Tartu Alone cover

Nordic · Available now

Tartu
Alone

A solo travel guide for women 50 and over
By Jennifer Brandt

Tartu's university character shows in its bookshops and cafés. Pick up Estonian literature in English translation at Krisostomus or Rahva Raamat, then read at a table on Rüütli Street.

$6.99 ebook

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Ebook · Updated Q4 2026

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Where you might stay

  • BudgetHotel Tartuelevator, sauna and breakfast by coach station
  • Mid-rangeLydia Hotelcentral lobby, elevator and small spa pool

Two places to eat or drink alone

  • Werner CafeSettle in alone among others enjoying their own space.
  • JoyceTable reservations make a solo dinner easy to plan.

SAMPLE

The University City Character

Students keep Tartu busy. Walking through the center on any afternoon, you’ll encounter young people socializing, studying at cafe tables, and generally inhabiting public spaces with the ease of people who live here. The result is livelier than a country town and more lived-in than capitals where tourists have largely replaced younger residents. The student presence also means reasonable prices for eating and drinking; places that depend on students cannot charge tourist prices. Your meals will generally cost less here than in Tallinn.

The university hosts lecture series, exhibitions and student concerts that locals attend and visitors may join; many cost little or nothing, and some run in English. Check the University of Tartu’s event listings and the posters at the Town Hall information center on the square, and you may find a lecture on Estonian literature or an exhibition opening during your week.

A free excerpt from Tartu Alone.

PRACTICAL SAMPLE

How Tartu Dining Works

Eating alone is ordinary in Tartu. Students and academics sit at cafe tables on their own with a book or a laptop, many cafes keep small tables for one, and larger rooms often have communal seating you can use or ignore. Reservations for one are handled without fuss at the places that take them, such as Joyce and Restaurant Hõlm.

Some rooms make it especially easy. The cafes at Aparaaditehas, the converted factory at Kastani 42, have communal tables if you want company and small ones if you don’t. Werner Cafe on Ülikooli is a room of people at their own tables. The museum cafes at the Estonian National Museum and AHHAA are built for sitting with a coffee and a book.

A free excerpt from Tartu Alone.

Inside this book

  • Tartu Awaits
  • A City Shaped by History
  • Planning Your Escape
  • The Solo Woman’s Tartu
  • Where to Stay
  • Neighborhood by Neighborhood
View the chapter contents
  • Tartu Awaits
  • A City Shaped by History
  • Planning Your Escape
  • The Solo Woman’s Tartu
  • Where to Stay
  • Neighborhood by Neighborhood
  • Days in Tartu
  • Art, Culture & Creativity
  • The Pleasures of the Table
  • Evening & After Dark
  • Retail Therapy
  • Beyond the City - Day Trips
  • Conversation Notes
  • Practical Matters

BUY THE GUIDE

Tartu Alone

Tartu's university character shows in its bookshops and cafés. Pick up Estonian literature in English translation at Krisostomus or Rahva Raamat, then read at a table on Rüütli Street.

$6.99 ebook

Buy the ebook, $6.99

Ebook · Updated Q4 2026

Instant download · Secure checkout by Payhip

THE GUIDE + YOUR OWN PLANS

Ready to settle your plans?

The kit's day plans run from “Old Town and Toome Hill” to “Museums and an Evening at Vanemuine”.

See inside the Tartu kit →
A page from the free sample of the Tartu kitRead the free 3-page sample (PDF) →
Do I need the kit as well?

No. The guide stands on its own. The kit is a separate, optional pack of decisions, day plans and a booking list. Read the free 3-page sample to see whether it suits the way you plan.

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