Põltsamaa is a town of 4100 people (2024) in South Estonia. Põltsamaa is the centre of Estonian winery and wine production. The main attraction is the castle, first established in the 13th century but now reduced to its walls, with several buildings inside the castle walls including the St. Nicholas Church, all surrounding a square.
Understand
[edit]Põltsamaa is a garden settlement, mainly consisting of one- and two-story small houses. Up to five-story apartment buildings have been built around the ring road, the remaining groups of apartment buildings are located on the outskirts of the city and do not significantly affect the overall picture. As a result of haphazard development, there is no urban density or distinct centre.
History
[edit]The first records about Põltsamaa date back to 1234. From 1570 to 1578, Põltsamaa was the capital of the Kingdom of Livonia. Duke Magnus resided there. In the second half of the 18th century, Põltsamaa became the center of the enlightenment movement in Northern Livonia.
In the second half of the 19th century, Põltsamaa was one of the centers of the national revival: the Estonian Alexander School was founded there and the first blue-black-white flag was sewn, which was later blessed in Otepää. During the Second World War, approximately 75% of the city's buildings were destroyed. Today it is an average Estonian small town with Soviet apartment blocks and older wooden buildings, but the main point of interest is its castle area, which as of the 2020s houses an art gallery, the tourism information centre, and a wine cellar for tasting. If the name Põltsamaa sounds familiar after a visit to a grocery store in the Baltics, yes, the company making canned food, juice and jam named after the town indeed has its factory next to the castle.
Get in
[edit]
By bus
[edit]Bus from Tartu to Põltsamaa: €4 (2017).
By train
[edit]The nearest railway stations are located in Võhma (25 km) and Jõgeva. However being on the highway between Estonia's most and second most populous cities, bus or car are probably the quickest way of getting in.
By car
[edit]Põltsamaa is at the intersection of the Tallinn-Tartu and Võhma-Mustvee highways. It's 30 km from Jõgeva, 127 km from Tallinn and 59 km from Tartu.
Get around
[edit]You can walk around town, it's quite small. For places further out, a car would be your best option.
See
[edit]- 1 Põltsamaa Castle (Põltsamaa loss), Lossi 1 (the castle entrance is on the southern side), ☏ +372 5293307, +372 7751390, +372 5222584, [email protected]. 10:00-19:00. The construction of Põltsamaa castle began in 1272. The shape of the square circular wall has been preserved from the 14th century. Duke Magnus ruled the Kingdom of Livonia from there in 1570-1578. In the 1770s, Woldemar Johann von Lauw built a Rococo-style castle from the convention building of the fortress. The ruins of the unique castle, which was destroyed in 1941, have not yet been fully conserved, and other parts of the fortress are also partially unconserved. In the castle yard are located: Põltsamaa Museum and tourist information point; a wine cellar and food museum; the Central Estonian art gallery pART; Põltsamaa Handicraft Society's Refreshment Room Glass of wine: €2.
- 2 Saint Nicholas Church in Põltsamaa (Põltsamaa kirik). In 1633-1634, a new Lutheran church was built between the ring wall of the fortress and the separate cannon tower. The altar, made in the 1870s, has a reversible altarpiece: for most of the church year, the congregation sees the painting "Christ on the cross" by Julie Hagen-Schwarz, from Easter to Ascension Day, you can admire the painting "Women at the Tomb" by Woldemar Friedrich Krüger, an Estonian artist from Kaavle. During the Second World War, the church and the fortress were damaged, and the Põltsamaa Suur Sild was also destroyed in 1944 .
- 3 Põltsamaa Rose Garden (Põltsamaa Roosiaed). The Rosarium was established on the land of the apple orchard of a collective farm. Approximately 5,000 rose bushes of nearly 1,000 varieties grow in the rose garden. Põltsamaa Roosiaed is the largest in the Baltics in terms of the size of the collection and is one of the 10 largest rosaries in Europe.
- 4 Centerpoint of continental Estonia (Mandri-Eesti keskpunkt) (about 5 km towards Tallinn next to Highway 2). The centerpoint of continental Estonia is marked by a rock on the eastern side of the highway. If driving along the Tartu-Tallinn highway it's easy to stop at the adjacent parking lot to take some photos.
Do
[edit]- Friendship Park (Sõprus Park). There are more than 6,000 trees in the park. Trees have been planted in the park by famous Estonian and foreign social, cultural and sports figures. Several granite sculptures, a statue of the plowing Kalevipoja and a monumental sculpture "Road to Olympus" have been installed there, the columns of which have the names of all Estonian Olympic medalists engraved on them.
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]Drink
[edit]The typical Põltsamaa wine is similar to port wine, with a stronger smell of alcohol but less of it (about 14%).
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Guesthouse Carl Schmidt, ☏ +372 5091937, [email protected]. After having a couple of glasses of wine, this is probably the place you want to fall in bed to. Single from €13.
Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]- Tartu - Estonia's second city, the oldest city in the Baltics and the centerpoint of the Struve Geodetic Arc. If you have started your journey from Tallinn, this is likely where you're heading to!
- Viljandi - another stronghold of the medieval Livonian Order, with a ruined castle.