Toomemägi Panorama Point

The Toome Hill (Toomemägi) Panorama Point is located just next to the heart of Tartu and offers a peaceful spot to rest and take in elevated views of the city. From the platform, you can see Tartu’s church towers, the old town streets, and the Emajõgi River winding through the city.

Toome Hill itself is one of the most historically significant places in Tartu. It is believed that as early as the 6th–8th centuries, an ancient Estonian hillfort called Tarbatu was established here, which later became the center of the historical Ugandi county. Strategically, Toome Hill was vital, as it offered the only year-round passable route through the marshy banks of the Emajõgi.

In 1030, Tarbatu was conquered by Yaroslav the Wise, Grand Prince of Kiev, followed later by German crusaders. In 1224, Bishop Hermann built a stone bishop’s castle on the smaller hill (where the Tartu Observatory now stands). The larger part of the hill became the domain of the Tartu Cathedral, which is where the name "Toome Hill" (Toomemägi) originates.

During the Swedish and Russian periods, the hill was devel