Näituse

Näituse is my favorite street in Tartu.

No matter the season, weather, or any other condition, Näituse is always there - peaceful, calming, yet fresh and exciting. Beautiful trees alongside the often loud and busy car road provide shade and define the coziness of the whole street. Somehow, the trees are just the perfect height and have perfect placement to create an incredibly cozy and calming atmosphere, mostly unmatched by any other street in Tartu.

Spanning over a kilometer long¹, Näituse starts off at Toomemägi and ends at a railway intersection in Veeriku. For a person living in Veeriku, walking through Näituse feels like teleportation (almost) straight to the city center. Often much faster than waiting for a bus or searching for available public bikes.

Notable Buildings

• Uus Anatoomikum, a building of the University of Tartu
• The Neobaltia building
• The Iuridicum building, also part of University of Tartu
• Curious looking office building #25
• Old (ca 1930-1940)² buildings #7, 9, 11
• Old wooden buildings #5, 6, 10, 14
• 19th century³ building #3

The main feature of the street, in my view, is the amazing array of trees beside the car road. During summer, the trees provide an excellent shade and make the street very fresh and bearable to walk on. However, the most impressive period is, without a doubt, Fall. Nothing like a stroll through Näituse during a quiet, gloomy weekend afternoon, surrounded by colorful leaves and the sweet smell of Fall.

As for Winter, Näituse transforms into something very much different. Not hiding between the lush trees anymore, the street feels much more open and spacious, even more so in case of bright snow everywhere. This is certainly a great relief from the usual dark days of Winter here.

Even at night the street is incredibly welcoming. Street lights are dimmer than usual due to the trees, yet the whole street is asleep, making it safe and peaceful to wonder through.

Besides the atmosphere of this street, the most remarkable thing is how well it connects the (almost) main central part of the city with the much more distant Veeriku. In fact, at the end of Näituse, it takes only about 12 minutes of walking on Ilmatsalu to reach one of Tartu's 'Welcome' signs, where the city ends.

In any case, if you're in Tartu, especially during Fall or Winter, be sure to grab a warm drink and take a slow walk through Näituse. You will certainly enjoy it.

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Media

Here is a collection of images on Wikimedia.

My own album of images on Dropbox.

Not directly related, but a notable video that comes to mind is The Simpler Things in Life by kliksphilip, where he covers the joy of walking, something quite comparable to what I feel on Näituse often.