Discover Rakvere: Museums, Fortress and Discovery Trails

Rakvere combines historic sites, museums and playful discoveries into a diverse travel destination. If you would like not only to observe culture but also experience it actively, you will find various points of interest here: a discovery trail for younger and older visitors, an interactive police museum, a professional repertory theatre, as well as sites associated with the fortress and Vallimägi Hill. For your travel planning, it is therefore worthwhile to first organise the experiences you want and then look for suitable accommodation in Rakvere.

Experience history and get actively involved

The Rakvere-Soolikaoja Discovery Trail is suitable for younger and older visitors; families are especially welcome. This makes it a possible part of a day spent exploring together by different generations. The Eesti Politseimuuseum offers a different way of engaging with history. It opened in 2013 in a historic courthouse that had previously served as an exhibition house. At the museum, visitors can experience police work through hands-on activities and playful experiences. Those who enjoy trying things out and taking part during a museum visit will find here a clearly different form of interpretation from a purely observational exhibition.

Rakvere Theatre is also part of the town’s cultural identity. It opened in 1940 as a professional repertory theatre. This historical context makes the theatre an interesting point of reference for visitors who would like to include the performing arts alongside museums and historic buildings in their trip to Rakvere.

Vallimägi, the Fortress and Notable Landmarks

The Rakvere Vallimäe Open-Air Centre has viewing points and areas for leisure activities, picnicking and walking. This means you can combine time outdoors with sightseeing there, without devoting the entire day exclusively to a museum. Near the fortress on Vallimägi Hill stands the Tarvas sculpture. It was unveiled in 2002 to mark the 700th anniversary of Rakvere. Its connection to a specific town anniversary gives the artwork its own historical context.

For deeper insights into the past, the Rehbinder's House Museum is also worth visiting. It is located in a building that formerly belonged to Count Gustav Dietrich von Rehbinder and later housed the town administration. The museum’s weapons room contains a 2,700-year-old sword. Another room displays objects that are at least 300 years old, including a mammoth tooth. These different points in time make the museum visit particularly varied: the building tells of its former use, while the objects on display reach even further back into the past.

A Stay with Historical Flavour

The historic atmosphere also includes the Shenkenberg Tavern in the fortress. It serves dishes prepared according to medieval recipes. This place may be interesting for your travel plans if you would like to complement a visit to the fortress and historic sights with a thematically appropriate culinary experience. Together with the theatre, museums and outdoor areas, it creates a broad cultural programme from which you can develop either a family-oriented day or a more history-focused travel itinerary.

Accommodation in Rakvere is a convenient base if you would like to combine these different highlights. Depending on your personal interests, decide whether the discovery trail, interactive museum experiences, theatre history, the viewing points of the Vallimäe Open-Air Centre or the historical collections will be the focus of your stay. You can also include the following destinations in your selection: Mõedaka, Haljala, Altja, Vergi, Triigi, Vihula and Ohepalu.

To the overarching travel overview: Lääne-Viru.

More about the destination

Relevant information for your travel planning:

Rakvere.