Military Heritage Tourism

13/08/2026

3, 2, 1... Valga MilFest starts tomorrow! ⚔

Get ready for two action-packed days as military history comes alive in Valga!

⚔️ Historical battle re-enactments
🚛 Military vehicles and equipment
🛍️ Antiques and handicrafts fair
💬 Military history conference
🎶 Festival concert and Ave Maria film music concert

Whether you’re a dedicated history enthusiast or simply looking for an exciting weekend, Valga is the place to be.

📅 14–15 August 2026
📍 Valga, Estonia

Come and experience history in action – see you in Valga this weekend! 🇪🇪🪖

Valga Militaarteemapark

11/08/2026

This August, Piibe Teater tells the story of forest brother Ruuben Lambur in the play "Viimane metsavend" 💬

You can hear Ruuben's memories from his book "Alutaguse Saaga" together with forest brother songs. It is a story about his love for his homeland and the fight for its freedom. The play will take you to some of the toughest years of Estonia's history, but there is always hope for a better future.

🌲Come and get to know Estonia's last forest brother – his story is worth hearing. Find the link to the tickets in the comments.

07/08/2026

🌊 Pakri Peninsula and Paldiski – where nature meets Cold War history.

For decades, Pakri Peninsula was one of the most heavily militarised areas in the Baltic Sea region. The closed city of Paldiski served as a Soviet Navy base, while the surrounding area contained coastal defence structures, military ports, missile and air defence facilities, as well as a secret nuclear submarine crew training centre with two nuclear reactors. The Pakri Islands were also transformed into a military aviation training area.

Today, this is a place where military heritage stories merge with spectacular limestone cliffs and the landscapes of the Baltic Sea. The Pakri Peninsula can be explored by following the Baltic Coastal Trail, one of Europe’s long-distance hiking routes.

05/08/2026

🪖 New Military Heritage Map of the Baltic States is now available!

Together with our project partners from Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, we have prepared and published a new Military Heritage Map in four languages.

🗺️ The map highlights 280 military heritage sites across the Baltic region – including:
🏰 historic military bases
⚓ coastal defence structures
🌲 Forest Brothers’ bunkers
⚔️ battle sites
🏛️ museums, collections and exhibitions
🕯️ monuments and memorial sites

For each location, the map provides information about the historical period, address and contact details, helping travellers discover the diverse military heritage of the Baltic States.

📥 The map is available for download on our website.

Explore the stories hidden in landscapes, forests, towns and coastlines – and discover the military heritage that shaped our shared history.

ℹ️ The travel map has been produced within the framework of the project EE-LV00094 “Improved Accessibility of the Latvian-Estonian Military Heritage Tourism Product” (MIL-HER ACCESSIBLE), with the support of the European Union Interreg VI-A Estonia-Latvia Programme 2021-2027.

04/08/2026

Eesti militaaria- ja muusikahuvilised on kindlasti tuttavad ansambliga Untsakad ja nende liikme Margus Põldsepaga 🪗

Vikerraadio maikuus eetris olnud saates "Heli nälg" jagab ta mälestusi lapsepõlvest ja seiku muusikuelust ning räägib ka oma huvist sõjaajaloo ja sõdurilaulude uurimise vastu. Soovitame kuulata! 🎧

Ansamblitest Untsakad ja Lõõtsavägilased tuntud Margus Põldsepp rääkis saates "Heli nälg", et lisaks muusikale on tal suur huvi sõjaajaloo ja eriti just eestlaste sõdurilaulude vastu. Põldsepa sõnul on tugev tõmme muusika poole kuskilt kõrgemalt poolt kaasa antud, sest omandada pole sed...

04/08/2026

☢️ Paldiski Nuclear Reactor – a hidden Cold War legacy

⚓ A secret Soviet Navy facility
Paldiski Nuclear Reactor was a secret Soviet Navy training facility where submarine crews learned to operate nuclear reactors under realistic conditions. Located in a closed military town, it reflected the technological ambitions and military rivalry of the Cold War era.

🔬 Training, not electricity production
The facility contained two full-scale nuclear reactors identical to those used on nuclear submarines. They were never used for electricity production – their only purpose was to train naval specialists for submarine service.

🏛️ A Cold War heritage site today
The preserved reactor structures represent a unique Cold War heritage site, telling a story of military technology, secrecy and the dramatic changes that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union.

📅 Chronology

🏗️ Early 1960s – The Soviet Union begins construction of the secret nuclear submarine crew training centre in Paldiski.
⚛️ 1968 – The first training nuclear reactor becomes operational.
⚙️ 1983 – The second, more powerful reactor is commissioned.
🛑 1989 – After almost 20 years of operation, both reactors are shut down.
🔒 1994–1995 – Nuclear fuel is removed, the facility is decommissioned and transferred to Estonia.

🌍 Paldiski Nuclear Reactor – a powerful reminder of the Cold War history hidden in the Baltic region.

03/08/2026

Paldiski Nuclear Reactor – a hidden legacy of the Cold War in Estonia.

During the Soviet era, Paldiski was a closed military town and home to one of the most secret facilities of the Soviet Navy – a training centre for nuclear submarine crews.

Hidden from the outside world, this facility represented the technological ambitions and military power of the Soviet Union. It contained two full-scale nuclear reactors, identical to those used on board nuclear submarines. Here, naval specialists trained to operate nuclear reactors under real working conditions. The reactors were never used for electricity production – their only purpose was to prepare submarine crews for service.

Both reactors were shut down in 1989. After Estonia regained independence, the nuclear fuel was transported back to Russia, and the reactor compartments were safely sealed inside massive concrete sarcophagi.

Today, the site stands as one of the most remarkable Cold War heritage locations in the Baltic region. The remains of the facility tell a story of secrecy, advanced technology, military rivalry and the dramatic changes that followed the end of the Soviet era.

29/07/2026

One festival, many eras and experiences! ⚔️

On 14–15 August, the XVIII International Valga Military History Festival invites you to discover military history from many different perspectives.

Across two eventful days, Valga will be filled with:
⚔️ historical battle reenactments depicting the events of 1812 and the Summer War of 1941
🚛 military vehicles, equipment and presentations by defence and internal security services
📚 a history conference and yearbook presentation
🛍️ an antiques and handicrafts fair
🎸 a major festival concert featuring Justament and Terminaator
🎼 an atmospheric Ave Maria film music concert at St John’s Church
🌍 military history clubs and participants from different countries

Whether you are a dedicated history enthusiast or simply looking for an exciting and memorable weekend with family or friends, the festival offers something worth discovering.

📍 Valga, Estonia
📅 14–15 August 2026

Come and experience the biggest military festival in the Baltics! 🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹

📸Valga Militaarteemapark

18/07/2026

20. sajandi sõjatehnika mudelite näitus Eesti Sõjamuuseumis
https://esm.ee/en/exhibition/from-praying-mantis-to-tiger-20th-century-military-models/

09/07/2026

Are you interested of Military Heritage? Put in your calender August 14.-15. 2026 and take part of Valga Military Festival:

VALGA MILITAAR-AJALOO FESTIVAL BALTIKUMI KÕIGE SUUREM MILITAAR-AJALOO FESTIVAL VALGA MILFEST Rahvusvaheline Militaarajaloo festival on igaaastane suurüritus, kus saavad kokku sõjaajaloo klubide liikmed erinevatest riikidest. Viiakse läbi näidislahinguid, kus näha erinevates vormides sõjamehi-...