Võru

Võru is a city in Southern Estonia. The surrounding Võrumaa (Võru county) covers 2,305 km².

Understand
The Võro language ("võro kiil") is the main language spoken but Estonian is universally spoken as well. Russian and English are also understood by many people. Despite the picturesque location on the shore of the lake, Võru does not inhibit much of a medieval history. The central landmark is the cosy house-museum of Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, the collector of the Estonian epic poetry and one of the founders of Estonian literature. From 1944 to 1953, the Estonian Forest Brothers (anti-Soviet partisans) were most active in Võru County.



Get in
There is a railway line and station, but passenger trains do not go here.

By bus
There are buses from/to Tartu every hour, taking a little more than an hour. At least half of them are direct buses from Tallinn, 3.5-4 hr.

From Valga there are apparently only two buses a day, slowly and taking about two hours.

Bus schedules are easily available online—read more under Estonia.

By car
Route #2 passes through Võru, and it is 80 km to Tartu.

Get around
Võru is small and all its attractions can be explored on foot.

See


Also, see South Estonia for destinations close to Võru for day trips and such.

Do
Võru has a small but enjoyable beach.

Drink
Try also one of the above mentioned Pubis.



Go next

 * Obinitsa – Part of the settlements of the ethnic Seto minority in the border region of Estonia and Russia.
 * Sangaste and the nearby Sangaste Castle, about 40 km northwest.
 * Otepää – A small town set in the hills of south Estonia and best known winter sports centre in the Baltics, and the Winter Capital of Estonia. Surrounded by lakes, hills and ski jump towers.
 * Karula National Park – The hilly landscapes of Southern Estonia. Estonian’s smallest national park on the way to/from Valga.
 * Valga – A town on the border with Latvia, where it literally grows into the Latvian town of Valka.