinking. Here are the works of Estonia's top artists as well as exhibitions featuring international artists. The museum builds bridges between the past and present, addressing important societal issues and providing a thought-provoking experience to visitors of all ages. The museum also hosts guided tours, virtual tours, and workshops that make the art experience even more meaningful and vibrant. The building also houses a museum shop where art books, work by local artists, and souvenirs can be found. Tartu Art Museum is an ideal place to visit for both art enthusiasts and those who want to enjoy beautiful architecture and an inspirational environment. Walk in, and see what's on display right now!

The permanent exhibition Earth. Life. Story. includes nearly 8,000 scientific exhibit items, which tell the development story of planet Earth from the beginning of the universe until the modern day. At the exhibition, you can explore the traces of life from millions of years ago, admire shiny minerals, watch the so-called night airport of butterflies, or track the movement of the placoderm fish from the Devonian era. You can look the first jackal caught in Estonia in the eye and experience the human body through the eyes of a reptile. Visitors will be glad to see the favourites of several generations: the elk, bison, and giraffe. We also have live animals, such as the Python Regius, a turtle, a green iguana, and many other small exotic animals. See you at the Natural History Museum!

The Mõniste Museum is the oldest open-air museum in Estonia; here you can light a fire in a Stone Age tepee or practice archery, slinging or lassoing. You can also learn how to make bone and earthenware objects, weave fishing nets and fabric, grind grain or bake a loaf of Stone Age bread. The threshing barn dating back to Czarist times features the interior of the 19th century building, tools, household utensils and clothing. The farmhouse from the times of the first Republic of Estonia exhibits the tools that blacksmiths used, horse necessaries, handicraft tools, national costumes, folk music instruments, etc. You can also try what farm works felt like at that time.

The KGB Cells Museum, known as the "Grey House", is a historical museum in Tartu, where the NKVD/KGB was located in the 1940s and 1950s. The basement of the building, where the cells were located, is open to visitors. Several cells, the punishment cells, and the basement corridor have been restored to their historical form. The prison cells are filled with an exhibition that provides an overview of Estonia's post-war struggle for freedom and the crimes of the communist regime. Here you can see photographs and objects from Siberian prison camps, as well as materials on the history of the Forest Brotherhood and secret resistance organizations. Step into history and experience the meaning of freedom!

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 permanent exhibition of the Valga Museum presents the natural, historical and cultural history of Valga county and the city from ancient times to the present day. This is a lively and modern museum where you will never get bored! The photos displayed here show you the history (nature, time, and culture) of the city and county of Valga from ancient times to the present. The museum is also livened up by models, music, and wax figures. Valga Museum also organises educational programmes, museum lessons and creative workshops. Interesting facts: there is a wax figure of the first Estonian Olympic champion, Alfred Neuland, in the museum.Going to the museum is not a waste of time!