Valga is a city in the south of Estonia, on the border with
Latvia. Valga and Valka in Latvia are actually one city. Valga is
larger, with about 15,000 inhabitants. The city has the only railway
station through which you can get from Estonia to Latvia. The city
is rather boring, but it is curious to know its position on the
invisible state border. It has a military museum with a rich
exhibition dedicated to the Estonian War of Independence.
The
border (in the literal sense of the word) of the place is perhaps
the most interesting feature of Valga. There are no medieval
monuments or interesting wooden buildings in the city, so Valga
lacks the charm and comfort inherent in other Estonian cities. The
population of Valga is mixed, 35% of Russians and most other people
speak Russian, because it was and is the language of interethnic
communication between the inhabitants of Estonia and Latvia. The
city has a light industry (furniture, clothing and footwear,
woodworking). Life at the train station is comfortable, but the
overall economic situation is rather bleak, and it can be seen with
the naked eye: Valga is one of the poorest county towns in Estonia.
Tourist Information Center, Kesk 11, +372 766 16 99, fax: +372
766 16 99, e-mail:
valga@visitestonia.com.