Cathedral ruins
Tall red-brick arches open to the sky.
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Toomemägi, or Toome Hill, is a green rise above central Tartu and the place where the city began. Today it is a broad park of paths and tall trees, scattered with university buildings, the ruins of a huge cathedral, bridges and monuments. Local people had built wooden fortifications on its east side by the 7th century, and it ranked among the area's largest strongholds until its destruction in 1224. A bishop's castle followed in medieval times, and work on the Gothic cathedral on the north side probably began in the second half of the 13th century. Dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, it was one of the largest religious buildings of Eastern Europe. The main sight today is the ruined Tartu Cathedral, its tall red-brick arches still standing, with about a third renovated to house the University of Tartu Museum. Bridges link the two sides of the hill above the road that cuts through it, the best known being Angel's Bridge and Devil's Bridge. You will also find the university's Old Observatory, monuments to people tied to the university and the Supreme Court of Estonia. The hill lies about 300 m from St John's Church and is a few minutes' walk up from Town Hall Square. It is open all day and especially lovely in autumn. The paths are paved and gently sloped, so they suit most visitors, while any museum here keeps its own hours and tickets.
Tall red-brick arches open to the sky.
A span above the road through the hill.
A University of Tartu landmark on the hill.
Toome, central Tartu, Estonia
Yes, it is an open public park, while the museums on it have their own tickets.
Summer and autumn, when the trees are green and then turn gold.
