Viljandi

Viljandi sits on the rim of a deep glacial valley with a long lake at the bottom, and the ruins of one of the Livonian Order's mightiest castles stand on the spur above it. It is also the folk music capital of the country: the culture academy trains the musicians, and the Viljandi Folk Music Festival in late July is the biggest annual music event in Estonia.

What you actually see

The castle hills, with fragments of massive brick and fieldstone wall framing views down the lake, reached across a red suspension bridge from 1879 that has become the town's emblem. Below, a wooden old town of crooked streets slopes towards the water, with the round water tower as its other landmark.

The lake itself has a beach, rowing boats and a path around it - the full loop is a solid walk.

When to go

• Late July - the folk festival, four days when the castle hills become one big stage and the town multiplies several times over. Book beds months ahead.
• May to September - the hills, lake and old town at their best without the crowd.
• Winter - quiet and steeply picturesque under snow, with everything running at small-town pace.

Honest expectations

Outside the festival Viljandi is a sleepy county town, and that is its charm - come for atmosphere and the view down the lake, not for a list of sights.

The climb back up from the lake is the steepest street walking in Estonia, such as that is.

Nearby

Soomaa National Park is half an hour west. Lake Võrtsjärv is twenty minutes east, and Tartu about an hour.