Ranged along the eastern edge of Lake Tamula, Võru is a quiet provincial town with leafy parks and a stretch of sandy shoreline. It was founded by decree of imperial occupier Catherine the Great in 1784, which helps explain the neat, grid-plan appearance.

The long, straight strip of Jüri tänav runs through the centre, separating the modern, concrete parts of town to the northeast from an altogether more charming neighbourhood of timber houses to the southwest.

Among these timber houses is the Võrumaa County Museum. Most venerable item in the collection is the skull of a Stone Age woman, thought to date from the fourth millennium BC, making it the oldest human remain to be found in Estonia. There’s also a history of the Võru region as told through old photos and domestic knick-knacks.

Southwest of the centre, streets slope down to the sandy shores of Tamula Lake (Tamula järv), a popular year-round strolling area, with a sandy beach, seasonal cafés, and good views of the low green hills to the southwest.

Practical Info

Võru is a straightforwarfd 70Km drive south of Tartu.

Regular buses to Võru run from Tartu bus station