This year, when Riga and Tartu celebrate 15 years since the declaration of cooperation was signed, similar events are also taking place in both twin cities. Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia, once called Terbata. From today, Tērbatas Street in Riga will become a pedestrian street for one month, the same happens on Tartu's Freedom Avenue (Vabaduse Avenue), where it is closed to cars from July 3 to August 2.
The aim of the pedestrian street is to revive the city centre, offer exciting leisure opportunities, unite different generations and strengthen the sense of community after the end of the Covid-9 emergency situation. Tartu's Freedom Avenue offers open-air meetings, meeting areas, an outdoor reading room, picnic areas, a market, open-air cinema, art museum programs and much more.
Riga and Tartu are linked by co-operation in the fields of education, culture, security and order, social and cultural heritage preservation. There are regular meetings of official representatives as well as experience exchange visits. In 2024, Tartu will be the European Capital of Culture, thus negotiations and sharing of good practice examples will take place on the experience Riga had in 2014, when Riga was the European Capital of Culture.