バルガ周辺のアトラクション＆必見スポット - トップ15

Valga St. John's Church or Town Church was constructed fro 1787 to 1816 and inaugurated on September 3, 1816. The church was constructed according to blueprint by architect from Riga, Christoph Haberland. Construction started in 1787. Due to lack of money, Valga Township failed to finance the construction works and the congregation had to commence on their own. The start-up capital was used up within two years and the construction works were at standstill for the next 23 years. In 1802, Emperor Alexander I visited Valga and promised to support the construction works. Actually, money from him was received only eleven years later. The construction works were completed finally and the church was inaugurated on September 3, 1816. The architectural style of the church is characteristic for the period of transition from Baroque to Early Classicism. The polygonal ground shape, oval hall and mansard hipped roof with its slightly saddle-shaped line unusual for Estonia. The church belongs to Valga St. Peter's and Luke Congregation of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Restoration works of the building are led by Foundation Valga St. John's Church Renovation.

Valga Town Hall was built next to the main square and former market square in 1864-1866. In the middle of the 19th century, several discussions were held about construction of a new town hall building. The old town hall near by the town school had turned rather shabby and was too little. In 1848, the Town Council applied for support from the Government of the Province of Livonia to purchase or construct a bigger building. The initial ambition to have a stone town hall was disregarded due to lack of money. In January 1864, the decision was taken to reconstruct the empty wooden guard's house alongside the market square. On the 15th of March 1866, the Town Council moved from the old building to the new one and celebrated completion of the construction works with a feast. In front of the Town Hall, there was the marketplace that was used for announcing official proclamations. The Town Hall Herald beating his little drums stepped out of the building followed by a public servant wearing his red rimmed hat and bearing paper rolls. This building has been headquarters of Valga Town Government and Council from the very beginning. In the end of the 19th century, the Town Hall building housed also the town public library, health insurance fund and archives.

Here is also the local sandy beach & one open-air changing room &:a ToiToi toilet. This water fountain is in Estonia (Estland) not Latvia (Lettland)!

Note that since 2023(?), the entrance is no longer free, but costs 15€. Also, the café is closed (permanently, it seems).

The church is the centre of a historic place and has already been renovated

One of the two large water fountains at each end. This is in Latvia.

The church was built between 1787 and 1816, and the cornerstone was laid on May 31, 1787. The stone church was designed by the Riga architect Christoph Haberland. Previously there had only been wooden churches in Valga, which were often destroyed in wars and fires. The church was built on the site of the former cemetery and later market square, which is now the center of Valga. The church was built with donations. It took two years to put a roof on the church, but lack of funds delayed completion until 1816 when the bell tower was completed. Emperor Alexander I donated 5,000 rubles, and the church was completed and consecrated on September 3, 1816. In 2016 the 200th anniversary of the Jaani Church of Valga was celebrated (Translated from Wikipedia).

Sangaste Castle is considered to be one of the most important examples of Neo-Gothic in the Baltic States. The current building was built between 1879 and 1883 according to plans by Otto Pius Hippius in the neo-Gothic style with influences from the neo-Tudor style. Some parts of the original interior have survived to this day. The castle was unusually modern and had central heating, telephones from 1896 and electric lights from 1907 (Wikipedia). If you want to visit the castle, you have to check the opening hours on the web - unfortunately the information we gave was not correct and it was closed.