Gunpowder Cellar of Tartu
Encyclopedia
The Gunpowder Cellar is a historic building in Tartu
, Estonia
which now functions as a beer
restaurant
.
The name is derived from the restaurant's location: it is situated in an 18th century gunpowder cellar constructed in 1768–1778 by order of Catherine II of Russia
on the site of an earlier fort, making use of the natural valley and pre-existing very thick brick walls for added safety. The building served as a gunpowder cellar until 1809 when it was converted to a beer storage room. At the end of the 19th century the building began to be used by the University of Tartu
which meant that lectures and scientific work were often conducted on top of gunpowder barrels. In the 1990s it functioned as a large medieval restaurant before reopening in 2001 as a pub and disco though retaining a wine cellar.
Its unique structure also lends it a unique distinction: it is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the highest pub ceiling in the world, at 11 metres (36.1 ft).
The restaurant is a popular meeting place among Tartu's student population. It boasts a regular cultural programme, including a number of plays by the Vanemuine
theatre. This programme includes regular live music events.
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
which now functions as a beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
.
The name is derived from the restaurant's location: it is situated in an 18th century gunpowder cellar constructed in 1768–1778 by order of Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
on the site of an earlier fort, making use of the natural valley and pre-existing very thick brick walls for added safety. The building served as a gunpowder cellar until 1809 when it was converted to a beer storage room. At the end of the 19th century the building began to be used by the University of Tartu
University of Tartu
The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...
which meant that lectures and scientific work were often conducted on top of gunpowder barrels. In the 1990s it functioned as a large medieval restaurant before reopening in 2001 as a pub and disco though retaining a wine cellar.
Its unique structure also lends it a unique distinction: it is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the highest pub ceiling in the world, at 11 metres (36.1 ft).
The restaurant is a popular meeting place among Tartu's student population. It boasts a regular cultural programme, including a number of plays by the Vanemuine
Vanemuine
Vanemuine, a literal translation from is a theatre in Tartu, Estonia. It is the first Estonian language theatre, founded as the Vanemuine Society on June 24, 1865 following the idea of Johann Voldemar Jannsen. In 1869 Vanemuine Society organised the first song festival in Estonia...
theatre. This programme includes regular live music events.