Alatskivi: Castle, Park and Manor History

Alatskivi brings together a castle in the heart of the town, manor history, a lakeside hiking trail and a nature conservation area. These different themes can help you plan your search for a hotel in Alatskivi: you can focus on a visit to the castle and museum, a walk around the lake, or experiences involving wine and ceramics.

Castle and guided tours

Alatskivi Castle has stood in the heart of Alatskivi since 1885. The visitor centre on the first floor presents the castle as the residence of a family, the history of the manor and the castle’s restoration process. The Eduard Tubin Museum, dedicated to Eduard Tubin, is on the second floor. The castle basement houses a photo exhibition about the manors of the historic county of Old Tartu County.

A guided tour of Alatskivi Castle and the Eduard Tubin Museum lasts about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Advance booking is required for this tour; availability and booking conditions may change, so check them when planning. At almost four hours, the “Parunite jälgedes” tour is considerably longer than the castle and museum tour. It starts at Alatskivi Castle and also takes in the castle park and other places in Alatskivi. Booking details may change; check them when planning.

Manor and cultural heritage

The riding stable of Alatskivi Manor is now an exhibition stable. Its guided tour lasts about 45 minutes; advance booking is also required. In the 19th century, the manor included 57 buildings and sites, of which 41 are still standing. The comparison gives a sense of the scale of the complex at the time. Alatskivi Church has been recognised as a cultural monument since 16 September 1997.

Lake, park and nature conservation

The Alatskivi hiking trail is 4.5 km long and runs around Lake Alatskivi. Its starting point is in the town, next to the Kalmistu bus stop and the information board by the birch avenue. The stated trail length gives you a concrete point of comparison when planning your day alongside the timed guided tours of the castle.

There is a disc golf course with ten baskets in Alatskivi Castle Park, maintained seasonally. The Alatskivi Nature Conservation Area was established in 1964 to protect Alatskivi Park, its ancient valley and the traditional cultural landscapes of the surrounding area. It covers a total of 383.3 hectares; the castle park covers almost 130 hectares. These figures show the size of the conservation area alongside that of the park.

Wine tasting and ceramics

At a tasting of handmade wines from Alatskivi, participants try to identify the ingredients in the wines in a playful guessing game. The tasting also includes a brief introduction to winemaking. Advance booking is required. On request, the historic Deer Garden wine cellar and its connection to the former manor can also be introduced in more detail; confirm when booking whether this will be included.

You can book a clay workshop at the ceramics studio of Alatskivi Castle. Advance booking is recommended; confirm that the workshop is available before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Kastre, Mehikoorma, Ülenurme, Laeva, Kambja, Uderna, Kõduküla, Kallaste.

For the regional travel overview: Tartu.