| Name | Rakvere |
| Country | Estonia |
| Geography | Rakvere is the ancient heart of the Virumaa region. Now it is the centre of Lääne-Viru county. A large part of the town is covered by green-areas, parks and forests. |
| Description | Rakvere is the ancient heart of the Virumaa region. Rakvere is the administrative, economic and cultural centre of the Lääne-Virumaa County.
Rakvere is mainly known for its historical stone fortress. First written data about Tarvanpää Castle is from 1226. For almost 400 years, the masters of the stronghold were the Danish, German, Russian, Swedish and Polish conquerors. It has been in ruins since 1605. An exact replica of a 16th century cannon is displayed in the castle. There is an open-air concert stage inside the castle, were concerts, festivals, and summer theatre performances take place.
To the south of the castle, is situated Rakvere Oak Grove, which is one of the unique nature conservancy sites in Estonia.
In the town centre, Pikk Tänav (The Long Street), together with several small cross streets, has preserved its historical look. A Lutheran church and an Orthodox Church, courthouse, market, and bank buildings accentuate the architecture of the town.
There are three museums in Rakvere-Rakvere Museum, Linnakodaniku majamuuseum (Citizen’s Home Museum), and Rakvere loss (Castle) which introduce the history of the town.
The permanent exhibits in the museum present us with the nature and history of Virumaa. Citizen’s Museum displays the living quarters of a typical city resident at the beginning of this century.
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