Viljandi Old Town Lanterns

Text Stewart Johnson
Photo Visit Viljandi / Kristjan Kivistik

The beauty of Estonia’s long, dark December nights is that the darker they are, the more they can be illuminated! Viljandi’s historic Old Town will be lit up by lanterns for the week before Christmas, inviting people from far and wide to visit and explore the Hanseatic city. Viljandi Old Town Lanterns 2025 will start on Monday, 15 December, and culminate on Saturday, 20 December in the courtyard of the Viljandi Museum with a major event.

Lanterns will be installed throughout the city’s Old Town streets, as well as in the various cosy courtyards, and several other points of interest. A digital map will be available to help guide you if the lanterns aren’t enough. Visitors will be able to explore the entire Old Town, and enjoy art, food, warm drinks, and especially music.

Viljandi Old Town Lanterns 2025 is set to have a large gathering in the Viljandi Museum’s courtyard. This will be a festive event, featuring concerts, a traditional Christmas fair and market, and fun for people of all ages.

Throughout the entire week, several locations will offer Christmas-themed workshops, for example cooking classes, decorating gingerbread, jewellery, and more. Children can also enjoy fairytales, and arts and crafts. The complete list of dates and events for these workshops is available in Estonian here.

To learn more about this and similar topics
Christmas events in Viljandi Fair holidays market Old town Viljandi Workshops