- Vao stronghold tower-museum
- Kiltsi Castle and Admiral`s room. Park and Nature Trail
- Väike-Maarja Museum
Vao stronghold tower-museum

According to the history of Estonian architecture, there were many tower strongholds in Estonia as early as the 14th century. They were built to safeguard roads and waterways, particularly in areas where large strongholds were not needed. These smaller strongholds were built by vassals in the second half of the 14th century as they began relocating from towns and fortified centers closer to the land for which they were responsible. Uprising of subordinated peasants was a significant factor in the increase in the number of stronghold towers, which were only intended to provide sufficient protection from smaller attacks. The building of stronghold towers intensified after the uprising of St. Georg's Eve in 1343, when many estates in northern Estonia were destroyed. Most of the towers built during this period have been destroyed, leaving only ruins. The only towers in Estonia that are well preserved and restored are those of Vao and Kiiu.



The cellar is connected with the ground floor by a narrow staircase in the wall. Originally, it is likely to have been the only way to the cellar of the stronghold where the munitions, as well as the provisions, were held. The top floor was the guard tower.
In 1986, the stronghold was restored under the leadership of the Vao collective farm. The Rakvere branch of the Republican Restoration Department performed the restoration work.

The first written information about the Vao Estate and the village dates from 1442. At that time the lands belonged to the de Wacks, giving the area and estate its German name, Wack, and its Estonian name, Vao.

In the first half of the 18th century, the Rennenkampff family acquired the estate and began construction of the "heart" of the estate according to an estate plan. The Rennenkampffs retained ownership of the estate until the family resettled in Germany in 1939.

The Tower Museum
1991 - 1997 acted Vao Museum on Janis Tobreluts own initiative. In 1998, the new exposition in cooperation with the Väike-Maarja Museum took place.


The first floor of the stronghold has a medieval air - in the middle of the room is a table with chairs covered with the skin of boar. The walls and ceiling have metallic foring lamps. Stained vitraged made in 1998-2002 decorate the room.
On the walls of the top floor of the tower there are pictures representing people in medieval costumes (author Eve Veermäe).
Vao tower-museum
Is opened: 2. may - 31. august from wednesday to sunday 11.00-18.00, in other times - booking
Phone: +372 32 61 625 Väike-Maarja Museum
E-mail: muuseum@v-maarja.ee
Ticket: 2 eur, for students 1 eur