Valga in Estonia and Valka in Latvia are two halves of one town. Until 1920 they were a single place called Walk. After both countries became independent, a British-led arbitration drew the border straight through the middle. Today, with both countries in the EU and Schengen, you can stand with one foot in each and nobody will ask for your passport.

We run our shop here, so this is the town as we see it every day.

A short history

Walk grew up as a trading and later a railway town. By the late 1800s, railway lines from Riga, Tartu and Pskov met here, and Walk became an important junction.

When Estonia and Latvia declared independence after the First World War, both wanted the town. Walk had both Estonian and Latvian residents and the railway made it valuable. In 1920 an international commission chaired by British Colonel Stephen Tallents settled the dispute by splitting it. The line ran mostly along a small stream, called Konnaoja in Estonian and Varžupīte in Latvian. Estonia got the larger part, including the railway station, and Latvia got the smaller southern part.

For most of the next 87 years, the border mattered. In the Soviet period it was an administrative line, and after 1991 it became an international border again, with checkpoints, queues and fences through back gardens.

That changed on 21 December 2007, when Estonia and Latvia joined the Schengen area. The checkpoints closed, and the two towns started to grow back together. Their motto since then has been “one town, two countries”.

What the border looks like today

Mostly, you will not notice it. Streets cross it, people work on one side and live on the other, and children go to school across it. You will see:

• small border markers and signs where the line crosses streets
• the flags change, and so does the language on shop signs
• a few spots where the line runs through what feels like the same street

Many visitors take the obligatory photo with one foot in each country. Do it. Everyone does.

What to see in Valga (Estonia)

• St John’s Church (Jaani kirik). Built in 1816, it is the only church in Estonia with an oval floor plan, and it keeps an original Friedrich Ladegast organ.
• Valga railway station. A heritage-protected building from 1949, in the monumental post-war style, replacing the 1889 station destroyed in the Second World War. Nearby stands a steam locomotive, put up in 1998 to mark the railway’s history.
• Valga Military History Park. Opened in 2000 on the site of a 1919 battle, with military vehicles, a tank and a Forest Brothers bunker.
• Säde Park and the Nipernaadi statue. A bronze of the wandering hero from August Gailit’s novel Toomas Nipernaadi, a favourite Estonian book.
• The Pedeli River path. About 5 km of walking and cycling track along the river, with playgrounds and a summer beach.

What to see in Valka (Latvia)

• Lugaži Lutheran Church, Valka’s main historic church.
• Valka kodu-uurimismuuseum, which covers the town’s shared history.

Further afield

• Karula National Park, Estonia’s smallest national park, with dozens of lakes in rolling hills. About half an hour by car.
• Kaagjärve Manor, an 1880s manor house with a viewing tower.

How to get here

• From Tartu: Elron trains run between Tartu and Valga. Check elron.ee for times.
• From Riga: Latvian trains run between Riga and Valga, and through trains connect Tallinn, Tartu and Riga with Valga on the route. Check the current timetable before you travel, as the cross-border schedule changes.
• By car: about an hour and a quarter from Tartu, around two and a half hours from Riga.

If you are coming from Tartu for the day, here is our day-trip plan. If you are here in the colder months, see things to do in Valga in winter.

Guided walks

We are starting guided walks around Valga-Valka, year-round, covering the border story, the railway town and the places locals actually go. 

And if you are passing through, come and say hello at our shop on Kesk street in Valga. The Estonian version of this guide is also available.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Valga-Valka split between two countries?

Until 1920 it was one town called Walk. After Estonia and Latvia became independent, both claimed it. An international arbitration led by British Colonel Stephen Tallents drew the border through the town in 1920, mostly along the small Konnaoja (Varžupīte) stream.

Can you walk across the border in Valga-Valka?

Yes. Both countries have been in the Schengen area since December 2007, so there are no border checks. You can cross on foot, by bike or by car in seconds.

Which currency is used in Valga and Valka?

The euro on both sides. Estonia adopted it in 2011 and Latvia in 2014.

How do you get to Valga?

By train from Tartu (Elron) or from Riga, by bus, or by car. Valga is about 90 km south of Tartu and around 175 km north-east of Riga by road.

What time zone is Valga-Valka in?

Both Estonia and Latvia use Eastern European Time, so the clocks are the same on both sides.