St. Mary’s Church in Rõuge

Tartu St. Peter's Church is one of the most beautiful neo-Gothic Lutheran sanctuaries in Southern Estonia, established in the late 19th century as a spiritual home for the growing Estonian-speaking community. Designed by architect Viktor Schröter, the church is distinguished by its 56.5-meter-high tower and impressive brick facade, which reshaped the entire Ülejõe district's appearance. The church hall is bright and spacious, featuring a remarkable three-story interior. Wooden balconies and neo-Gothic arches add warmth and a dignified rhythm to the space, creating the impression of a true city cathedral. Visitors can admire Johann Köler's altarpiece "Inviting Christ" (1897) and listen to the late-19th-century 22-register organ, making Peetri Church one of Tartu's most esteemed concert venues due to its excellent acoustics. The church was established near the site of Estonia's first national song festival and has been an important part of Estonian cultural and congregational history since its cornerstone was laid in 1882.

Baroque architecture in concordance with pseudo Gothic architecture (alteration by Johann Gottfired Mühlhausen). Twelve small spiring pinnacles symbolise the twelve apostles of Jesus. The church manor is a historical parochial centre; there is a museum in the vicarage (built in 1817).

This historicist-style church is built from red and yellow bricks and has five domes and a bell tower. It is one of the four representative churches of the Apostolic Orthodox Church in Estonia. The church is named after the priest martyr Isidore of Tartu. The church was built in 1897–1898 and was consecrated in 1898. The architect of the building is Vladimir Lunski.The church was built in 1896 for the congregation of Orthodox Russians and Latvians.

The Helme-Tõrva Apostolic Orthodox Church of the Birth of Christ was built in Valga Street in the years 1903 to 1904. Karl Shurin was in charge of the building work. The two domes and bell tower made the church one of the most imposing churches in the Viljandi Apostolic Orthodox Deanery. The church was seriously damaged during the fierce battles fought in September 1944 and it was only restored in 1990 as a chamber hall.Interesting facts: * the church was also used for salt and cement storage during the Soviet times; * the church-chamber hall currently belongs to the Lutheran church.

Tartu Old Believers Prayer House is a small and cosy house of God in the hall under the tower of a large and impressive prayer house destroyed by bombing during the war. This is the only part of the house the congregation has managed to restore by today. You can also see icons from the 19th century and the works of local 20th century icon painters in the Tartu Old Believers Prayer House.Service in Russian takes place at 10 a.m. on Sundays.

Come and see one of the biggest and oldest country churches in Estonia – Võnnu St Jacob’s Church. Church was built 1232-1236. The altar of the church is adorned by the painting ‘Christ on the Cross' (Otto von Moeller, 1873). Several buildings of the rectory (19th century) are architectural monuments. The church is surrounded by a 2 ha park established in the beginning of the 19th century.Interesting facts: - the organ of Võnnu Church (1895) is considered one of the clearest sounding instruments in Estonia; - the classicist tomb monument to R von Nolcken, who fell in the Battle of Borodino, can be seen in the church (sculptor Paolo Triscorni).

Construction of the Church of St Catherine in Võru commenced in 1793 during the reign of Empress Catherine II. It is thought to have been designed by the Livonian architect Schons, while the man responsible for the building of the church was Võru's own Johann Karl Otto. The church was surrounded with a formidable fence. It is famous for its cross-shaped floor plan, substantial bell tower, high dome-like secondary tower and arched windows. Designed in classicist style, it was completed in 1804 in honour of St Catherine. The grounds around the church were restored in 2008 and are now home to an open air exhibition of religious text-themed illustrations by artist Marje Ernits.

The medieval Rõngu St Michael's Church is dedicated to the Archangel Michael. The church is also known as the oldest building in Rõngu.The church has suffered major damage in several wars, and over time, the original architecture has been partially altered during the restorations. The current shape of the church dates from the last reconstruction in 1901.Today, the most significant parts of the church are the altarpiece (1901, the work of a Dresden artist), the organ (V. Müllverstedt, 1874), and the stained-glass windows (1900, the work of Riga artists).The church participates in both the 'Wayfarers' Churches' and the 'Night of Churches' programme.The church can be visited on Sundays during the service or by prior arrangement.