Toome Hill, Tartu, Estonia - SpottingHistory

The Toome Hill, rising above Old Town, has always been strategic military position. Tartu's original settlement, Tarbatu, was established here in 600AD, and if you trace the hill's outline on a map, you can still see the shape of fortifications built here in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The western part of the hill is clearly dominated by the ruins of the 13th-century cathedral (Toomkirik) that has been decaying since the Livonian War (1558-1583). The sanctuary, which is still in a quite good condition today, accommodates the University’s history museum. Here you can get a broad overview of academic research and teaching in Tartu.

The old observatory of Tartu was constructed in 1811. It was the most modern one in Europe in the 19th century.

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Jimmy Jab (2 years ago)
An amazing spot. I rather stumbled upon it on an evening walk so I saw it in the dark and wasn't able to climb the tower. But that in itself was incredible: I had the place to myself for half an hour and it was beautiful, silent and a little haunting. I tried to imagine how it was built, how it fell into disrepair and how it would have been when it was an active part of a thriving city, holding weddings, funerals and other rites of passage.

Azar Safarov (2 years ago)
It’s a ruins of the building and there is a way to two remaining towers. Outside it’s free, but entrance for the towers is 5€, but if you will get ticket for museum as well, then together it will cost 7€. It was interesting our 6 years old son to climb to the top of the tower through narrow stairs.

lizzy 54 (2 years ago)
Stunning place, great for picture taking. You can also go up one of the walls. It will take just 5 minutes of your time but very glad I stopped here.

david howells (2 years ago)
Pretty cool church with a €5 euro entry fee to go up the tower. Very run down but in a nice part of town near the park.

Johannes Ebert (2 years ago)
????? Beautiful church! I did not went in and just walking around is already worth the walk. At the moment there is some danger to go into the building so o could only make a picture from the outside. The feeling is impressive and interesting to walk in the park behind, find all the different sculptures there are around and I imagine in summer it’s beautiful where the trees are green and the flowers are blooming up.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Roman Moško

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Trencín Castle

Trenčín Castle is relatively large renovated castle, towering on a steep limestone cliff directly above the city of Trenčín. It is a dominant feature not only of Trenčín, but also of the entire Považie region. The castle is a national monument.

History of the castle cliff dates back to the Roman Empire, what is proved by the inscription on the castle cliff proclaiming the victory of Roman legion against Germans in the year 179.

Today’s castle was probably built on the hill-fort. The first proven building on the hill was the Great Moravian rotunda from the 9th century and later there was a stone residential tower, which served to protect the Kingdom of Hungary and the western border. In the late 13th century the castle became a property of Palatine Matúš Csák, who became Mr. of Váh and Tatras.

Matúš Csák of Trenčín built a tower, still known as Matthew’s, which is a dominant determinant of the whole building.

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