Tartu Free Walking Tour: Starting Point by Vana Lugu

Tartu prison is a prison located in the Ropka industrial district suburb of Tartu in Estonia. The prison was designed by architect Kalle Rõõmus, EstKONSULT and constructed by Skanska EMV. The prison was founded in 2000 with the first inmates arriving on 16 October 2002. The prison's total cost was €423 million, of which €365.8 million was construction costs. The total area is 93,763 m2. Construction began after Parliament approved a €13,500,000 loan from Nordic Investment Bank. In 2007, a drug-free center was opened in the prison. That same year the prison received an award from the World Health Organization for its HIV-themed project. The prison holds several Serb war criminals including Dragomir Milošević, Milan Martić and Milan Lukić. On 4 June 2025 it was announced that Sweden had come to an agreement with Estonia to lease up to 400 rooms at Tartu prison to hold up 600 Swedish prisoners, which would provide additional capacity for the currently stressed Swedish Prison and Probation Service.