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Address:Pikk tänav 58, Tartu
Architects:1927 warehouse and spirit cellar: civil engineer K. Grimm; 1928 office building with a mansard roof: civil engineer F. Kangro; main building: architect unknown; new complex: Salto Architects
peahoone - arhitekt teadmata;
Uus kompleks - Salto arhitektid
2026
Accessibility for wheelchairs
Locations
est
eng
Important information:
Due to stairs and the lack of an elevator, the building is unfortunately not fully accessible for wheelchairs or mobility aids.
Many locals in Tartu still remember the distinct smell that once surrounded the Tartu Yeast Factory, built in 1883. Yeast was produced there for 114 years, from 1883 until the end of 1997.
The finished pressed grain yeast was exported and even won awards at the Paris World’s Fair. In 1898, the factory also began distilling spirits from yeast wort, leading to the construction of a cistern building, a granary, and a spirit storehouse.
In 1926, a hydropathic establishment – a public bathhouse – was founded at Pikk Street 54. The yeast factory supplied it with warm and cold water, as well as by-products used in water therapy: yeast wort was used for health baths, and yeast lees for compresses. Patients arrived from all over the world, including Helsinki, Stockholm, Berlin, and even America and Africa.
From 2008 to 2010, the yeast factory housed the Tartu Cultural Factory (Tartu Kultuuritehas), which can be considered the predecessor of today’s Aparaaditehas Culture Factory.
A new vision for the yeast factory complex has been pursued for nearly two decades. In 2026, a building permit was issued for the quarter, and in the coming years, it will be transformed into a large-scale residential and commercial area featuring over 100 new homes.
Meeting place:
Inner courtyard, entrance in front of the main building
Maximum visitor count:20
Tour length:45-60 min
