St Michael’s Lutheran Church in Räpina

The EELC St. Urbanus' Church in Urvaste, Võru County is one of the oldest and most unique country churches. The earliest written records date back to 1413, which means that 600 years have passed since the church was first mentioned.The church we see today – a three-naved Gothic basilica – was consecrated on 5 September 1889. The entire interior of the church also dates back to this time. In 1938, The organ was built by the Kriisa brothers in 1938, while the church bells date back to 1832.From the yellow National Geographic window on the shores of Lake Uhtjärv, you can enjoy a breathtaking view over the Urvaste church and the primeval valley of Lake Uhtjärv. The window marks one of the 21 places worthy of discovery in South-Estonia.

There is a remarkable historicist Orthodox church with quarrystone and brick walls and five onion-cupolas in Nõo small borough.The Nõo Congregation was founded in 1852 for Estonian Orthodox Christians who previously belonged to the Tartu Georgi congregation. The architecturally remarkable church is made of quarrystone and red bricks and has a bell-tower in the western side. It was completed in 1873. The interior architecture of the church is simple and the iconostasis dates back to the late 19th century.Services are held in the Holy Trinity Church in Nõo on the second Saturday of each month.

Vastseliina Castle was built in 1342. The Swedish Army gave the order to build another church outside the walls of the castle as an addition to the Vastseliina Castle Chapel. The new church was consecrated as St. Catherine's Church. The church was destroyed together with the Vastseliina Castle by Russian cannon fire. Another church was built, and construction began on a stone church. Von Liphardt donated an organ made by Kessler and an alter painting by Baron Maydell to the church. Vastseliina Church was reconstructed according to the plans of the architect Pohlmann. In 1911 the church obtained a new organ built by the brothers Kriisa. Church service is held on Sunday.

Construction of the Tartu Uspenski Cathedral started by the order of Peter I after the Northern War and it was consecrated in 1783. The church was established on the foundation of the Dominican Convent Church. It was initially built in the shape of a cross and was given its quadrangular shape in 1840. Interesting facts: - a chapel to St Isidor, who died as a martyr, was established in the church in the course of its extension; ‑ the Bolsheviks killed 19 innocent people in the cellar of Krediidikassa 80 years ago. Their victims, archpriests Bleive and Berzhanitski, are buried in Uspenski Church.

The first prayer house of Old Believers in Estonia is located in Kükita. The Kükita Prayer House was consecrated on September 14, 1740. During the war of 1812, the Cossack Old Believers donated a chandelier to the Prayer House. There were a total of 397 Old Believers in the list of parishioners of the Kükita congregation by 1833. The current Prayer House was built in 1948 in place of the one destroyed in World War II.Old Believers have services every Sunday and on all holidays (Christmas, Pascha and Epiphany).

The Winter Church is located in a converted auxiliary building of the old church manor and is used mostly in the winter period. It is a small and cosy church that was built largely with the money donated from Finland. The church was consecrated on 6 December 1992 – the Independence Day of Finland. The consecrated name of the winter church is the Widow and Orphan Chapel. It is dedicated to widows because they were the ones who kept the church alive with their small salaries in the Soviet times. The blue, black and white flag of the Estonian Student Union, which later became the national flag and in 1991 the official flag of the state of Estonia, was consecrated in the rectory of the church next to it

The Vastseliina manor chapel, popularly called the Liphardt tomb chapel, is situated in the old cemetery of Vastseliina (also known as the German cemetery). The chapel was completed in the same year as the current Vastseliina church, in 1772.The Liphardts, one of the wealthiest noble families of Livonia, governed the entire Vastseliina parish from Misso to Orava and ruled Vastseliina for seven generations. In addition to Vastseliina, the family also owned several other manors, including the Raadi manor.The Vastseliina manor chapel is one of the most remarkable examples of early classicist rural chapels.Visitors are welcome to see the exterior of the chapel only.

The church dedicated to St. Martin is located on the Estonian Pilgrim Route, which starts from Pirita Monastery and ends at the Vana-Vastseliina Episcopal Castle. There is also a prayer bench in the churchyard.Come and see one of the oldest parish churches in Estonia. You can also can go to the spire, which offers a unique view of the beautiful Lake Võrtsjärv and the surroundings.Good to know:• The Church participates in the Wayfarers Churches and the Night of Churches projects.• The night battle from the feature film Names on a Marble Slab (2002) was filmed in Rannu Church garden.You can visit the church on Sundays during the service or by prior arrangement.