The whole of Estonia, and Ida-Viru County, in particular, is rich in the heritage of 20th century military history. The best way to learn about this heritage is to visit the very same places where the events described once took place. For this reason, the Estonian War Museum – General Laidoner Museum in Harju County, and the Vaivara Blue Hills Museum in Ida-Viru County, joined forces in the project „Promotion of military heritage in Ida-Virumaa and Viimsi“ in order to put together a journey from one museum to the other, helping both local residents and guests understand the multifaceted history of the region during the Second World War, as well as the fate of Estonia as a whole.
The tourist route developed in the course of the project connects the war museums located in Vaivara and Viimsi in the east to west direction and, in addition to the sites and aspects related to military heritage, also points out other sights in the area. We hope that the route will also attract the people whose primary interest is not necessarily military history, to visit the places and museums.
The route from the Vaivara Blue Hills Museum to the Estonian War Museum is nearly 200 km long, but the tourist route does not expect it to be completed in full. A selection of the sites can be visited, or one at a time, or starting from the opposite direction altogether, from Viimsi to Vaivara. Inspiration can also be found in the sample route given on the website of the Vaivara Blue Hills Museum.
This route from a war museum to a war museum is for the military history enthusiasts who, in addition to visiting the museums, want to delve deeper into and learn more about the individual sites and the war events in Northern Estonia.
Google Maps – In the Footsteps of the Second World War from Vaivara to Viimsi
Project MilHer is implemented under the European Neighbourhood Instrument and co-financed by the European Union.
This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of Estonian War Museum – General Laidoner Museum and Foundation Vaivara Sinimäed and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the Programme or the European Union.