Valga, Estonia

Valga is a town in southern Estonia and the capital of Valga County and Valga Parish. Until their separation in 1920, Valga, known in German as Walk, and the town of Valka in northern Latvia were one town, and they are now twin towns. The area of Valga is 16.5 square kilometres and its population is given as 12,261. On 21 December 2007 all border-crossing points between the two countries were removed, and roads and fences were opened when both countries joined the Schengen Agreement. Valga lies at a junction of roads and railways, 89 kilometres from Tartu, 245 kilometres from Tallinn and 175 kilometres from Riga, and it is divided into six districts: Kesklinn, Laatsi, Pilpaküla, Puraküla, Kapsamõisa and Tambre. Since 1944 a local newspaper, Valgamaalane, has been published there.