Paide

Paide is a town in central Estonia and the capital of Järva County, one of the 15 counties of Estonia. Its German name, Weißenstein, means white stone and comes from the limestone used to build Paide Castle, and the Estonian name is first recorded in 1564 as Paida. The Livonian Order began the castle in 1265 or 1266 around a six storey keep known as Tall Hermann, and the fortress was strengthened and modernised over the next three centuries. It was besieged several times in the Livonian War and occupied in 1573 by troops loyal to Ivan the Terrible. Retreating Soviet troops blew up the tower in 1941, and it was rebuilt in 1990 to 1993 and now houses part of the Järva County museum. The football club Paide Linnameeskond plays in the Estonian top division.