Few places let you walk from one country into another while hardly noticing it. In Valga and Valka you can. They were one town until 1920. Today they share the slogan “1 town, 2 countries”, a riverside park and a lot of history. Our guided walking tours show you both halves on foot, with a local guide, all year round.
Choose the tour that fits your day: a relaxed 2-hour walk through the highlights, or a 4-hour grand tour that takes in both towns’ monuments, museums and viewpoints. Want to see the museums inside? Add a museum visit to either tour. Both tours start and end at Gribzy, Kesk tn 8.
Two Tours at a Glance
| Tour 1: Border Highlights | Tour 2: Grand Valga–Valka Tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | Up to 2 hours | About 4 hours |
| Distance | About 3.5 km | About 8 km |
| Stops | 10 | 16 |
| Best for | First visit, families, a short break | History lovers, groups, a full day out |
| Countries | Estonia and Latvia | Estonia and Latvia |
| Start and finish | Gribzy, Kesk tn 8 | Gribzy, Kesk tn 8 |
Languages: English and Estonian. Ask us about Latvian or Russian. Group size: 4–15 people on public tours, any size for private tours.
Tour 1: Border Highlights (up to 2 hours)
The essentials of the twin town in one easy loop: Valga’s oval church and wooden Town Hall, the border swings, and the monuments in Valka that tell the story of Latvia’s independence.
1. Gribzy – meeting point
Address: Kesk tn 8, Valga
We meet at our shop in the centre of Valga. You’ll get a quick welcome and you can leave bags you don’t want to carry with us.
2. Valga Museum
Address: Vabaduse tn 8, Valga
Just around the corner from Gribzy is the Valga Museum, the best place to see how the region’s story fits together, from ancient times to the present. We stop outside for an introduction to the town. Add the museum visit to your tour to go inside and see the exhibition.
3. Valga Town Hall
Address: Kesk tn 11, Valga
A short walk along Kesk street brings us to the Town Hall. Built in 1865, it is the oldest wooden building in Valga. Here we tell the story of how Walk, as the town was called in German, grew from a medieval trading post into a busy railway town.
4. St John’s Church (Jaani kirik)
Address: Kesk tn 21, Valga
Built in 1816, this is the only church in Estonia with an oval floor plan. Inside is an organ by the German master Friedrich Ladegast, the only one of his instruments left in Estonia and counted among the best 200 organs in Europe. If we pass at noon, listen for the melody played from the bell tower.
5. Valga–Valka Twin Town Centre
Address: On the border between Sõpruse tn (Valga) and Rīgas iela (Valka)
This is the heart of the tour: a park built right on the border. Sit on the swings and swing between Estonia and Latvia, take the classic one-foot-in-each-country photo, and hear how a British officer, Colonel Stephen Tallents, divided the town in 1920 when both young countries claimed it. Border checks only ended in December 2007, when both countries joined Schengen.
6. “Tas jāredz” art installation
Address: By the border next to Tartu tn, Valka side
The name means “It must be seen”. This installation shaped like a giant pair of glasses was unveiled on 7 June 2024 to celebrate the twin town’s 440th birthday. It stands for a shared view of the two towns’ future and pride in what they have achieved together, and it was paid for with money raised at the Great Charity Border Market. Put on the glasses for a photo!
7. Lugaži Lutheran Church
Address: Rīgas iela 9, Valka
The church was first mentioned in writing in 1477 and was once known as St Catherine’s. When the tower is open, you can climb it for a panoramic view over both towns and see exactly where the border runs. A small entry fee is paid on site.
8. Kārlis Ulmanis monument
Address: Lugaži Square (Lugažu laukums), Valka
Next to the church stands a 2.5-metre granite bust of Kārlis Ulmanis, Latvia’s first Prime Minister. It was cast from a 1937 model by the sculptor Kārlis Zāle, carved in Finnish granite on a Latvian granite base, and unveiled on 15 November 2014.
9. Monument to the Latvian Provisional National Council
Address: Raiņa iela 9A, at the corner of Rīgas iela, Valka
At the corner of Rīgas and Raiņa streets is one of the most important places in Latvian history. In 1917 the Latvian Provisional National Council met here in Valka, and representatives of the main Latvian organisations and parties declared the goal of an independent Latvian state. The monument by Arta Dumpe was unveiled on 2 December 2017 as part of Latvia’s centenary programme.
10. Pedeli riverside promenade
Address: Pedeli recreation area, Tartu tn 2, Valga
We walk back towards Valga along the Pedeli river, on the shared path that both towns use for walking, running and cycling. On the way you’ll see the open-air stage where the audience sits in one part of the park and the stage stands on the other side of the river. From here it’s a short walk back to Gribzy, where the tour ends.
Tour 2: Grand Valga–Valka Tour (about 4 hours)
Everything in Tour 1, plus the Estonian Memorial to the War of Independence and Military Museum, the railway station, Valka’s Cultural Centre and Local History Museum, and the view from Putraskalns.
The route: 1. Gribzy → 2. Valga Museum → 3. Valga Town Hall → 4. St John’s Church → 5. Estonian Memorial to the War of Independence → 6. Valga Military Museum → 7. Valga railway station → 8. Twin Town Centre → 9. “Tas jāredz” → 10. Lugaži Church → 11. Kārlis Ulmanis monument → 12. Provisional National Council monument → 13. Valka Cultural Centre → 14. Valka Local History Museum → 15. Putraskalns viewpoint → 16. Pedeli promenade → back to Gribzy.
You’ll see all the stops described in Tour 1. These are the extra stops on the grand tour:
Estonian Memorial to the War of Independence (Vabadussõja ausammas)
Address: J. Kuperjanovi tn 65, Valga
This bronze soldier with a flag honours the South Estonian fighters of the War of Independence. Sculptor Amandus Adamson designed it, and it was unveiled on 11 October 1925, on what would have been Lieutenant Julius Kuperjanov’s 31st birthday. The Soviet authorities tore it down on the night of 21 September 1940. Sculptor Jaak Soans recreated it, and it returned to its original place on Kuperjanovi street, at the edge of Valga town park, on 16 August 2013.
Valga Military Museum (Valga sõjamuuseum)
Address: Pikk tn 16, Valga
The museum with the largest weapon collection in Estonia. Outside you’ll see tanks and armoured vehicles, and there’s a Forest Brothers bunker. We stop at the vehicle park. Add the museum visit to go inside and try the shooting simulator.
Valga railway station and the steam engine
Address: Jaama 18, Valga
The station is, the only one that connects the railways of Estonia and Latvia. The steam locomotive monument beside it was put up in 1998 to celebrate 110 years of the Pskov–Valga–Riga railway.
Valka Cultural Centre
Address: Em. Dārziņa iela 8, Valka
Completed in 1924, the Valka Cultural Centre is considered one of the best examples of neoclassical-style architecture in Latvia. Local choirs, dance and theatre groups perform here, and a small room on the second floor hosts changing exhibitions. If there’s a concert on, it’s worth coming back in the evening.
Valka Local History Museum
Address: Rīgas iela 64, Valka
The museum is in the 19th-century building of the Vidzeme Teachers’ Seminary. Its exhibition “Valka – the Cradle of Latvia’s Independence” tells how this small town shaped Latvian statehood. Out front are sculptures of Jānis Cimze, the seminary’s first director. Add the museum visit to go inside.
Putraskalns viewpoint
Address: Above the park pond, off Smilšu iela, Valka
A short climb above the park pond brings you to Putraskalns, one of the best views in town. From the top you can see the church spires of both Valka and Valga across the border. There are picnic tables here, so in summer we often take a short break.
The order of stops may change slightly depending on the season, events and opening hours. The church tower may be closed in bad weather or in winter.
Add a Museum Visit
On both tours we stop outside the museums. If you’d like to go inside, add a museum visit when you book. Your guide comes in with you, and the time is added to your tour.
| Add-on | Extra time | Available on | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valga Museum (inside) | +45 min | Tour 1 and Tour 2 | €5 per person + museum ticket |
| Valga Military Museum (inside, shooting simulator optional) | +60 min | Tour 2 (Tour 1 on request) | €5 per person + museum ticket |
| Valka Local History Museum (inside) | +45 min | Tour 2 | €5 per person + museum ticket |
| St John’s Church interior and organ | +15 min | Tour 1 and Tour 2 | Free |
| Lugaži Church tower climb | +15 min | Tour 1 and Tour 2 | Free + tower fee paid on site |
Opening hours: Valga Museum is open all year, Wednesday to Saturday 11:00–18:00 and Sunday 10:00–15:00. Valga Military Museum is open every day 9:00–17:00 from 6 June to 15 September, and Tuesday to Saturday 9:00–17:00 the rest of the year. We plan your tour so the museums you choose are open.
Prices
| Ticket | Tour 1: Border Highlights | Tour 2: Grand Valga–Valka Tour |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | €15 | €29 |
| Student / senior (65+) | €12 | €24 |
| Child 7–15 | €8 | €15 |
| Child under 7 | Free | Free |
| Family (2 adults + 2 children) | €39 | €75 |
| Private group (up to 15 people) | €150 | €280 |
| School group (min. 10 pupils) | €6 per pupil | €12 per pupil |
Combine It with a Workshop
Make a day of it: book either tour together with any Gribzy creative workshop and get 15% off the workshop. A personalised keyring or engraved glass makes a great souvenir of your trip to two countries.
What’s Included
- A local guide for the whole walk
- 10% off in the Gribzy shop on the day of your tour
Not Included
- Museum add-ons and museum tickets
- Church tower fee
- Food and drinks (we’ll point you to good places to eat and drink on both sides of the border)
- Transport to Valga
When the Tours Run – All Year Round
Valga and Valka are worth a walk in every season: green riverside parks in summer, golden leaves in autumn, snowy church towers in winter and blossom in spring. That’s why both tours run all year.
- Tour 1 (Border Highlights): start at 11:00
- Tour 2 (Grand Valga–Valka Tour): start at 11:00
- Private and group tours: any day of the week by booking and start at 11:00
- Winter (November–March): Tour 2 starts no later than 11:00 and Tour 1 no later than 13:00 so we finish in daylight. We take a warm-up break indoors, and in deep snow or ice we shorten the route.
- Tours run in rain and snow. In storms, extreme cold (below −15 °C) or extreme heat, we move your tour to another day or give you a full refund.
How to Book
Email us at support@gribzy.com or drop into the shop at Kesk tn 8. Tell us the date, the number of people, which tour you’d like and any museum add-ons. Minimum number or participants at least 6 people.
Good to Know
- Bring ID. There are no border checks, but you are entering another country, so carry a passport or ID card.
- Same currency, same time. Both towns use the euro and are in the same time zone.
- Mobile phones. Your phone may switch between Estonian and Latvian networks. EU roaming rules apply, but visitors from outside the EU should check their plan.
- Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. Most of the walk is outdoors. In winter, bring warm layers, gloves and shoes with a good grip.
- Accessibility. The routes are mostly flat and suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. The church tower and Putraskalns are reached by stairs or a slope.
- Dogs on a lead are welcome on the walk, but not inside churches or museums.
- Cancellation. Free cancellation up to 48 hours before the tour. After that we refund 50%.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tour should I choose?
If it’s your first visit or you have children with you, Tour 1 is perfect. If you love history or want to see everything, take Tour 2 and add a museum or two.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Yes. Kids love the border swings, the giant glasses and standing in two countries at once. Children under 7 go free.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes, please book at least 24 hours ahead so we can plan the group and the museum visits. For private groups, a week’s notice is best.
Can I pay by card?
Yes. You can pay by card or cash in the shop, or by bank transfer when you book by email.
Where can I park?
There is free street parking near the shop in the centre of Valga, and the railway and bus stations are a short walk away.
Ready to walk across a border before lunch? Book your tour today, and we’ll see you at Gribzy, Kesk tn 8.
Leave a Reply