Viljandi

Town in Estonia Town in Estonia Viljandi (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈvilʲːjɑnʲːdi]) is a city and municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 17,000 in 2026. It is the capital of Viljandi County and is geographically located between two major Estonian cities, Pärnu and Tartu. The town was first mentioned in 1283, upon being granted its town charter by Wilhelm von Endorpe. The town became a member of the Hanseatic League at the beginning of the 14th century, and is one of five Estonian cities and cities in the league. The once influential Estonian newspaper Sakala was founded in Viljandi in 1878. Symbols The flag of Viljandi is bi-coloured, its upper part is light blue and lower part white. The city's shield-shaped coat of arms is light blue, with a white rose in the middle. Viljandi is the white rose city – in midsummer there are 720 white roses flowering in front of the city hall, planted for the city's anniversary in 2003. In summer, the White Rose Day is celebrated in Viljandi. History The first records of civilization in the surroundings of Viljandi date back to the 5th millennium B.C. The first written record of the earthen stronghold of Viljandi was in the y