St. John's Church

This magnificent, 14th-century edifice is not only Tartu’s oldest surviving church, it’s also a treasure trove of medieval sculpture. Its most famous feature is the approximately 1,000 terracotta figures that inhabit the church, both inside and out, remnants of the 2,000 its thought to have had in the middle-ages. The church was wrecked in World War II and stood derelict for nearly a half-century. After 16 years of renovation, it was finally reconsecrated and opened to the public in 2005. The tower's viewing platform is open to the public during the church's regular opening hours, closed for concert or service time only.