The town hall
A pink and white front with a slim steeple.
Scotch Mist — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ivar Leidus — CC BY-SA 3.0 ee · Nileve — CC BY-SA 3.0 ee · Nileve — CC BY-SA 3.0 ee
Town Hall Square is the heart of Tartu, the university city in southern Estonia and the country's second largest. It opens out before the pink and white town hall with its slim steeple, framed by Neoclassical houses and cafes with outdoor tables in warm weather. The present building is the third town hall on the same spot. It went up between 1782 and 1789 after the Great Fire of Tartu, to designs by the German architect Johann Heinrich Bartholomäus Walther, who also worked on the Von Bock House across the square. From the start it was planned for several tenants besides the city, with a prison and a store for weights and measures, and a pharmacy still occupies part of it today. The building blends early Neoclassical style with Rococo and Baroque details, including the steeple with its carillon, still played every day. The square runs down towards the Emajõgi River at one end, while a street climbs behind the hall towards Toomemägi. The Christmas Peace is proclaimed here just before Christmas, a tradition tied to the hall. The square lies about 163.1 km from Tallinn in a straight line, with St John's Church just 300 m away. It is open at all hours and a natural starting point for a walk around the city, since most central sights are close.
A pink and white front with a slim steeple.
A steeple whose bells still play every day.
Outdoor tables in warm weather.
Raekoja plats, Tartu, Estonia
It is the city's administrative seat, so the main experience is from the square, though a pharmacy still works in part of it.
Yes, since most central sights are close, including St John's Church and Toomemägi.
