The German name of the town, Wesenberg, derives from the Old High German name for the Turians, who lived in large numbers in this region during the Middle Ages. Before a stone castle was built on the natural hill of Vallimägi, there had previously been a wooden and earthen stronghold of the pagan Estonians known as Tarvanpea. In the local language, its name meant ‘the head of a aurochs’. After it was captured by Danish crusaders in the mid-13th century, the first stone fortifications and a parish church were erected. In the winter of 1268, a bloody battle took place near Rakvere between the Rus’ from Pskov and Novgorod and the Livonian Knights, supported by Danish troops. Following the crusaders’ defeat in the battle, the castle became a refuge for the survivors. In 1302, the settlement was granted town privileges, and from the mid-14th century, following its expansion, the fortification became a monastic castle serving as the seat of the mayor. In the years that followed, the stronghold and the town were the subject of rivalry between Moscow and Sweden, passing from hand to hand. Between 1602 and 1605, during the Polish–Swedish War, Polish troops were stationed at the castle for three years. Given this fact, the Wesenberg stronghold can be regarded as the Republic’s northernmost outpost in its entire history. During the Swedish counter-offensive in 1605, the castle’s defensive walls were severely damaged. After the Livonian Wars, the ruined fortress lost its military significance; it was soon abandoned, and no decision was subsequently made to rebuild it.

The surviving remains of the medieval stronghold bear witness to the architectural grandeur of the structure and constitute one of the most picturesque defensive fortifications in northern Livonia. The defensive complex comprised: a high castle set on a trapezoidal plan, a spacious rectangular outer bailey adjoining it to the south, and a line of modern fortifications (dating from the late 16th century) encircling the entire castle hill. The high castle exemplifies the typical appearance of a monastic conventual building, with a two-storey structure comprising four wings arranged around an open courtyard. Presumably, the most important rooms were located on the first floor, with cloisters providing access between them. The existing layout of the first-floor rooms, which was designed for museum and exhibition purposes (including the chapel, chapter house, etc.), should be regarded as a rather loose interpretation. Three gates led to the high castle – two external ones: the main gate (from the east) and the northern gate – and one internal gate (from the south), which connected to the outer bailey. The defensive system of the upper castle was reinforced by two corner towers (relatively well-preserved) in the south wing and the main tower, known as the ‘last line of defence’ (on the western side), which survives only as a ruin. A historical themed exhibition has been set up in the rooms of the upper castle – including replicas of medieval armour – whilst the cellars house the so-called ‘torture chamber’. The area surrounding the castle has been arranged as an open-air historical museum, featuring, amongst other things, a shooting range, a smithy and an inn. On the opposite (northern) edge of the castle hill, in 2002, to commemorate the 700th anniversary of Rakvere being granted town privileges, an expressive and monumental sculpture entitled ‘Tarvas’ (“Tur”) by the renowned contemporary Estonian sculptor Prof. Tauno Kangro. The plinth, which describes the history of the castle, also bears an inscription in Polish: ‘Between 1602 and 1605, the castle belonged to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth’. To the east of the castle hill lie the old town buildings. The town was never surrounded by defensive walls and probably never developed a typical central market square, instead expanding gradually along its wide main street. Presumably, this axis was the present-day Pikk Street, with its carefully restored house façades. The oldest of the town’s buildings is the Parish Church of the Holy Trinity (19 Pikk Street), whose origins date back to 1254. The Gothic structure of the church, as it stands today, was built in the 15th century. The church, which currently serves as an Evangelical place of worship, houses a valuable interior, including a carved Baroque pulpit crafted by the master Christian Ackermann. To the east, the church grounds are bordered by parkland known as Kirikupark. Behind the bridge over the pond, in one of the park’s paths on the right-hand side, a memorial has been erected to Professor Stanisław Herbst (1907–1973). This future eminent Polish historian was born into a Polish landowning family in Rakvere. He was a professor at the University of Warsaw and the Military Political Academy, as well as president of the Polish Historical Society. He specialised in the history of Poland from the 15th to the 18th centuries and military history, and also studied historical geography and art history. Two granite plaques were set into the commemorative stone, unveiled in 2008: one bearing the professor’s portrait and the other with an inscription carved in Estonian and Polish:

PROF. STANISŁAW HERBST, BORN IN RAKVERE, AN OUTSTANDING POLISH HISTORIAN, RESEARCHER AND LECTURER, AUTHOR OF OVER 600 WORKS, MAINLY ON MILITARY HISTORY, THE HISTORY OF CITIES AND MODERN CULTURE, INCLUDING: ‘THE INFLACK WAR 1600–1602’. DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, HE TOOK PART IN THE RESCUE OF CULTURAL HERITAGE; A SOLDIER IN THE HOME ARMY, ON THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE POLISH UNDERGROUND GOVERNMENT, HE DOCUMENTED GERMAN CRIMES AND HELPED TO HIDE JEWS.