Short walks in Tartu to observe wild animals such as amphibians, bats and birds.
Guided by an expert of European boreal fauna.
Early morning in Tartu with stop 1 visible on the left corner of the photo
Walk 1. Daytime walk in riverside parks in the town centre. February—October. Habitat: riverside parks. Observation of birds. Duration 1.5 hours, 3-10 participants, start from stop 1 (between Arch Bridge and Atlantis, left bank), fee 15 EUR per person, booking by phone.
Walk 2. Daytime walk along ancient slopes of Toome hill. February—October. Habitat: ancient slopes, old trees, close to town centre. Observation of birds. Duration 1.5 hours, 3-10 participants, start from stop 2-9 (tourist information corner by Townhall), fee 15 EUR per person, booking by phone.
Walk 3. Daytime walk in a large park (Tähtvere). February—October. Habitat: large park, suburb area. Observation of birds. Duration 1.5 hours, 3-10 participants, start from stop 3 (Catholic church), fee 15 EUR per person, booking by phone.
Walk 4. Daytime walk in a park (Ropka-Tamme). April—September. Habitat: cemetary. Observation of birds. Duration 1.5 hours, 3-10 participants, start from stop 4 (Kalmistu bus stop, Võru street), fee 10 EUR per person, booking by phone.
Walk 5. Daytime walk in a large park (Raadi). April—September. Habitat: large cemetary. Observation of birds. Duration 2 hours, 3-10 participants, start from stop 5 (Peetri church), fee 15 EUR per person, booking by phone.
Walk 6. Daytime walk in Annelinn. February—October. Habitat: urban area. Observation of birds. Duration 2 hours, 3-10 participants, start from stop 6-7-10 (Emajõe bus stop, by spruce trees opposite Eeden supermarket), fee 15 EUR per person, booking by phone.
Walk 7. Daytime walk in a settlement by forest (Ihaste). April—September. Habitat: suburb area surrounded by forest. Observation of birds. Duration 3 hours, 3-10 participants, start from stop 6-7-10 (Emajõe bus stop, by spruce trees opposite Eeden supermarket), fee 20 EUR per person, booking by phone.
Walk 8. Nighttime walk by riverbank (Emajõe). April—September. Habitat: riverbank, large pond, suburb streets. Observation of amphibians and bats. Duration 2 hours, 3-10 participants, start from stop 8 (Palmihoone bus stop, right bank), fee 15 EUR per person, booking by phone.
Walk 9. Nighttime walk in a large park and by riverside (Tähtvere-Emajõe). April—September. Habitat: large park, large pond, riverbank. Observation of amphibians and bats. Duration 3 hours, 3-10 participants, start from stop 2-9 (tourist information corner by Townhall), fee 20 EUR per person, booking by phone.
Walk 10. Nighttime walk in Ihaste. April—September. Habitat: suburb area near Emajõgi river, surrounded by forest. Observation of amphibians and bats. Duration 3 hours, 3-10 participants, start from stop 6-7-10 (Emajõe bus stop, opposite Eeden supermarket), fee 20 EUR per person, booking by phone.
NB! If the walk ends after 11 p.m., then the participants have to order taxi by themselves to reach town centre (fee is about 15 EUR per taxi).
Nature walks in other places are available on request. Just contact our experts either via e-mail or phone.
Animals to see during the walks. The best time to observe amphibians (Amphibia) is a cloudy night, either during spring or late summer; a little rain is even better as more animals can be found under such conditions. Bats (Chiroptera) can be observed in their foraging sites from April till early October. A torch and a bat-detector are useful tools to take along for any nighttime walk. Birds (Aves) live in Tartu all year round. During winter, however, only sedentary bird species and travellers from the north occur. It is possible to have nice bird observations already in February and March, as main paths in parks and elsewhere are usually kept clean from snow. Binoculars are very useful to take along for a bird watch. From reptiles (Reptilia) only Lacerta vivipara is known to occur in Tartu. Among large land snails a common species like „copse snail“ (Arianta arbustorum) can be observed during a nighttime walk. Edible Snail (Helix pomatia) can only be found at selected sites in Tartu.
Weather in Tartu. During spring and summer the weather can be relatively warm (from +15 to +25 °C), especially in a sunny day. It can also be cloudy and even rainy. Winter days may be rather cold, with temperatures falling down to –10 or even –20 °C. However, mild weather with about 0 °C is also rather common during winter. Thus, it is advisable to use clothes according to the weather whenever joining a nature walk. A raincoat or an umbrella can be useful when it is likely to rain.
Booking by phone: +372 52 57 311 (Monday—Friday, 3–8 p.m.). It is necessary to book the walks at least 3 days beforehand. In the case of late booking there may be no places left.
View Sicista stops for nature walks in Tartu in a larger map
