Viljandi County

A cultural heartland of southern Estonia, with the Viljandi Folk Music Festival, castle ruins and a bog national park each offering their own appeal.

Viljandi County lies in south-central Estonia. Its seat, Viljandi, is a small lakeside town with the ruins of a Teutonic Order castle, and its Viljandi Folk Music Festival, held each summer, is one of the country's major cultural events. The west of the county extends into Soomaa National Park, where you can experience bog boardwalks and the spring flood landscape. Summer is the best time to visit. Trains and long-distance buses run between Viljandi and Tallinn, and there is also a road link to Tartu.

Destinations

• Viljandi
• Pärnu

Itineraries

• Classic Mainland Estonia Loop – A self-drive loop covering Tallinn, Lahemaa, Lake Peipus, Tartu, Soomaa, and Pärnu, excluding the islands.
• Baltic Capitals Route: Vilnius to Tallinn – Travel north from Vilnius to Riga and Tallinn, passing the Hill of Crosses, Rundāle Palace, and Pärnu