Rakvere

Rakvere is the administrative centre of Laane-Viru County in northern Estonia, about 100 kilometres southeast of Tallinn and 20 kilometres south of the Gulf of Finland. A settlement called Tarvanpea was first mentioned in the Livonian Chronicle of Henry in 1226, and the Danish stronghold was recorded as Wesenbergh in 1252, a name the town kept in German until the early twentieth century. It received Lubeck rights in 1302, and a large stone castle was built on Vallimagi hill after the Livonian Order bought the area in 1346. The town covers about 10.75 square kilometres and is one of the most densely populated urban areas in Estonia. It is known for the Rakvere door, a distinctive wooden door style, and has won recognition as a sustainable tourism destination and a European town of sport.