Rakvere is the administrative center, or county seat, of

Lääne-Viru County Lääne-Viru County ( or ''Lääne-Virumaa'') is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is in northern Estonia, on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland. In Estonian, ''lääne'' means western and ''ida'' means east or eastern. Lääne-Viru borders Id ...

in northern

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

, about 100 km southeast of

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

and 20 km south of the

Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland (; ; ; ) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and Estonia to the south, to Saint Petersburg—the second largest city of Russia—to the east, where the river Neva drains into it. ...

and the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

. Rakvere boasts a distinctive architectural feature: the Rakvere door. Reflecting German baroque cabinets of the 17th and 18th centuries and the expressionist style of the 1920s, the wooden Rakvere door has a pointed, raised rectangle in the center. In 2023, there were 15 Rakvere doors on 13 houses.

Name

From the 13th century until the early 20th century, Rakvere was more widely known by its historical German name Wesenberg(h). It has also been referred to as Tarvanpea, Tarvanpää, and Rakovor.

History

The earliest signs of a human settlement, dating back to the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries AD, have been found on Rakvere's theatre hill (''Teatrimägi''). Probably to protect this settlement, a wooden stronghold was built on another hill (''Vallimägi'') nearby. After the

Kingdom of Denmark The Danish Realm, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, or simply Denmark, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united by the Constitution of Denmark, Constitutional Act, which applies to the entire territor ...

conquered northern Estonia, it started to erect stone buildings in 1220. A settlement called ''Tarvanpea'' is first mentioned in 1226 in the

Livonian Chronicle of Henry The ''Livonian Chronicle of Henry'' () is a Latin narrative of events in Livonia (roughly corresponding to today's Estonia and Latvia) and surrounding areas from 1180 to 1227. It was written by a priest named Henry. Apart from some references ...

. The Danish stronghold is first recorded as Wesenbergh (in

Middle Low German Middle Low German is a developmental stage of Low German. It developed from the Old Saxon language in the Middle Ages and has been documented in writing since about 1225–34 (). During the Hanseatic period (from about 1300 to about 1600), Mid ...

) in 1252. The Battle of Wesenberg, with the Danish and

Teutonic knights The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to t ...

and local militia on one side and the forces of

Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...

and

Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...

on the other, occurred near Rakvere on 18 February 1268. King Erik VI Menved granted Rakvere Lübeck rights on 12 June 1302.Rakvere Turismiinfokeskus, Rakvere Eng. Retrieved from https://visitrakvere.com/yldinfo/ After the king sold

Danish Estonia Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A Danish person, also called a "Dane", can be a national or citizen of Denmark (see Demographics of Denmark) * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, ...

to the

Livonian Order The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order, formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation. History The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after thei ...

in 1346, a large stone castle was built on top of the stronghold on ''Vallimägi''. The

Ordensburg ''Ordensburg'' (plural ''Ordensburgen'') is a German language, German term meaning a "castle of a (military) order". It is used specifically for the fortified structures built by Crusades, crusading German Military order (religious society), m ...

was protected by towers and courtyards. Rakvere linnuse varemed vallikraaviga1

The building of a

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

monastery started in 1508. Yet, in 1558, during the first year of the

Livonian War The Livonian War (1558–1583) concerned control of Terra Mariana, Old Livonia (in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia). The Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of the Denmark–Norway, Dano-Norwegian Realm, the Kingdom ...

Muscovite Muscovite (also known as common mica, isinglass, or potash mica) is a hydrated phyllosilicate mineral of aluminium and potassium with formula KAl2(Al Si3 O10)( F,O H)2, or ( KF)2( Al2O3)3( SiO2)6( H2O). It has a highly perfect basal cleavage y ...

troops captured Rakvere, and, in 1574,

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

heavily damaged the town after the disastrous

Siege of Wesenberg The siege of Wesenberg (Rakvere, Rakovor) was an abortive Swedish siege of the Russian-held town of Wesenberg in Estonia from January through March 1574, during the Livonian War. The siege is infamous for a brawl and subsequent combat between ...

. In 1581, Sweden captured Rakvere and passed it to the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

in 1602; Polish troops destroyed the castle in 1605. After Rakvere returned to Swedish control that same year, a mansion was built on the ruins of the monastery. In 1703, during the

Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...

, Rakvere was burned down. With the

Capitulation of Estonia and Livonia With the Capitulation of Estonia and Livonia in 1710 the Swedish dominions Estonia and Livonia were integrated into the Russian EmpireLuts (2006), p. 159 following their conquest during the Great Northern War.Frost (2000), p. 294 The Livonian n ...

in 1710 and the subsequent

Treaty of Nystad The Treaty of Nystad, or the Treaty of Uusikaupunki, was the last peace treaty of the Great Northern War of 1700–1721. It was concluded between the Tsardom of Russia and the Swedish Empire on in the then Swedish town of Nystad (, in th ...

in 1721, the town became part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. It was a part of Russia until 1918 when, following

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Estonia became an independent nation. During the period of independence from 1918 to 1940, Estonia completed its first railway, and Rakvere was at the heart of the crucial Tallinn-Rakvere-Narva-St. Petersburg trade route. Telephone lines had been installed in 1898, and nearly the entire city had electric lights in 1918. Many prominent buildings were built, too, in Rakvere, during this period, including the market building, the old bank building (today,

SEB Pank SEB Pank is an Estonian bank, owned by the Swedish bank SEB. SEB is the second largest bank in Estonia and is a member of the international SEB Group. Until 11 April 2005 the name of the bank was Eesti Ühispank, which was originally founded i ...

), and Rakvere Secondary School (since 2022, Rakvere Freedom School). Local newspapers emerged, including the county paper '' Virumaa Teataja'' in 1925. The idea of a professional theatre in Rakvere started to take shape as well. In 1930, during the administration of Mayor Heinrich Aviksoo, the town stadium opened. Later, Anton Soans developed a new master plan from which emerged a private German-language school and a public Estonian-language high school. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, on 17 June 1940, the Red Army occupied Estonia. On 14 June 1941, hundreds of residents were deported to Russia. From 7 August 1941 to 19 September 1944, the town was occupied by Germany. In the autumn of 1941, the Dulag 102

prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as Prisoner of war, prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, inte ...

was relocated from

Šiauliai Šiauliai ( ; ) is a city in northern Lithuania, the List of cities in Lithuania, country's fourth largest city and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, sixth largest city in the Baltic States, with a population of 112 581 in 202 ...

to Rakvere, and was later moved to Volosovo. On 19 September 1944, the Soviets bombed the town, killing at least 20 civilians, including two children. The next day the town was re-occupied by the Soviets. On 20 August 1991, Estonia again declared its independence. Rakvere is reportedly Europe's smallest town with its own professional

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

. The roots of Rakvere Theatre date back to 1882. Construction of the theatre was completed at the end of the 1930s, and its festive opening was on 24 February 1940. The theatre survived

and, today, presents 10 new productions each season. Rakvere Theatre has given Estonia many renowned actors, including Volli Käro, Üllar Saaremäe,

Indrek Saar Indrek Saar (born February 20, 1973) is an Estonian actor and politician. He has been the leader of the Social Democratic Party from 2019 to 2022 and the Minister of Culture of Estonia from 2015 to 2019. Saar has been elected to the Estonian parl ...

, Ülle Lichtfeldt, and

Aarne Üksküla Aarne Üksküla (21 September 1937 Tallinn – 29 October 2017) was an Estonian film and stage actor and theatre instructor. In 1961 he graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory's Performing Arts Department. Career * Rakvere Theatre (1961–196 ...

. Since 1990, the theatre has organized the biannual event '' Baltoscandal'', which hosts avant-garde plays and groups from all over the world. On 15 July 2000, a high-end F2/T5

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

hit Rakvere, killing one person and injuring one other. The tornado damaged 110 homes and destroyed 120 garage buildings. One car was seen airborne.

Transport

The T5 highway to Pärnu starts near Rakvere, and the T1 Tallinn-Narva highway, part of

European route E20 European route E20 is a part of the United Nations International E-road network. It runs roughly west–east through Ireland, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, and Russia. Its length is but it is not continuous; at three points, a ...

, is just to the north of the town. Narva is 114 km to the east of Rakvere. The Tallinn-Narva railway passes the city, and passenger

trains A train (from Old French , from Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles th ...

between Tallinn and Narva, operated by Elron, stop at Rakvere several times a day. Daily

busses A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used i ...

connect Rakvere to Tallinn and Narva, too, as well as to many small towns throughout Lääne-Virumaa, including

Tapa Tapa, TAPA, Tapas or Tapasya may refer to: Media *Tapas (website), a webtoon site, formerly known as Tapastic * ''Tapas'' (film), a 2005 Spanish film * ''Tapasya'' (1976 film), an Indian Hindi-language film * ''Tapasya'' (1992 film), a Nepalese f ...

and Kunda.

Geography

Rakvere has a total area of 10.75 square kilometres. There are 19 districts, or neighborhoods, in Rakvere: Kondivalu, Kukeküla, Kurikaküla, Lennuvälja, Lepiku, Lilleküla, Linnuriik, Moonaküla, Mõisavälja, Paemurru, Palermo, Roodevälja, Seminari, Südalinn, Taaravainu, Tammiku, Vallimäe, Vanalinn, and Õpetaja Heinamaa. Although about 15% of Rakvere is covered by forests and parks, it is Estonia's third most densely populated urban area.

Demographics

Main landmarks

Rakvere Castle ''(Rakvere Linnus)''

The oldest known archeological traces of the ancient fortress on Rakvere's ''Vallimägi'' hill date from the 5th and 6th centuries. Throughout the ages, Rakvere Castle has belonged to Danish kings, knight-monks of the

, and the Swedish and Polish states. During the Polish-Swedish War of 1600-1629, the castle was partly blown up by Polish troops in 1605, and, later, by the Swedish army. The castle has lain in ruins ever since. Today, permanent exhibitions and seasonal programs and activities in the castle explain everyday life in the 16th century. Visitors can dress as medieval knights and walk through the castle's rooms, including a torture chamber, an alchemist's workshop, and a room of historical artifacts. -->

Aurochs Sculpture ''(Skulptuur Tarvas)''

Rakvere's "Tarvas"

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...

of an

aurochs The aurochs (''Bos primigenius''; or ; pl.: aurochs or aurochsen) is an extinct species of Bovini, bovine, considered to be the wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle. With a shoulder height of up to in bulls and in cows, it was one of t ...

, by Estonian sculptor Tauno Kangro, is considered the largest animal statue in the

Baltic region The Baltic Sea Region, alternatively the Baltic Rim countries (or simply the Baltic Rim), and the Baltic Sea countries/states, refers to the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea, including parts of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Un ...

. Erected in 2002 for Rakvere's 700th birthday, Tarvas, which stands on the edge of ''Vallimägi'', pays homage to the town's historical name Tarvanpää and symbolizes the town's motto ''Väge täis'' (Full of Strength). Along with its

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

pedestal, the

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

sculpture is seven meters long and four meters high and weighs about seven tons. The individuals and companies who financed it are engraved in the granite block.

Rakvere Trinity Church ''(Rakvere Kolmainu Kirik)''

Trinity Church, Rakvere's

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

church, originally called St. Michael Church and dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel,"Rakvere Kolmainu Kirik / Church of the Trinity" monument sign in Trinity Church park, near the bridge, viewed January 11, 2025 dates from the 15th century. It was designed to also be a stronghold in times of trouble. The tower, the masonry stairway, the sharp edges of the windows, and some pillars have been preserved. The church was severely damaged during the

and during Polish-Swedish conflicts in the 17th century. It was reconstructed from 1684 to 1693, becoming a three-nave chamber from which the name Trinity Church came. In 1703 and 1708, during the

, the church was damaged again. It was reconstructed from 1727 to 1730; a Renaissance-style tower was completed in 1752, which was replaced by a

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

tower in 1852. The church's interior displays fine craftsmanship, including a

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

pulpit from 1690 made by Christian Ackermann and the altar wall from 1730 by Johann Valentin Rabe. A statute of an egg and a cock that was on the top of the tower is now in the Rakvere Museum

St. Paul's Church ''(Pauluse Kirik)''

Estonian architect and Rakvere native Alar Kotli designed St. Paul's (Freedom) Church in 1935 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Estonian independence. Construction started in 1937 but stopped in 1940 due to World War II. Although it is one of the few religious buildings in Estonia with two towers, the church was never completed, and the towers were never crowned spires. In 2009, the City of Rakvere launched an international architectural competition for designs that would transform Kotli's building into a music center in honor of Arvo Pärt. Rakvere selected Estonian architects Kristiina Aasvee, Kristiina Hussar, and Anne Kose, and, in March 2025, 85 years late, a spire was rested atop the northwest tower.

Long Street ''(Pikk Tänav)''

Long, or ''Pikk'', Street is the oldest street in Rakvere. Most Estonian cities have a Pikk Street, which is like a High Street in the United Kingdom or a Main Street in the United States. In the 19th century and first half of the 20th century, Pikk Street was Rakveres's main shopping street with banks, shops, restaurants, and guesthouses as well as the residences of the town's wealthiest businessmen. In 2016, during the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Estonian Republic (), Rakvere was one of 15 municipalities that won the "Good ometimes translated as GreatPublic Space" competition and received financing from the European Union Regional Development Fund and Enterprise Estonia to reconstruct approximately 700 meters of Pikk Street as a pedestrian-friendly, historical thoroughfare reminiscent of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The National Heritage Board of Estonia () recognized Rakvere's project with its 2020 New Building in a Historical Environment award, and, in 2021, Estonia showcased it at Venice's 17th Biennale of Architecture. A sculpture of eight-year-old (1932-2017) by G.S. Hansen is at 22 Pikk Street, and, behind her, are the so-called Carrot Stairs () that lead up to ''Vallimägi'' and Rakvere Castle with wider steps at the top and narrower ones at the bottom.

Rakvere Central Square ''(Rakvere Keskväljak)''

In 2004, Rakvere's central, or town, square got a new, modern look with architects' Otto Kadarik, Mihkel Tüür, and Villem Tomiste's five yellow domes (that also look like umbrellas or chanterelle mushrooms or medieval turret tops) hanging from white semi-arches on cobbled hills. In 2010, the sculpture ''A Young Man on Bicycle Listening to Music'' was dedicated to Estonian composer

Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt (; born 11 September 1935) is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs tintinnabuli, a compositional technique he invented. Pärt's music is in p ...

, an honorary resident of Rakvere, in honor of his 75th birthday The sculptors are Aivar Simson and Paul Mänd. Surrounding the young man and the square is Rakvere's central business district, including a historical market building and the SEB Pank building, one of the most representative bank buildings in Estonia designed by Ferdinand Gustav Adoff.

Notable buildings

Rakvere Freedom School ''(Rakvere Vabaduse Kool)''

The building of Rakvere Freedom School (), designed by alumnus Alar Kotli, is a significant example of Functionalism. A key characteristic of

Functionalism (architecture) In architecture, functionalism is the principle that buildings should be designed based solely on their purpose and function. An international functionalist architecture movement emerged in the wake of World War I, as part of the wave of Modernis ...

in school architecture is an open building plan that incorporates plain white wall surfaces and round windows. Opened in 1938, Freedom School was one of the first schools to have a separate gymnasium and assembly hall."Rakvere Gümnaasiumi Hoone / Rakvere Secondary School" monument sign at Vabaduse 1 Street, in front of the school, viewed September 15, 2024 Local singers and musicians contend that Freedom School's assembly hall has the best acoustics of any school in Lääne Viru County. From 1994 to 2022, Freedom School was one of Rakvere's high schools (''gümnaasium''). In 2022, the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research opened a high school () in a new 4,100-square-meter building, and Freedom School became an elementary school. From 1936 to 1940, during a period of significant growth, Harald , an Estonian patriot, was the director of Rakvere High School. In 1954, composer

graduated from the high school. (Across the street from Freedom School the Municipality of Rakvere is converting St. Paul's Church, also designed by Kotli, into a multipurpose music center in honor of Pärt.) In 1970, entrepreneur graduated from the school.

Twin towns / sister cities

Rakvere is twinned with: *

Cēsis Cēsis (; (, , , ) is a town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Central Vidzeme Upland. Cēsis is on the Gauja River valley, and is built on a series of ridges above the river, overlooking the woods below. Cēsis was selected to b ...

, Latvia *

Lappeenranta Lappeenranta (; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of South Karelia. It is located in the southeastern interior of the country and in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Lappeenranta is approximately , while the Lappeenranta sub-r ...

, Finland *

Lapua Lapua (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Finland, town and municipalities of Finland, municipality in Finland's South Ostrobothnia regions of Finland, region. It is located next to the Lapua River. The town has a population of () and cov ...

, Finland * Lütjenburg, Germany *

Sigtuna Sigtuna is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality situated in the eponymous Sigtuna Municipality, in Stockholm County, Sweden with 9,689 inhabitants in 2020. It is the namesake even though the seat of the municipality is in another locality, Märsta. S ...

, Sweden *

Panevėžys Panevėžys () is the fifth-largest List of cities in Lithuania, city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, eighth-most-populous city in the Baltic States. it occupies with 89,100 inhabitants. As defined by Eu ...

, Lithuania *

Senaki Senaki ( ka, სენაკი, ''senak'i''; , ''sanak'i'') is a city in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, western Georgia. It is located at around between the rivers Tekhura/i and Tsivi, at an elevation of 28–38 meters above sea level. Senaki i ...

, Georgia *

Szolnok Szolnok (; also known by #Name and etymology, alternative names) is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in central Hungary. A city with county rights, it is located on the banks of the Tisza river, in the heart of the Great Hungarian ...

, Hungary *

Vyshhorod Vyshhorod (, ; ) is a city in Kyiv Oblast, central Ukraine, situated immediately north of the capital Kyiv, and part of the Kyiv metropolitan area. It is on the right (western) bank of the Dnieper river and, as the location of the Kyiv Hydro ...

, Ukraine

Sports

Sports clubs

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

** Rakvere Tarvas – a men's basketball team, Estonian second best basketball club in season 2009/2010. In season 2019/2020 they were 4th. The club takes part in Paf Estonian Latvian basketball league. This is the best basketball league in Estonia. The home ground is Kastani Arena. *

Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

**BMF/Rakvere VK (Võrkpalliklub) – a men's volleyball team in the Men's First (Premier) League ''(Meeste I Liiga)'' of the Estonian Volleyball Union ''(Eesti Võrkpalli Liit)'' (2024-2025). Their home court is the Rakvere Sports Hall ''(Rakvere Spordihall)''. ** Rakvere VK – a men's volleyball team that was a multiple Estonian Champion and Cup winner, which took part in

Esiliiga The Esiliiga is the second division in the Estonian football league system. The Esiliiga is ranked below the Meistriliiga and above the Esiliiga B. As in most countries with low temperatures in winter time, the season starts in March and ends ...

, the second best volleyball league in Estonia. *

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

** Rakvere JK Tarvas – an amateur football club established in 2004. The club plays in Estonian

II liiga II liiga is the fourth level of football league competition in Estonia arranged by the Estonian Football Association. It consists of 28 teams, divided geographically into two divisions with 14 teams each in group North/East and South/West. Until ...

(fourth tier in Estonian football). In 2016 they played in Estonian premium league. The home ground is Rakvere linnastaadion.

Sports events

* Amateur Sumo World Championships 2008 * U19 EURO2012

Gallery

File:Rakvere, centrum.jpg, Rakvere town centre File:HPIM2189 Rakvere teatri linnapoolne vaade.jpg, Rakvere Theatre File:Rakvere kirik..jpg, Rakvere Trinity Church File:Rakvere Karmeli koguduse kirik.jpg, Rakvere Baptist Church File:Tallinna-25 Rakvere.jpg, Hotel Wesenberg File:Rakvere mõisa park.jpg, Rakvere manor park File:Rakvere-1.JPG, Rakvere main square File:Rakvere, Lääne-Viru County, Estonia - panoramio (12).jpg, Buildings on Pikk Street File:Tallinna-3 Rakvere.jpg, Estonian Police Museum File:Rakvere Estonia Street with church.JPG, Pikk Street in Rakvere File:Rakvere mõisa peahoone ja teatrihoone.jpg, Rakvere Manorhouse and Theatre File:Viru maakohus.jpg, Rakvere County Courthouse File:Kastani Arena.jpg, Rakvere Sports Hall

References

External links

Rakvere City Government

Rakvere Tourist Information

Estonian Pavilion at the 2021 Biennale of Architecture

Night photos of Rakvere in winter by Kaiko Lipsmäe

Rakvere Castle
Picture gallery at Remains.se
Population of Rakvere by mother tongue in 1897
{{Authority control Populated places established in the 3rd century Populated places in Lääne-Viru County Castles of the Livonian Order Kreis Wierland Cities and towns in Estonia Municipalities of Estonia