Rakvere castle is located halfway between Tallinn and the border town of Narva. Departing from Tallinn to the east you’ll reach Rakvere Castle in about 1.5 hours.
"Vere" in Estonian means blood. The castle faced many severe battles. Warriors attacking and defending the castle spoke different languages. The castle was under siege by Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great, was owned by the German knights, the Swedes and the Polish.
Nowadays, soldiers, craftsmen, mercenaries and other medieval citizens live in the castle. One of them will meet you at the gates and guide you in the castle. Inside there are many ways to rediscover the Middle Ages. You can take part in the knight’s tournament or archery competition, visit the alchemist’s lab, the history room, the armory, and feel the metal of old swords in your hand. The bravest guests will know the three main fears of the Middle Ages and visit the torture chamber. You’ll go up on the wall and from the top of the watch tower of the castle enjoy a view of the surroundings. Lastly you’ll have dinner in the knight’s dining hall.
After the adventure in Rakvere Castle you’ll head back to Tallinn, but it will not be just a ride home, on the way you’ll see the smallest castle in Europe and the largest Estonian waterfall.