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The Raadi manor park is one of the more outstanding examples of park design in the history of Estonian manor parks. The park was designed by the Prussian garden architect Peter Josph Lenne.
Raadi park is located in the nort-east part of Tartu, at the south-east edge of Raadi Lake. The park is bordered by Raadi Lake to the north-east, a former gravel quarry to the south-east and south-west, and by Narva road to the north-west. The area surrounding the park is a slightly undulating moraine platform, which is transversed by the Emajõgi river valley. The relief of the park area is flat with a sharp drop at the border of the park to the Raadi gravel quarry.
The lower ’freeformed’ dendropark, which is well-kept and rich in species, and the regular part of the upper park between Raadi lake and the dendropark are under protection. In 1923 the flat land area next to the park was turned over to the dendropark. Intensive planting activities were begun in 1925 under the direction of professor A. Mathiesen and by 1940 around 2900 trees and bushes (400 species and sub-species) had been planted. But as a result of cold winter conditions and lack of care, most of the coniferous trees and about one-third of the deciduous trees and bushes have died out. By now, there are few trees in good health which belong to the original historical park configuration. The Raadi manor park is one of the more outstanding examples of park design in the history of Estonian manor parks.
The oldest of the park’s surviving square layout quarters dates back to the mid-18th century. To the Italian-style terraces and stairways was added the natural park section, which was designed by famous German park architect P.J. Lenne in the mid 19th century. Large re-building activities began in the early part of the 20th century. Stairs, balusters and garden vases were added to the park. The terraces were designed by M.v. Sievers. Since 1925 part of the park has been in the possession of the agricultural section of the university. During that period professor Mathiesen established the dendropark in the open area adjacent to the park to serve as a practical training center for students.
Dendrology of Raadi Park
The historical part of the Raadi park is of average species richness. The main tree species are small leaved (Tilia cordata) and European (Tilia x europaea) lindens, with rather insignificant representation by coniferous species, and bushes are mainly located around the perimeter of the park. The lower part of Raadi park – the dendropark, is species-rich, however there also only a small amount of coniferous trees have survived. Species of particular interest include lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia), and limber pine (Pinus flexilis). Of broad leaved species, noteworthy are sugar maple (Acer saccharum), American ash (Fraxinus americana) and Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia), Amur maacia (Maackia amurensis), eastern hophornbeam (Ostraya virginiana), pear (Pyrus elaeagrifolia), Caucasian oak (Quercus macranthera), Sessile oak (Quercus petraea), Crimean Lime (Tilia Dasystyla), Turkish Hazelnut (Corylus colurna); of bushes Amur corktree (Clematis amurense), Cornelian cherry dogwood (Cornus mas), Kansas Hawthorn (Crataegus coccinoides), Crataegus x langei, Pringle's hawthorn (Crataegus pringlei Sarg.), Crataegus russanovii, Schneider’s hawthorn (Crataegus x schneideri), Winterberry Euonymus (Euonymus bungeanus), Lucidum chinense, and others. Of remarkable size and age is the Amur grapevine (Vitis amurense) growing in the park’s eastern part.
