Paide
Known as Weissenstein (“white stone”), its German name, the word Paide is derived from the word for limestone in Estonian. The town is the small capital of the county of Järva, around 90 kilometres south of Tallinn. It was founded in 1291 and has several interesting buildings, including the Jugendstil-styled town hall, its 16th century church, and its famous medieval castle.
Stop at Paide and visit to Paide Castle. During our short stop in Paide, we will be able to admire its most important monument: the castle was built even earlier than town, as its construction was begun in 1265 by the Order of Teutonic Knights. They made it their main stronghold in the region, enlarging the fortress at different points between the 14th and 16th centuries. Various wars took their toll on the castle, but we can still admire most of its walls and the majestic octagonal tower known as “Herman”.
