Go Parking!

It’s the nature calling I guess that makes all the people want to spend all their time outside in the summertime (well, some of us in the winter time as well, but that’s another story!). In a city as green as Tartu you can really let your imagination fly and spend your time in very creative ways in the several parks of the city.

The botanical gardens, for example, take you to a whole another world, entering the park feels like stepping into a fairytale book. You can spend hours just discovering exotic plants, daydreaming in the pavilion or having a picnic by the pond. There are guided tours in the park, and the creative thing there is (well, isn’t a garden about creating anyway) is the virtual tour you can take in the garden in case if it happens to rain for example!

Raadi Park is a part of the National Museum of Estonia. That is the place to go for a bit more cultural or historical picnic; with or without a guide. The park is designed by the well-known Prussian garden architect, Peter Joseph Lenne, so it is also something to please the eye of those interested in architecture. You could get inspired!

 

Remember when I wrote about the secret garden? I happen to know there’s one in Tartu a bit hidden. It will be open and active in the future, but so far it’s only the bravest little boys who dare to go steal the apples from the trees of the garden who know this park exists.  Anyway the ones with eagle eyes might notice that there’s something going on around Kalevi Street. There’s a park waiting for you.

Yours sincerely recommends that you take something: a blanket, a book, a bottle of wine, a magnifying glass, playing cards, good company or just your time and go parking. See you on the grass!

Riverside Recycling

There’s something to catch your attention every Saturday in Tartu for the whole summer. You want to spend your time outside and enjoy the sun. See the city and the citizens, no matter if you’re a local or a tourist. Now this has become possible on Tartu Emajõe Kirbuturg. It’s a flea market on the riverside that will be arranged through the whole summer in Tartu city center.

It’s free for anyone to participate. You just need a blanket or a table to put your things on, and a will to sell! So why not go through your corners, collect the things you don’t need or use anymore and appear on the grass –everybody’s there! This I can tell based on last Saturday when the flea market was on for the first time. It was sunny, it was crowded and it was just enjoyable! And you could find and buy anything from jewellery to books, from home made wine to car spare parts (and a man playing an accordion with a sign “accordion for sale”) and a lot more.

There’s music all around the area, and loads of people not only buying and selling but also just meeting friends, updating news, gossiping, laughing, just being with people. The atmosphere is very relaxed and absolutely lovely. It’s a creative way to get people outside, to meet each other and to recycle not only items but also experiences and joy –without any restrictive expenses, fees or forms. 

And if you were to wonder if the weather should be good, if there are people moving or if the accordion is still for sale, you can also follow the flea market through a web cam every Saturday. But more than that I truly recommend experiencing the atmosphere on the spot. And yes, there’s sun in there, no matter the weather!