Viljandi : Estonia

Viljandi Travel : Estonia
Viljandi (German: Fellin) is a town in Viljandimaa, Estonia. It is at 58.37°N 25.60°E. The population was 20,756 in 2000.
The town is first mentioned in the commentaries to “Geography� by al-Idrisi in 1154 – under the name of Falamus).
In 1211 it was besieged by a joint army of Germans, Latvians and Livs.
The Sword Brethren captured the town in August 1223. A contingent of Russians The following year Volquin, their Grandmaster, built a Castle in the town. It was a major fortification of Sword Brethren and was appointed a commander from 1248.
In 1283 the town received a charter from Vilhelm von Schuborch, the master of the Order. The town was a member of the Hanseatic League from the beginning of the 14th Century. (more…)

Valga : Estonia

Valga Travel: Estonia
Valga is a town in South Estonia and the capital of Valga County.
Valga and Valka town in the North Latvia are twin towns since 1920. The area of Valga is 16,5 km2 and that of Valka is 14,2 km2. Populations are accordingly 15 330 and 7100.
Valga is situated in the junction of roads and railways. Tallinn-Tartu-Riga railway is connected via Tapa with Tallinn-Narva-St.Petersburg magistral. Valga is an international junction of railway traffic. Since there is no railway station in Valka, the trains coming from Latvia are directed to Valga, which is the terminal of Latvian railway lines.
The distance to Tartu is 89 km, Pärnu 144 km, Tallinn 245 km, Riga 175 km and Pskov 170 km.
Since 1944 a local newspaper “Valgamaalaneâ€? is published (3 times a week). There also is a local correspondence office of Estonian Television and a local radio – “Raadio Ruutâ€?. (more…)

Tartu : Estonia

Tartu Travel : Estonia
Tartu (German, Polish Dorpat) is the second largest city of Estonia, with its population of 100,482 (the Population Census data is from 2004) in an area of 38.8 square kilometres. The first written records of Tartu date from 1030.
In contrast to Tallinn which is today the political and financial capital of Estonia, Tartu is often considered its intellectual and cultural centre, especially since it is home to Estonia’s oldest and most renowned university. Situated 180 kilometres southeast of Tallinn, Tartu is certainly the centre of Southern Estonia. The Emajõgi river, which connects the two largest lakes of Estonia, crosses the city for the length of 10 kilometres and adds colour.
Architecture & Sightseeing
The architecture and city planning of historical Tartu mainly go back to the pre-independence period, with Germans forming the higher and middle class of society, and therefore contributing lots of architects, professors, local politicians, et cetera. Most notable are the old Lutheran St. John’s Church (Johanneskirche or Jaani Kirik), the town hall, the university building, the botanical gardens, the main shopping street, and many buildings around the town hall square. (more…)

Tapa : Estonia

Tapa Travel: Estonia
Kapa is a fabric found in ancient Hawaii made of beaten mulberry bark. It is similar to tapa found elsewhere in Polynesia but differs in the methods used in its creation. Kapa was used primarily for clothing like the malo worn by men as a loincloth and the pau worn by women as a wraparound. Kapa was also used for kihei used over the shoulders. Other uses for kapa depended on caste and a person’s place in ancient Hawaiian society. Kapa bed covers were reserved for the ali’i or chiefly caste while kapa robes were used by kahuna or priestly caste.
Cultural anthropologists over the course of the twentieth century identified techniques in the creation of kapa that was unique to the Hawaiian Islands. The paper mulberry tree was cut and soaked in water then laid on a polished stone tablet and beaten by a hohua. After the first phase of beating, the kapa was transferred to a sacred house to be beaten a second time but in a religious manner. Each kapa manufacturer used a beater called an i’ekuku that left an impression in the cloth that was hers alone. After the European discovery of the Hawaiian Islands, Western traders travelled to Hawaii especially for kapa.

Võru County : Estonia

Võru County, or Võru maakond, is a County or maakond in southeast Estonia.
Municipalities
There are 1 urban municipality (est: linn – city) and 12 rural municipalities (est: vallad – parishes) in the county.
Urban municipality:
Võru
Rural municipalities:
Antsla
Haanja
Lasva
Meremäe
Misso
Mõniste
Rõuge
Sõmerpalu
Urvaste
Varstu
Vastseliina
Võru