Estonia - Tartu

Tartu (historical names: German: Dorpat, from original name Tarbatu, Russian: Юрьев, Yuryev) is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, Tartu is the centre of southern Estonia. The Emajõgi river, which connects the two largest lakes of Estonia, crosses the city. The city is served by Tartu Airport.

Historical names

As Tartu has been under the control of various rulers throughout its history, there are various names for the city in different languages. In German and Swedish it has been known as Dorpat (help·info), a corruption of the medieval Estonian name Tarbatu. In Russian, the city has been known as Юрьев (Yuryev) after Yaroslav I the Wise and as Дерпт (Derpt), a corruption of Dorpat (however, since 1917 the Estonian name Tartu is used). Similarly, the city has been known as Tērbata in Latvian.