Rakvere

The best-known destination in Estonia’s fifth-largest city is its former Order Castle. It was abandoned around 1700, and its stones were used to rebuild the destroyed city. Today, the well-preserved castle brings the Middle Ages to life and offers plenty of exciting experiences for children and adults alike. Visitors can practise archery and crossbow shooting, jousting and sword fighting, try their hand at blacksmithing, mould clay, mint a castle coin and much more. An exhibition presents the castle’s history, historical weapons and the torture chamber. The castle cellar has medieval wines on offer.

The striking sculpture outside the city, known in Estonian as the Tarvas statue, is also called an ox or even an aurochs. At seven metres long, four metres high and weighing seven tonnes, it is considered the largest animal sculpture in the Baltic States. It was unveiled to mark the city’s 700th anniversary. Touching its testicles is said to bring strength and power.

It stretches along Estonia’s Baltic coast across an area of more than 700 square kilometres, northeast of the capital, Tallinn. The nature reserve consists of two-thirds forest and approximately one-third water. Its aim is to preserve the landscapes of northern Estonia, with their old-growth trees, lakes, grasses and mosses. Lahemaa National Park is considered one of the last unspoilt regions along the entire Baltic Sea coast. Its proximity to the capital, Tallinn, and the northeastern region of Estonia also makes it a popular local recreation area. Several peninsulas that extend far into the sea and a number of bays also give the national park its name: Lahemaa means “Land of Bays”.

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