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Town in Estonia
Photo: Sten153, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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Valga Jaani kirik
An oval-shaped church dating from 1816. It took 30 years to build from 1787. The building exhibits the features of classicism as well as baroque. Also, the oval shape of the church is unusual, as is the location of the bell tower, which is not at the end, but on the side of the building. From the distance, the church might easily be mistaken for a concert hall or a theatre. On the northern wall of the church, there is a memorial plate in memory of the Finnish who volunteered in the battle for the Paju Manor. Guides proudly point out that there is no comparable church in Estonia, which is true.
Katoliku kabel
This small building next to the parking of the supermarket Rimi was a Catholic chapel and is the oldest building in Valga. Although, there has not been any dome or cross on it for a long time. Also, the shutters on the windows are very much like a village shop. The building is especially remembered for its four-slope roof.
Õigeusu kirik / Issidori Peakirik
Equally beautiful as St. John's Church, featuring towers of a similar shape as the Saint Basil's Cathedral at the Red Square in Moscow. It was built between 1897-98. From an architectural point of view, it is decidedly uninteresting, although the interior is pretty and quite spacious. The church has two altars consecrated in honour of the Mother of God and Isidore of Yuryevsky, a priest from St. George's (Tartu), who was killed for refusing to convert to Catholicism.
Pühavaimu kirik
A beautiful neo-Gothic church from 1907, built of large stones with layers of brick. This technique was common to the entire Baltic region, but generally not for churches. It was built by the local Catholics, including Poles and Lithuanians that worked on the railway. Rumour has it that the church does not have a bell tower due to a ban of the tsarist government back then.
An ordinary local history museum, starting with archaeology and ending with the proclamation of independence. The exhibition of Valga's life at the beginning of the 20th century is interesting—Valga is proud of the fact that here was the first mayor of a city which was Estonian, and not German. In addition, there is an exhibition devoted to the railway.
Museum of Patriotic Education / Valga Militaarteemapark-Muuseum / Valga Isamaalise Kasvatuse Püsiekspositsioon SA
They offer a museum, live-action, but also a guest house and regular restaurant. Check out the website (not in English), in case you are up for such things.
The military museum has two foundations—military and patriotism. The military is represented by a collection of weapons and uniforms, and the patriotism by the work of Estonian fire-fighters and the police on the example of the "Bronze Night" events in Tallinn. Somewhere between these two extremes is an extensive exhibition dedicated to the Estonian army of the times of the first republic and especially to the war for independence. There is a lot of information on outfits, insignia, biographies of heroes—immortalized in the names of Estonian streets—and numerous photographs. The texts are only in Estonian, so history lovers will have to pre-book an excursion in Russian, English or German (€9.60). However, it is even interesting without an excursion, at least from ethnographic considerations, since the museum is created on pure enthusiasm, which is the curious thing about it already. Also there are monuments of modern history: a wooden cannon, created by Estonian volunteers in 1989 due to lack of a normal weapons (looks like a 17th-century object); a hut, which was used by Estonian border guards in the early years of independence; a T-34 tank installed in Soviet times in the bloom of Valga and exploded in 1990 by Estonian nationalists. The hut and the tank are part of the outdoor exposition, which can be partially seen from behind the fence, without going to the museum. Finally, have a look in the museum/souvenir store, where helmets, jars and other war items are sold.
Raekoda
Built in 1865, the Town Hall is the oldest wooden building in Valga. It is interesting, but not very beautiful. It is an example of early Estonian architecture—from a period when no one thought of national style.
Keskraamatukogu
The building of the library was constructed in 1902 as a manor house. Therefore it also includes a park and a small pond. The style of the building is difficult to determine: it is quite an original.
From 1941 to 1944 there was a German concentration camp (Stalag 351) on the northern outskirts, which, after the liberation of Estonia, became a camp for German war prisoners. In the late 1940s the Soviet NKVD began using it for punishment purposes. A sad place, located, as it often happens in the Baltic states, in the middle of the purest pine forest. There is a laconic Soviet memorial with the figure of a weeping woman and the inscription "People, be vigilant!" (in Estonian and Russian). And 100 m further, a beautiful German cemetery.
A green locomotive with a tender. On the latter there's a painted text stating the Valga-Tartu railway celebrated its 110 year anniversary in 1997.
Paju Mõis
The unattractive Paju (Estonian for willow) manor entered Estonian history as the site of one of the most important battles of the War of Independence. On January 30-31, 1919, Estonian troops led by Lieutenant Kuperyanov, who later gave his name to more than a dozen Estonian streets, broke up parts of the Red Army fortified in the manor house and on the surrounding heights. After this, the Red Army had to retreat.
There is no point in going to the manor. It's enough to slow down on the way to Tartu, where a simple memorial is located—a small granite obelisk on top of a three-tier artificial hill. Here it becomes immediately clear why the unknown manor had such an important strategic importance: the hill is well visible to the valleys near the borders of Valga. Beyond, there is the only railway that connects Estonia with Latvia.
Hummuli mõis
The two-storey manor house was built around 1860 in the neo-Gothic style, which is not typical for Estonia. Now there is a school in the house, and behind it a beautiful park. Here, you will also find a memorial stone in memory of the battle between Russian and Swedish troops during the Northern War in 1702.
Sangaste loss
Built in the 19th century as a project by Otto Pius Hippus, who also constructed the Alexander Church in Narva, for his financier and originator Friedrich Goerg Magnus Berg. Erected at the site of a former manor house of FGM's uncle, who adopted FGM from his brother and placed him as the heir for the manor. FGM was inspired when seeing Windsor and Baltimore Castle in England, even though his uncle and then father did not allow to spend new money on the manor. However, after the elder's death, he decided to go forward with the project. The construction consumed 7 years and 1.45 million bricks, which were produced on site. The necessary granite was brought from Finland. The rooms of the castle were intended to be spacious and every window supposed to differ, as from his experience with the castles in England. Also, the entrance hall features interesting acoustics; speaking or even whispering in one corner, you can hear it in the other corner. FGM went on being a botanist, from his studies at the Sorbonne, and in England and Scotland, producing and breeding plants and animals, including the famous Sangaste rye. The rye was valued high, also in the Russian empire. He had known and been friends with members of the Russian Tsar family, Otto von Bismark and Napoleon III. Born in 1845, he died in 1938, after which the castle was abandoned. It has been restored.
In summer you can even have a nice swim in the Pedele river.
Rent a long board and explore the town, both sides of it.
In case you are looking for something different. But they also feature Latvian dishes.
Finnish hamburger chain.
A simple but nice cafeteria on Latvian border. They have more than a dozen types of pizza, as many pancakes, and slightly less hot dishes. Also, a large selection of cakes is available.
By all accounts it is a restaurant, the only one in the city. However, the opening hours are more like a café or even a cafeteria.
More like a restaurant, not a bar. No special alcoholic drinks or cocktails can be expected here, but the list of hot dishes occupies two pages in small print. Cozy and inexpensive.
The choice of hot dishes leaves much to be desired, but late in the evening this pub becomes one of the few places where you can eat. Discotheque on the weekends. FB.
The restaurant at the hotel of the same name, decorated for a hunting castle, hides and reindeer horns are hung on the walls. The food is cooked in French style, so here is the only opportunity in Valga to eat elegantly.
The nightclub adjoins the Tolli Hostel.
A friendly place with 4 beautifully furnished guest rooms. Also features a sauna for colder days—ask ahead if it's available.
Hostel with rooms for 1-4 people. Shared bathroom and toilet. Nevertheless, the hostel is rarely filled, so not that bad. There is a kitchen. They also prepare breakfast for €3. The front door is usually closed, so call ahead.
Rooms for 2-4 people, they are reportedly decent though not always clean. The hostel has a free gym. Tolli is also the center for Valga's nightlife as the only nightclub in town, Yes!, is in the same building.
A nature accommodation for scouts, but also regular customers. Tent site, dorm, doubles. Decent online rating and not overly expensive.
Guesthouse at the eastern edge of town. Not too many amenities, but it has a nice atmosphere, free Wi-Fi and breakfast is included in the room rate.
The best hotel in town, with well-equipped rooms. Wi-Fi. Also has a restaurant, listed in Eat.
Sangaste loss
Rated well and recommended.
Department store, mainly selling clothes.
Small supermarket on the way to the memorial.
A big supermarket.
Small shopping center at the border made up of a Rimi supermarket and some smaller stores. The Hesburger burger joint is the only eatery in town open on weekend mornings.
Another supermarket at the border.
By train
There are 3 trains per day from/to Tallinn (3½–4 hr, from Tartu 1 hr 15 min).
By bus
By car
By foot
From Valka you can walk across the border.
By bus
The town is served by 2 bus routes, connecting the centre of Valga with its outskirts—frequency 1½ hr, price €0.60 at a kiosk, €1 from the bus driver.
By bicycle
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