The community has definitely benefited from the freshly renovated station building The lobby is warmer and the whole building friendlier for visitors and residents alike… providing a fresh outlook for the Valga-Valka twin-towns There are two stations on the border of Estonia and Latvia One is in Valga on the Estonian side and the second is in the small town of Lugaži (Valka) in Latvia residents on both sides of the border use the Valga railway station where they can get trains to either capital and generally enjoy better public transport connections in the district The EU-funded project helped to renovate the station bringing them up to today’s standards and improving services for both Estonian and Latvian travellers The Valga junction is part of the main Riga-Pskov rail connection Its classic brick building dates back to 1890 and the last time it received major attention was after World War II the building and facilities were maintained by the city but by 2012 it was clear investment would be needed to refurbish the station outdated fittings and problems with plumbing and flooding the main passenger and reception areas (lounge Now the common areas of the station look fresh  Electronic boards mounted on the walls display bus- and train schedules including international travel times in multiple languages The front of the building also has new information boards displaying the time Residents of Valka make up a large proportion of the regular passenger flow through Valga station which is why it was targeted for renovation to act as a joint railway and bus transportation hub for the twin-towns Estonian Railways had previously renovated the line between Valga and Tartu the improvements in infrastructure and comfort mean better conditions for travellers from both sides of the border and pave the way for better overall service including faster train connections on major routes such as Riga-Valmiera and Valga-Tallinn Feedback on the renovations from passengers and the community has been very positive friendlier” station building serves as a hub for the twin-towns and inspiration for new developments in Valka including adding information boards with bus- and train schedules and city maps for Valka and Valga Common city planning like this makes sense saving resources and strengthening ties between the two cities Total investment for the project “Renovation of Valga-Valka Railway Station” is EUR 481 927 with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 399 999 through the “Objective 2 Increased Cohesion of the Programme Area” for the 2007-2013 programming period The investment falls under the priority “Reducing isolation through improved internal and external connectivity of the programme area” and still had two more stops along the way before returning to Narva I had organized my two months in Europe so I was settled in Narva for the first half of the trip and typically only consisted of my  ordering food or drinks an anonymity that can be at once both refreshing and exhausting as does understanding and attempting to translate and while I have become accustomed to packing and repacking my bags (a task I loathe) the relief of returning home — wherever home happens to be — never goes away I arrived just in time for a series of exhibition openings happening that evening I very quickly realized just how much I was starved for friendship Tallinn has a small but incredibly tight-knit art community Lingering infrastructure from Estonia’s Soviet past had created a culture where being an artist is considered a profession In addition to monetizing the profession (or at least creating a foundation for monetizing it) massive studio complexes had been built for working artists one of which is adjacent to the Tallinn Art Hall which is the central exhibition hub for contemporary and experimental exhibitions in the city The Art Hall would be considered a state-run nonprofit by our U.S The opening that evening was in a small satellite space associated with and just down the street from the Art Hall; the show looked at the T-Shirt as an object of communication and material culture in Estonia While the exhibition was exciting and unexpected it turns out the environment was what I really needed I was greeted by friends in the Tallinn art community I had known for five years My professional relationships had turned to friendships throughout the course of those years and for the first time in weeks I had the sense that I was no longer an outsider; I was surrounded by a community I was able to percolate on my time in Ukraine and Poland and shifted my focus to get back into artists’ studios communicating easily and talking art with some of the smartest people I know But this was still just a stop along the way so I continued on to the sleepy border town of Valga which is just about an hour southwest by train from Tartu people had told me that Valga needed to be a stop on my itinerary Located in the southwestern edge of Estonia Valga is one of a few villages that has experienced the problem of depopulation since the early aughts a problem that proliferates throughout Estonia’s smaller villages as opportunity to diversify personal income become more attractive in places like Finland and Sweden These opportunities are just a short ferry ride across the Baltic Sea Smaller villages also lose people to larger cities as tech investments have created more immediate needs for blue collar labor in places like Tallinn Tech growth inevitably also means a real estate boom any city that has a skyline dotted with cranes is probably experiencing some tech growth cycle Part of an abandoned structure in the Old Town of Valga and was ready to take time in one country for a few days I hadn’t done any due diligence of checking COVID requirements to cross the border and I had left my passport back in my apartment in Tartu I wandered from the train station into what Google showed me was the city center meandering walk through parks with green trees and quaint European roundabouts; it felt like a Sunday in the countryside and those who were used the public park benches and lush grass to laze about in the sunshine — soaking in as much as they could before the darkness of winter settled over the Baltics in search of somewhere to eat lunch and have a coffee In the distance I spotted the tower of a church and decided to make my way towards it to get a better view of its architecture The church itself was small and a bit underwhelming point my hunger was starting to quietly scream and I pulled my phone out to search for a place to sit and eat That was when I realized that the blue dot marking my location on Google Maps was on the wrong side of the border line Border demarcation between Estonia and Latvia I still can’t fully piece together how or when it happened I had walked across the border into Latvia I had just walked across an invisible line and the only thing that made that line clear was the app in my phone and not even an office to demarcate the space really — that looked like it could be an immigration office Outside the building was a uniformed gentleman who was clearly enjoying a calm drunk Sunday; he was sitting on the ground leaning against the structure’s wall with a beer in hand complete with a semi-covered structure made of red-stained wood that integrated the dividing lines between the two villages — and countries — into its architecture As an art person who is responsible for wayfinding I would say it was effective in terms of blurring the border yet ineffective in conveying an actual place I was so discombobulated by the lack of pretense along this border that I needed a minute to simply take it in Since I was still harboring the fear of getting stuck in a place I didn’t have documentation for I didn’t want to push my luck and wander too far into Latvia I had left my passport in a completely different city Even sitting at the only open cafe felt a little risky since I was actually still on the Latvian side Never in my life had I experienced a border crossing so seamless and easy that I didn’t even realize I had done it This was the European border crossing experience I had expected more of I was thinking that seamless crossings like this were a thing of the long we are all led by a crippling fear of losing something We can’t let go of the deep and profound need to ground ourselves in a place and identity that divide us the things that create the demarcations in our own identities but instead a freedom in both movement and identity that meant it just didn’t matter anymore I walked back and forth between Valga and Valka multiple times that day I followed every single sidewalk and footpath that would take me across I just wanted to be able to say that there was once a tiny moment between two tiny villages where freedom was actually free Thank you to Dorota Biczel for sharing and clarifying so much for me so openly Brian Nagurney and his father John Nagurney This piece was a hopeful read in light of what is happening in Ukraine you shouldn’t be afraid to go over and explore valka from valga nothing bad would ever happen I’m from valka and never I was charged or held responsible for not bringing a passport into valga because we are the same city but with different countries and rules but the police aren’t bad people here even in corona lockdown people from each side crossed the boarder fine so if you ever visit don’t be scared go for it it is this freedom that really makes valga/valka a unified village that is seamless and old fashioned a bit but quite frankly I wouldn’t want it any other way Alfred.B and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" HAA Cultural Events Calendar More As reported by ERR News, Valga will be filled with movie enthusiasts for the annual short film festival Valga Hot Shorts This year 39 films from around the world will be shown The festival's themes are connected to the general artistic concept of Tartu 2024 the Arts of Survival showcase what it means to be a human and how can we survive as a society in the era of chaos "The Other is Myself" cassette includes the Estonian premiere of Carlos Segundo's short film "Big Bang" which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in 2022 and won the Golden Leopard award there The participating Estonian films include Kristina Lilas' short documentary about the everyday life of social care "Companions" and Pirte Laura Lember's "Nothingness is Silence" where a noisy present meets the questionable future "Collective Joy" brings to the audience the 2023 Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival Best Comedy Award winner ("Women Visiting a City") The Estonian films include Ivar Murru's docu-slasher "Kihnu Marathon" and Taavi Aruse's legendary "Holy Shit" The program "It's OK to Be Sad" includes the 2022 Annecy Film Festival Best French Short Animation winner 'The Tale of Two Trumpets,' which will have its Estonian premiere in Valga it shows the German 1970s melodrama "For Women: Chapter 1" and Teresa Väli's film about the wedding night.  "Befriending the Earth" provides an insight into the lives of ghosts wandering around after the end of the world ("After the End of the World" - Florentina Gonzalez) peeks into the depths of the oceans ("PLSTC" - Laen Sanches) and dives into the dangerous world of waste sorting ("Gutter Counts" - Raoul Kirsima) "Magical Thinking" takes the watcher to Brazil's "Scarce" and the Philippines ("Powernapper's Paradise") The Estonian film "511 Seconds of Cinema" opens its doors into the cinema's projector room the festival will screen short documentaries specially prepared for Tartu's 2024 program and the premiere of the newly restored Estonian film classic "Daisy Petal Game" Valga Hot Shorts takes place between June 28-30. Full details and ticket prices can be found HERE Select text and press Ctrl+Enter to send a suggested correction to the editor Select text and press Report a mistake to send a suggested correction to the editor Electronic music festival Valga Glow will take place at the decommissioned Soviet missile base R-12 in Valga County for the first time from June 28-30 The event features a 40-hour long celebration of electronic dance music in the middle of the forest Forty-one artists will perform on the two stages DJ Artur Lääts will curate the techno music stage the program is a cross-section of what is exciting and interesting in the modern techno-scene and legendary figures from Estonian technomusic history will perform It is the crossing of different generations who will curate the ambient and more experimental electronic music stage said there will be performers from Estonia "The first-time performance of Valga Glow brings back in its special way the early 90's rave era's spotlight where in one room and atmosphere co-existed and supported each other the club-style underground techno as well as the behind-the-wall meditating ambient-sound," said Kirikmäe The festival organizer Villem Varik added that the purpose of Valga Glow is to create a contemporary and excellently curated electronic music festival right where it has been missing until now – in South Estonia Rinneradio characters Aleksi Myllokoski & Tapani Rinne (Finland) The festival site is accessible via direct trains from Tallinn Secure camping and glamping options will be available in addition to other amenities Valga Glow is part of the Tartu 2024 main program Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update! 0)" class="article-poll-disclaimer" ng-bind="totalVotes + ' hääletajat'"> {{option.votes}} {{selectedLanguage.poll.votes}}/ Iga kasutaja võib hääletada {{poll.optionLimit}} vastusevariandi poolt “Initially we thought we would be able to cope with the so-called additional certification procedure but in the meantime it has become clear that we have to carry out a completely new certification in order to run trains in Latvia,” Lauri Betlem told the Aktuaalne kaamera programme on Monday passengers travelling between Estonia and Latvia have to change trains in Valga are pushing to harmonise train schedules and offer a single ticket to simplify the process efforts to extend the Tallinn-Tartu-Valga train route to Riga continue with plans for a train to Riga every day in the evening and back in the morning this would require around one million euros  in state subsidies per year Elron and the City of Tartu hope that the government will fund the Riga-Tartu-Tallinn train line with the Mayor of Tartu saying that the Warsaw-Vilnius and Vilnius-Riga lines have boosted tourism between the countries and expecting this route to have a similar positive impact “We are waiting for the government’s decision on the funding and we will do our best to get the trains running as soon as possible The aim today is that this could happen next spring,” said Betlem Also read: First Tartu-Riga train connection test planned in August Also read: Lux Express questions the sensibility of Tartu-Riga train connection Follow us on Facebook and X! The three Baltic carriers – Lithuania’s LTG Link, Latvia’s Vivi, and Estonia’s Elron – are currently coordinating train schedules to allow passengers to travel from Vilnius to Tallinn with two changes – in Riga and Estonia’s Valga. “This is a major strategic step forward and an example of cooperation between the three Baltic countries in connecting our capitals. Our teams continue to work to connect Tallinn with just one change,” LTG Group CEO Egidijus Lazauskas said in a statement. According to the company, the Vivi train from Riga to Valga will start next week and will be aligned with the LTG Link’s Vilnius-Riga train schedule, with a connection time of almost 20 minutes. At the same time, the daily Elron train between Tallinn and Valga will be aligned with this train from January 6 next year. “At the moment, it is technically possible to travel between the three countries by train, but because of mismatched timetables, it has been less competitive for passengers,” said Elron CEO Lauris Betlem. According to LTG Link, until now there was no possibility to travel by train from Vilnius to Tallinn in one day. Lithuania’s rail carrier LTG Link expects the new connection to be as popular as the Vilnius-Riga route when the Vilnius-Riga service was launched we saw a very strong interest from passengers in travelling between the capitals we agreed with Latvian and Estonian carriers to make it possible for people to continue their travel to Tallinn," Violeta Šimelionienė head for international business development at LTG Link passengers from Vilnius will need to change two trains to reach Tallinn left from Riga to Valga in southern Estonia in time adjusted to the arrival of a LTG Link train from Vilnius to Riga Passengers have nearly 20 minutes to change the trains the timetable of an additional train of Elron going between Tallin and Valga was adjusted to the Riga-Valga train’s arrival time The journey from Vilnius to Tallinn by train currently takes almost 10.5 hours including passenger transfers in Riga and Valga The new connection is expected to provide an alternative to car travel and lay the groundwork for further improvements in connectivity The ultimate goal is to establish a direct competitive daily train service between the capitals of the Baltic States The journey will take around 10.5 hours in total and tickets for each leg must be bought separately from each carrier: Vilnius-Riga from LTG Link The management of all three carriers - Vivi Elron and LTG Link - will ride the train on Monday to assess the benefits of the route Note that this is not a single journey as of now; it is rather three train trips the timetables of which have been adjusted so you can take all three in succession the connection will be implemented with rolling stock from all three carriers and will have two transfers - one in Riga and the other in Valga with a connection time of 12-19 minutes.  LTG Link's daily diesel train service from Vilnius to Tallinn has been adapted to the Vivi diesel train service Riga (11:16) - Valga (13:51) which is coordinated with the Elron diesel train service Valga (14:10) - Tallinn (17:34) Elron's daily diesel train Tallinn (10:25) - Valga (13:54) has been adapted for Vivi's diesel train Valga (14:11) - Riga (16:37) which is coordinated with LTG Link's diesel train Riga (16:55) - Vilnius (21:03) The total journey time from Tallinn to Vilnius is currently around 10.5 hours after the completion of the railway infrastructure repairs in Estonia the journey time is expected to decrease by about one hour The Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn train service includes the following stops: Joniškis in Lithuania;  Jelgava you will have to buy your train ticket separately from each carrier “Exactly 100 years have passed since the tiny river Varžupīte / Konnaoja divided the town of Walk into Valga (EE) and Valka (LV) The motto of Valga–Valka is “One city The project aim is the development of a joint territory to improve physical connectivity promote tourism and activate entrepreneurship The new center is architecturally and profess The new center is architecturally and professionally designed so that the border has become an attraction instead this is a concrete example of multi-level partnership built upon common local goals and values Despite legal differences in the two countries the construction of the twin city centre came to an end without major incidents and was completed ahead of schedule The great opening is expected for spring 2021 The project received an ERDF contribution of 2,9 million EUR Do you want to know how the construction of the new center was done? Have a look at this video!   Now that construction is finalised, dissemination activities include the outdoor orienteering game “walk VVALK”  taking place between 12 and 27 December Get to know more about this project FOTO: Arvo Meeks / Lõuna-Eesti Postimees A festival uniting the twin towns of Valga (Estonia) and Valka (Latvia) kicked off on Thursday Friday brings a "Borderless Party," to be followed by a fair on Saturday, and various other events through to next Wednesday, June 12, LSM reports on its English-language page are effectively the same town but long bisected by a national border drawn up in 1920 by British civil servant Sir Stephen George Tallents After joining the Schengen Area of free movement border controls disappeared – save for a period during the Covid pandemic – meaning Estonian and Latvian residents and other visitors can freely meet and mingle and perhaps do a spot of cross-border shopping More information in English is here and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia will open the strategic get-together organised by the Latvian and Estonian Foreign Ministries The event is being held for the ninth consecutive year and aims to "strengthen bilateral relations between Latvia and Estonia as well as their regional and international cooperation" according to a Latvian Foreign Ministry release "The seminar will bring together the leadership of the Foreign Ministries of Latvia and Estonia and experts from the Foreign Services The agenda of this year’s meeting covers security and defence topics the EU enlargement process and other pressing international issues Latvia standing as a candidate for an elected member’s seat on the UN Security Council in 2026–2027 will also be discussed this being one of the instruments in pursuit of the long-term objectives of Latvia’s foreign policy," said the release The seminar location alternates between the two countries each year Valga (Estonia) and Valka (Latvia) were for centuries a single city in Livonia that went by the German name of Walk when Latvia and Estonia won their independence in 1918 and it ended up being divided into two separate cities straddling the border EU and Schengen Zone accession have seen border checks disappear and residents can walk from one country to another to shop visit and even to order to a pizza on one side to collect on the other The next six days will be filled with fun events including a 'Borderless Party' on June 7 a Walga-Valka Race on June 9 and a Big Children's Party on June 11.  You can read some reflections on Valga-Valka – or should that be Valka-Valga? – in this recent feature The connection will initially be operated with rolling stock from all three carriers and will consist of two interchanges The transfer time between the services is expected to be approximately 10 to 20 minutes Work is ongoing to reduce the number of interchanges soon (presumably to one) The preparatory phase for the Baltic train service will start on December 15 this year when the passenger carrier Vivi will adjust the departure time of its diesel train on the Rīga-Valga section to the arrival time of the Lithuanian LTG Link diesel train from Vilnius to Riga passenger services from Valga to Tartu and onwards to Tallinn will be operated by an additional diesel train from the Estonian carrier Elron The total journey time from Vilnius to Tallinn is expected to take around 10 hours The Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn train service in Latvia will stop at Jelgava More detailed information on the Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn train timetable and purchase options will be available by the end of December The intense battle training phase of the Estonian Defense Forces' major training exercise Spring Storm will see the EDF close the Abja-Paluoja-Kilingi-Nõmme and Abja-Paluoja-Sarja-Tõlla sections of the Valga-Uulu highway in South Estonia May 13-17 The road will be closed mainly to ensure civilian safety as there will be a lot of EDF machinery both on the road and to either side of it during battle exercises The EDF asks people in the wider area to be attentive and cautious and consider that reaching their destination might take longer than usual public transport and local residents will be allowed through checkpoints while everyone else will have to take various detours More accurate information on road closures is available in the Tark Tee app People in the area will also be notified of road closures via SMS messages Spring Storm is the EDF's largest training exercise The participants will be practicing how to plan and execute military operations as well as cooperation between Estonian and allied units The participants include active servicemen Defense League volunteers and allied soldiers a Latvian town and municipality in northern Latvia on the border with Estonia along both banks of the River Pedele where one can literally leap from one country into the other on the swings that are erected on the very Latvia-Estonia border perhaps only historians know that the town was a major bone of contention of the two fledgling states Valka offers a variety of sightseeing spots lush recreational parks and is definitely a great place to do some business The Baltic Times Magazine spoke to Ivo Leitis Public Relations Specialist of the Valka municipality to find out more about the town and the municipality What is the origin of the name of the town and the municipality It is believed that the city name Valka is related to Latvian verbs "vilkt" and "valkāt" or the noun "valks" which in the early days was used as a description for wetland areas or swamps  The noun "valks" originally described a place where people dragged their boats or cargo from the basin of the River Gauja to the River Pedele Then they travelled to the basin of the River Emajegi and after that to Estonian lakes and Russian lands What are the most interesting facts about Valka I’ve read that the decision of the Latvian Provisional National Council to proclaim in 1917 the independent Republic of Latvia was made namely in Valka And also that the town was a subject of a dispute between the newly born Latvian and Estonian states then the decision to proclaim the independence of the Republic of Latvia was made in Valka The board of the Latvian Provisional National Council operated independently in Valka and created a structure that covered all areas of the emerging country when the border was set between the newly independent states of Latvia and Estonia As the members of the International Commission (Great Britain Estonia) couldn’t decide about the location of the border the final decision was made by the chairman of the court of arbitration The main part of the city was given to Estonia when Latvia and Estonia joined the Schengen visa-free travel zone the Riga and Raja Street border post was officially opened The border significantly interfered with the development of both cities so joining the Schengen area was a real celebration in Valka and Valga.  What are the main places of sightseeing in Valka The newly built Valga – Valka Twin Town Centre is a place with a unique opportunity to be inside a city centre that’s located right on the border of both countries Here you can literally swing from one country into the other on swings that go across the Latvia-Estonia border.  Valka-Lugazi Evangelical Lutheran Church is located right next to the centre The first written record of the church dates from 1477 Different historical styles can be seen on the exterior of the church due to it having been rebuilt and repaired after frequent wars The church tower can be accessed as a viewing platform that offers a splendid view of Valka/Valga - one city Both cities also have numerous monuments that honour the history of both sides of the twin city as well as multiple parks and recreational areas along which the flow of transit and tourists grows every year We have a railway and Valka / Valga is home to about 20,000 people Valka has become a popular destination for shopping and services among Estonians Valka has ready-made premises of various sizes for manufacturing (owned by both the municipality and the private sector) we are also ready to develop joint projects and get involved in the development of new production areas We can promise maximum municipal support and speedy decision making property prices are still much lower than in other cities of similar size Yet Valka/Valga lacks a hotel with at least 50 rooms It interferes both when organizing events and when working with large tourism companies we offer both historical buildings and plots of land We are sure that a hotel and SPA would be a successful business project  What are the main economic activities in Valka Are there any distinguished companies in Valka Valka is a place with a favourable environment for the development of multi-disciplinary businesses 58.57% of the rural territory of the county is occupied by forests which is the basis for the development of forestry and woodworking in the county The second most developed industry is agriculture One of the most distinguished companies in Valka is “PEPI RER” with 25 years of experience in manufacturing of polyethylene foam and the air bubble film field The company exports their products to more than 40 countries worldwide The export rate has reached 90% of the company's sales What are the culture events worth attending in Valka in 2023 Every year the Twin Cities Valga/Valka Festival is held in celebration of and dedicated to the anniversary of granting city rights This year the celebrations will take place from the 7th to the 11th of June The festivities will include art exhibitions a joint disco party on the border as well as an exciting auto sprint rally across the border through the twin city centre This year we will also continue our established tradition - the joint Valka/Valga festival parade which will end in Putraskalns near Pedele where an impressive multimedia fountain show will take place the Great Charity Border Market takes place in Valka/Valga The event takes place for two days and is filled with various cultural and sport events as well as contests such as “BBQ Without Borders” A newly established tradition is common New Year’s celebrations Latvians and Estonians meet on the border to celebrate the New Year together with various festivities A notable event is the International Valga Military History Festival Every year many history re-enactment clubs travel to the Festival The event holds re-enactment battles from different time periods has a military parade through the city with historical uniforms Who are the most prominent people of Valka A lot of noteworthy people have been active in Valka throughout history but arguably the most prominent is Janis Cimze and founder of Latvian choral music and initiator of professional Latvian music.  He was the first prominent Latvian figure in music whose example inspired extensive collection Thanks to the activities of Cimze and his students the first All-Estonian (1869) and All-Latvian (1873) Song Festivals were held.  Cimze headed Vidzeme Teachers' Seminary in Valka where he taught future teachers the conducting of choirs and harmonisation of folk songs Now Valka Local History Museum is located in the very same building which housed the Vidzeme Teachers' Seminary Many of the educational establishments in Valka bear his name Janis Cimze was buried in Lugazi Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery which was later renamed Cimze Cemetery.  Can you tell any funny stories related to Valka Do some Valka residents also speak Estonian due to proximity of Estonia Before Latvia and Estonia joined the Schengen visa-free travel zone residents who travelled across the country border were subject to regular border control checks particularly those who lived in one country but worked in the other had to change passports far more often due to them being filled up with country entry stamps There is a unique structure in Stoķu Cemetery located in Valka parish You can enter the cemetery chapel from Latvia It is the only structure with such peculiarity in the entire country Despite the close proximity and everyday shopping habits across the border not as many people in Valka/Valga speak both languages as one might assume Perhaps it is because Latvian and Estonian languages are part of different language families while Latvian belongs to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European languages What websites do you recommend to get better acquainted with Valka The distance from the Latvian capital city Riga is 160km and from Tartu (Estonia) - 90km A convenient way to travel to Valka/Valga is by train You can find more information about objects of interest places of accommodation and catering in our websites: websites www.valka.lv www.visit.valka.lv and www.visitvalgavalka.com A subscription to The Baltic Times is a cost-effective way of staying in touch with the latest Baltic news and views enabling you full access from anywhere with an Internet connection. Subscribe Now! 2025 © The Baltic Times /Cookies Policy Privacy Policy The underground rapid transit lines have been under construction for almost two decades due to various project delays The cross pinnacle on the Tower of Jesus Christ will be ready to receive visitors in 2026 on the centennial of Gaudi’s death Now you can get your wine in Talence by paying directly in Bitcoin That’s because the state has to spend money on updating the railway infrastructure rather than subsidizing the cost of the popular pass Steffen Romstöck said that he would respect the residents’ choice and would take over the helm of the municipality which will come into force from 1 January 2025 Rethinking renewable energy sources for the urban landscape But operating them is still illegal under the country’s legislation can inform and inspire communities and entrepreneurs that still feel trepidation at the prospect of energy transition it has a unique modular design that allows it to be shortened and lengthened like a train that’s the promise made by the mayor of Paris the district has long been known as the hangout spot for the artsy crowds Hostal de Pinós is located in the geographical centre of the autonomous region the ranking considers several distinct but essential factors these quiet areas will now be available on all main routes in the country The academic institution shows a deeper understanding of the well-being of its students Latvian and Estonian towns of Valka and Valga celebrate common history the Latvian and Estonian cities of Valka and Valga (respectively) are celebrating their common history and common Prior to gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1920 With the establishment of newly independent Latvia and Estonia the city was separated and divided to the respective states The countries were again subjugated by the Soviet Union in the 1940s and gained independence after its collapse The border between the cities was entirely removed with the countries’ accession into the Schengen area in 2007 commemorating their common history under the slogan “One Town Two Countries” – the public transport even has stops that go through the border This year’s celebrations will be held on 11 and 12 May and will include what’s become a main attraction - the barbecuing competition between the towns – “BBQ Without Borders 2019” the cities will also celebrate European Day dedicated to the upcoming European elections You will be able to find the European area in Valga’s central square The programme for the celebrations also involves concerts a charity lottery and tons of others cultural events The 10th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns (ESCT) sets the stage for stronger cooperation between the EU national and local level to fast track Europe's transition to climate neutrality Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces An interview with the Mayor of a Polish city that seeks to reinvent itself An interview with the newly elected ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö A conversation with the Mayor of Lisbon about the spirit and dimensions of innovation present in the Portuguese capital TALLINN - On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Schengen Area on Dec the twin towns Valga and Valka on the Estonian-Latvian border will be visited by Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid and her Latvian counterpart Raimonds Vejonis as well as representatives of Estonian and Latvian embassies and the European Commission 21 will mark the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Schengen Agreement which guaranteed free movement between Valga and Valka for citizens of both towns permanent border control on the border between Estonia and Latvia was removed and movement between the two towns was simplified the border between the two towns will be remembered by showcasing old photographs topical films will be shown at the Valga cinema a quiz will be carried out in local schools and a concert will take place on the border An agreement was reached for the two towns that were once one The twin towns of Valka and Valga are perhaps the perfect example of the benefits of open borders and European integration but after Estonia and Latvia won their independence a border was put between them – the town of Valka remained in Latvia and Valga in Estonia After to the virtual disappearance of borders following the two countries’ accession to the European Union citizens of Valka and Valga once again felt like a single community – able to freely travel Yet the coronavirus pandemic threatened to change that considering the closure of their borders in order to limit the spread of the disease After Estonia imposed a state of emergency the two municipalities immediately went to work trying to find a way to keep the flow of people between them flowing they came up with several proposals that were presented to the Prime Minister of Estonia Jüri Ratas and other government officials Their feedback was quick and positive and the Estonian PM declared that locals from Valka and Valga who need to cross the border in order to get to work are still allowed to do so – as long as they do not have symptoms of coronavirus The details of the decision are yet to be worked out The municipalities are currently working on a solution that would allow only for those who work on the other side of the border to pass Among the proposed solutions are the issuing of temporary documents or the creation of a special list that would feature the names of people who are allowed to cross.  The power shift at the Riigikogu which has seen the Social Democrats (SDE) gain four new MPs at the expense of the Center Party will not affect the makeup of Center's deputies in the South Estonian town of Valga even as one of the MPs in question sits on that council is currently governed by a coalition made up of the Reform Party the Conservative People's Party of Estonia Despite being EKRE's sworn opponent at the national level some SDE deputies are also in the coalition after the party did not run a full official list at the last local elections Riigikogu MPs are also permitted to sit in municipal council chambers (thoough not in municipal governments) including Ester Karuse – one of the four MPs who quit Center and formally joined SDE this week who for whatever reason is reportedly a big vote magnet in the rural municipality of close to 16,000 people will remain with the Center Party in Valga That this is possible relates to the difference between sitting with a party group at the Riigikogu and actually being a paid-up member of that party the change at the Riigikogu will not affect politics in Valga unduly Mayor of Valga Monika Rogenbaum (Isamaa) told ERR's Latvia correspondent Ragnar Kond that: "Some very different people have come together in the electoral alliance 2.1 and there have been disagreements on several issues." internal disagreements have arisen and now the members of the former single list are divided between two separate factions But this does not prevent constructive cooperation regarding the matters of the municipality," Rogenbaum went on Ester Karuse herself told ETV news show "Aktuaalne kaamera" that she will continue her cooperation with Center in Valga "I have had very good cooperation within the Center Party and we also currently have one member who ran on Center's list So in this sense we will continue our cooperation Center's Valga County regional chair Alar Nääme told ERR that so far as he was aware no other politican from the region has quit Center adding that the party is not going to expel her from the Center Party faction at the council who heads up the party's Valga County chapter said that the hope was that a full SDE list will be running at the next municipal elections That the major political parties do not always run full electoral lists in local elections can be due to or voting patterns in that region meaning that there is little for that party to gain from doing so Electoral alliances are peculiar to the municipal elections and consist of region-specific groups which provide an alternative to the mainstream parties In practice local municipal governments often consist of coalitions of both the Center Party has been in coalition with SDE since the aftermath of the 2021 local elections Six MPs announced late last week that they were quitting Center after three more had left the party last fall the management of and situation in the party under Tallinn Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart Take note – story published 1 year and 5 months ago Eventually an international commission headed by British civil servant Stephen George Tallents was to decide who got the city According to the most entertaining account of what ensued Tallents got so fed up with the constant bickering of both parties he ended up drawing a line on a map along the Varžupīte/Konnaoja an innocuous little stream that ran through Walk and declared that henceforth it would be the international border with Valga on the north side and Valka on the south side Tallents later went on to found the Institute of Public Relations During the Soviet occupation of both countries, the stream was allowed to return to obscurity, only for renewed independence to make it a sort of miniature Livonian Rubicon again, and then for the Schengen Agreement to send it into well-earned retirement One of the more uncomfortable facts is that 28 Finns were killed at the Battle of Paju in January 1919 defending Estonian independence against the pro-Soviet Latvian Red Riflemen The Finns also distinguished themselves on Latvian territory in the liberation of Alūksne from the Soviets A memorial hill stands by the side of the highway close to the scene of the Paju battle on the road from Valga to Tartu A similarly-sized hill stands in the recently constructed cross-border park along the banks of the River Pedele/Pedeli in Valka There on top of 'Porridge Hill' (Putraskalns/Pudrumägi) in Latvia it is a literal stone's throw to the border below. If you did throw that stone – or a bowl of porridge – it would land close to a shopping centers on Estonian territory I recall seeing a woman standng outside it center last year busking by singing Latvian folk songs She seemed to have a fairly appreciative foreign audience on her impromptu international tour On the Latvian side of the border are a few shops selling cheap alcohol and the tendency of Estonians and Finns to cross the border and fill their cars with bottles is well recorded But less well-known is the fact that Latvia charges duty on coffee So there is a less-well-known trend of Latvians wandering across to buy a few cheap packets of a different drug Putraskalns hill is equipped with a pair of powerful binoculars which are free to use though the general direction in which they are pointed suggests they might be there so you can examine Estonian apartment blocks to see if anyone has left their curtains open while they wander around in their underwear The experience of geographical difference between the Latvian and Estonian sides of the border is one thing but it can be greatly enhanced by what we might call temporal difference For example I was recently in the twin cities when it was a public holiday in Latvia but an ordinary working day in Estonia It was as if the two towns drifted slightly further apart for the day when there were election posters prominent on the Estonian side but there were no elections happening in Latvia it felt as if Estonia's political parties were shouting into a void.  It is also worth mentioning my two favourite places to eat: Walk Cafe on the Latvian side (lunchtime special is the best value in the whole country and a good place to eavesdrop local business deals) and Kohvik Johanna on the Estonian side which contains everything I consider necessary in a really good cafe: excellent coffee studious young men reading books and elegant old ladies in berets My routine when visiting Valka/Valga/Walk is always the same I catch the 12:33 train from Cēsis in Latvia which arrives in Valga (the only station is a couple of hundred meters across the border) at 13:42 The station is quite grand – oversized in fact – but there's no time to waste I walk as quickly as possible the 500 meters to Säde park For a few minutes I have the appearance of being just another anonymous middle-aged Estonian man on his lunch break Little do they suspect that in fact I am an international traveller who has just just crossed the border and who is treating everything around me as different and exotic By preference I choose one of the benches brightly painted with folk motifs in which case the clunky 1980s-style ones will suffice At one end of the duck pond is an attractive villa half-old form very much suiting a city infused with duality The older part was a villa built in 1902 for an entrepreneurial local wonderfully named Gotthold Eduard Emil Zencker During the Estonian war of independence the Latvian Red Cross ran a soup kitchen from the building and it later served more sinister purposes as headquarters for the Communist Party and occupying Nazi German forces as well as seeing service as an orphanage and youth center Since 1996 it has been Valga Central Library The building's own history is probably just as informative as the history section located within it.  A desire to catch a train in order to feed the ducks in another country may raise questions about my psychological well-being but I see this little routine as therapeutic rather than pathologic Indeed the character of the park itself tends to support my little pan-Baltic fantasy life Nearby in the park is a statue honoring 'Toomas Nipernaadi' a popular character in Estonian literature with his battered hat held aloft on a stick he is an "eternal wanderer" who has all sorts of pointless and picaresque adventures According to the information beside the statue he is precisely the type who would approve of going to another country and sitting on a bench for no particular reason: "He strode along the paths in the fields, picked flowers There was something artistic and naive in his entire being Nipernaadi was the creation of August Gailit an Estonian writer who – as is clear from his name (Gailītis is a common Latvian surname) – had Latvian ancestry he attended the Latvian school in Walk and later worked as a journalist in Latvia and as press attache at the Estonian embassy in Rīga If Gailit and Nipernaadi are allowed to wander around having Quixotic adventures I don't see why the rest of us shouldn't be allowed to do the same.  I need to hurry to get back to the Valga railway station in time for the departure at 15:03 of exactly the same train which brought me up here There isn't even time to buy packets of coffee Just outside the station is an information board giving details of another piece of delightful Latvian-Estonian absurdity "Due to setting of the national border between Estonia and Latvia after World War 1 the beginning of the railway line to Mõniste appeared to be in Latvia and large sums of money were demanded from Estonia Thus a new railway line through Kaagjärve was constructed and trains to Mõniste did not pass Latvian territory." waiting for me in the shadow of the oversized station tower It's my Latvian train departing from Estonia hi-tech trains for Tartu that the Estonians have amusingly nicknamed "carrots" due to their orange color.  My Latvian train is older, slower and louder than the state of the art carrot but it's also a lot cheaper. The return ticket costs me a little over 5 euros. I can leave at lunchtime consume a poppy seed cake and a considerable slice of Baltic history and still be home in time for an early supper It is proto-Rail Baltica on a budget and it is just one of the attractions of the Estonian-Latvian border zone Elron will start testing the planned Tartu-Riga train line next month and the biggest challenges are expected to be radio communication and fitting trains into the Latvian railway corridor Elron board member Märt Ehrenpreis said the first test run of the Stadler Flirt train will take place in mid-August all Elron trains came to Estonia via Latvia but a lot may have changed in that time. We are therefore planning to assess the capacity of the trains to fit between structures and equipment in the railway corridor and to test the compatibility of the Latvian railway with the new radios Latvia's railways are currently undergoing major reconstruction work on the radio network and the Riga-Valka section will be upgraded to the new radio communications system as part of the work so we must be ready for the introduction of the new system," Ehrenpreis told ERR Latvian Railway Technical Inspection and the European Railway Board agreed there is no need to re-inspect rolling stock certified in Estonia in Latvia Latvia and Lithuania's infrastructure is very similar If compliance has already been verified on the Estonian infrastructure there is no need to re-verify compliance to operate on the Latvian infrastructure.  This means that the workload for the certification of rolling stock is reduced," he said There is hope the line will be operational by October "A lot depends on the extent to which Latvian and European railway authorities and inspectorates require retests There is a bit of uncertainty here," Ehrenpreis explained It is hoped the Tartu-Riga line will continue to operate in the future even after Rail Baltic – which will connect Tallinn "This is an important transport project for the Baltic States as a whole Our hope is that our efforts will be continued in the future with the support of the state so that this [Riga-Tartu line] is not a one-off project," said Ehrenpreis Ehrenpreis said ticket prices will be announced soon has launched a cross-border service in the Estonian and Latvian border towns of Valga/Valka bringing the number of Estonian towns the company operates in to 15 The two town centers are just 10 minutes' drive apart Since both Estonia and Latvia are in the Schengen Zone of free movement "Valga/Valka is the first place where we are launching a cross-border service as these towns are so closely connected with each other journeys can be started on either side of the border," Aleksei Kolesnikov the price per kilometer is €0.59 cents and the price per minute €0.13 Bolt is also encouraging new drivers in the region to sign up "If there are people living around Valga who have a car and would like to earn some additional money by driving You simply need to go through a short training session and complete the necessary documents online," Kolesnikov said Bolt currently operates in over 30 countries worldwide Download the ERR News app for Android and iOS now and never miss an update In compliance with Amendments of 14.03.2020 to the Cabinet of Ministers Order No 103 "On Announcing Emergency Situation" on the abolition of international carriage of passengers by rail Starting from midnight of March 17 to April 14 trains that usually run the route Riga-Valga-Riga will now run Riga-Lugazi-Riga We hope for our passengers to be understanding and to plan their train rides accordingly Purchased train tickets can be returned to any train ticket office Other trains will run according to the timetable We use cookies and similar methods to recognize visitors and remember their preferences We also use them to measure ad campaign effectiveness By tapping 'accept,' you consent to the use of these methods by us and third parties You can always change your tracker preferences by visiting our Cookie Policy Page Essentials visit this great museum and enjoy a drink or a meal at any of its squares Views with the Cíes Islands in the background Visit the old towns of Vigo and Baiona and immerse yourself in their fascinating history Enjoy the thermal springs of Mondariz and discover the wines from O Condado de Tea The Eel Festival in the town of Valga is held towards the end of the summer to say goodbye to the month to the fullest Three days to enjoy the different dishes and tapas prepared with this delicious fish such as empanada (a kind of savoury pastry) there is a tapas contest where local bars and restaurants are encouraged to participate the winner is chosen among the finalists in a popular tasting Any good food event in Galicia is paired with a popular alcoholic beverage: in this case, the local augardente, popularly known in Galician as caña do país. Whereas one of the mentioned festivals pays tribute to the Ulla River this one does the same with the traditional augardente There was a time when the augardente makers used to go from parish to parish for the distillation They used to sleep in sheds and stayed there until the potada (the distillation of augardente produced in one go in an alembic) was finished They were taken in and fed by the people who had hired them there is another one to choose the best augardente of each variety: blanca (clear and colourless) sugar and herbs) and tostada (the same as caña de herbas but adding caramelised sugar) The contest and the tasting will take place on Friday and Saturday Among the usual activities of the programme of the Mostra da Caña do País the preparation of one of the most popular and "magical" of the traditional Galician beverages: the queimada up to 300 litres of alcohol are sometimes burned The preparation of this beverage depends on the master of ceremonies' taste and it can include many different ingredients from coffee beans to orange or lemon peel and even some pieces of fruits the most popular one is the traditional queimada you can wander around the town to discover you can take the 17-km Cuntis-Valga Path (PRG-21) Another option would be visiting the different cascades as the one in Parafita or in the Valga River Archaeology lovers can also go to Cordeiro to enjoy the Igrexa Vella archaeological site among the most important ones in the region where the role of city architects was for a time assumed by politicians and officials Tallinn is now set to get a new city architect The new ruling coalition in Tallinn should not waste time creating the institution of city architect in order to tap into the best urban construction policies of the Nordics A new and modern set of rules is needed for allocating urban space between different user groups and functions Outside display and screens need to benefit citizens in exchange for polluting urban spaces it is possible that the new city architect will be a populist politician throwing around populist slogans with no real focus but the hope that they can make fundamental decisions remains high for the time being Should the city architect prioritize a holistic rethink of urban spaces it would help considerably improve life in the city at a relatively modest budget The need for new bicycle paths has been discussed at length while the city should also be more accommodating toward residents between the ages of eight and 80 meaning that more urban seating is in order Boosting the quality of urban greenery should also be mentioned But at the expense of what should all of that happen Urban spaces are filled by four groups of road and street users: pedestrians mechanically leaving cars with less space is not always the best solution Streets that separate buildings also have room for greenery and urban infrastructure While the share of greenery could rather grow I see the most potential in rethinking these until recently untouchable technical solutions Why on Earth do we need so many traffic signs Several recent studies suggest that cutting the number or even abolishing road signs can improve traffic safety The reason is simple – fewer distractions one cannot help but notice that Tallinn's general advertising policy also needs to be addressed It falls into the administrative area of the city architect and on its success depends in addition to the aesthetical side of things whether there will be any room left for citizens next all the ads Tallinn seems to give the Piccadilly Circus in London or Times Square in New York a run for their money in terms of advertising spaces is falling behind Tartu and even Valga. Instead of surrendering to the Eastern European trend of screens advertising posters and columns covering building facades we should only allow outside display when it generates revenue for city infrastructure Tallinn's outside display landscape seems chaotic: advertising mediums of different sizes and designs are lining sidewalks while giant screens hang off virtually every free facade Too many of Tallinn's advertising spaces fail to amount to good taste in terms of their design European Parliament elections campaigns are making the bleakness especially obvious The Hobujaama intersection is a true cacophony of advertising The towers marking the entrance to the Foorum mall compete with a giant upright cylinder with no mind paid to proportions and other elements of urban space Why does a trashcan that allows for modern recycling in the Freedom Square (Vabaduse väljak) have to be pressed against an advertising medium But then you notice that there's hardly anywhere else to put it as another giant cylinder rises up just meters from there which often hosts dignitaries visiting Estonia screens of random size and location have been installed on sides of buildings often to the surprise of the architects who designed them firmly part of the previous century's aesthetic while trashcans serving as poster bases attached to light posts are outdated in terms of their design and dilapidated physically Using such monstrosities is not befitting a European green capital outside display policy takes place through carefully considered plans There are rules for advertising mediums in terms of their design Instead of surrendering such an important process to advertising businesses the way our streets look needs to serve the interests of social and urban development Tallinn is set to reconstruct several streets in the coming years The Liivalaia tänav design work is set to start in 2025 while the need to update Tallinn's main street vision has also been discussed This affords the opportunity to take some time to come up with a proper outside display policy the city government could put together guidelines for decision-makers for when they're asked to accommodate advertising it seems that no clear expectations or requirements have been laid down for advertising policy This makes life harder for officials in charge of outside display installation Let us ask whether the streets belong to children families and citizens going about their daily lives or whether they are owned by advertising money by Estonians in Latvia has attracted media attention but a recent decision by the Latvian government to restrict the sale of goods on weekends has seen Latvians from Valka come to the neighboring Estonian town of Valga to do their shopping now expects the Latvian government to grant an exception to border areas from the rule valid since December 5 according to which only pharmacies and stores selling food and basic necessities can be open in Latvia during weekends and the sale of alcohol and tobacco products is forbidden also at these stores.  people living Valka are making use of the exception to the overall quarantine rules awarded to residents of the two neighboring towns to do their shopping in Valga on the Estonian side of the border.   said that when he went to Valga to check out the situation last weekend he saw greater numbers of Latvians than usual near all of Valga's major stores.  the numbers of cars with Latvian license plates at the parking lots of Valga's supermarkets were not particularly big.    Krauklis has sent an appeal to Latvian leaders asking for an exception for stores in Valka not only when it comes to alcohol We have to fight for it to become reality before Christmas," Krauklis said Spokespeople for stores in Valga on the Estonian side of the border say they could see an increase in purchases made in Valga during the first weekend when the restrictions were in force in Latvia "We did see indeed that the number of customers at Valga Rimi grew by as much as over 10 percent last weekend Also alcohol sales increased substantially -- we saw an increase of almost 200 percent in that Thus it apparently can be said indeed that this time around the Latvian government has done a favor to the Estonian economy with its restrictions," Katrin Bats said that a certain increase in the sales of alcohol could be noted at their store in Valga "Purchases of alcohol are nearly double last year's level While the restrictions valid in Latvia definitely may play a certain role when making a comparison with last year it has to be remembered that due to the travel restrictions also purchases by Estonians from Latvia have declined," Kikas said also said that an increase in customer numbers could be seen last weekend.  The border cities of Valga in Estonia and Valka in Latvia now share a unique central square half of which is in one country and the other half in the other The vision to restore the once broken historical space in a modern way came from Catalan architects The outgoing year will mark a century from when the historical city of Walk was divided along the Konnaoja (Frog Creek) with one part remaining in Estonia and the other in Latvia The question who should get Valga caused headaches around the time the countries restored their independence while local governments have tried to come up with a way to soften the disjuncture in recent years The newly completed shared central square of the two cities quite literally offers common ground for residents and should also draw tourists once the pandemic passes "Architects were facing two controversial problems – how to reunite the split city space on the one hand while highlighting the special character of the location on the other," said Valga local government architect Jiri Tintera all other signs of the border have disappeared from the city a border booth and bench where one person can sit in Estonia and the other in Latvia This kind of shared city space is unique in the world and one can constantly feel one's borderline location – it is also possible to swing from one country to the other "The swing clearly emulates Estonian and Latvian village swings that traditionally served as meeting places We put our swing right on the border so people could swing in and out of the two countries," Tintera said Wooden pergolas on the border display quotes by famous Estonians and Latvians from the Valga/Valka area "We got lucky because the architectural competition went the way of Catalan architects who brought to Valka a southern European vision of city space using local and familiar materials such as wood and bricks These wooden pergolas that offer shade from the wind and sun are one such element," Tintera said The pergolas also help hide away old privately owned sheds One must hope that entrepreneurs running a Selver supermarket in the old winery can breathe new life into a tower under heritage conservation While the Valga Municipality does not intend to restore the Vana Ramsi windmill there are plans to render it safe to be used as a venue for small events A knocked-out Russian tank captured during the invasion of Ukraine has been touring South Estonia The tank, a T-72 model, was in Antsla, Võru County, Tuesday morning, continuing to Valga that afternoon, Lõuna Postimees says (link in Estonian) Antsla Deputy Mayro Kurmet Müürsepp told the daily that the tank: "Came directly from Tartu "It is here in order to remember and think about our present to think in our hearts and minds that such nonsense will never come to Estonia." The tank was knocked-out and captured in the early stages of Russia's invasion of Ukraine mirroring similar exhibits in various European capitals Jõhvi and Rakvere opted not to display it - in Narva's case in particular this was likely to be the result of sensitivities surrounding the majority Russian-speaking populace there many of whom still express support for the Kremlin The latter town is on the border with Latvia Rural municipality mayor of the South Estonian town of Valga Margus Lepik (Reform) says that document checks at the border which separates the town from the Latvian town of Valka should be removed including to allow minors to cross the border between the twin towns without parental consent Lepik says that with the growing movement between the two towns for instance during jointly-organized exhibitions the requirement for having a travel document to hand should be lifted a kindergarten group wanted to travel 500 meters to visit another group [across the border] they had a friendship arrangement with The group's leaders wanted to do things by the book and asked the police what documents were needed When it became clear that the written consent of both parents was required they did not venture over the border even though the kindergarten's backyard abuts on to the border," Lepik said noting that he was away from the town at the time Lepik proposes a "Valga-Valka special zone" which would cover both towns from within with a controlled state border running round the outskirts of both towns with the two towns coming under one municipality being an ideal with former MEP Igor Gräzin (Centre) the only national-level politician in Estonia so far to have welcomed the idea we are still in the same position in both countries There are politicians and officials who are very aware of [the problem] this usually clashes with general rules and bureaucratic obstacles," Lepik explained The question also remains whether a different approach in border checks is needed in the town(s) The Police and Border Guard Board have said that no unaccompanied minors have to date been sent back from the border nor are Latvian children crossing in the other direction checked "We have a joint art school on the Latvian side of the broder and the children cross the border all the time as a result we have no guarantee that checks will not happen Our goal is still to comply with the laws of both countries we would still need to change the regulations both of them," Lepik continued Both Estonia and Latvia joined the Schengen Area of free movement in 2007 resulting in the removal of border checkpoints However the authorities of both countries can still carry out spot checks Those living in Estonia on a resident's permit should still take their passport when traveling to Latvia or Finland since the Estonian ID card is not a travel document for non-citizens Download the ERR News app for Android and iOS now and never miss an update! Laadi alla uus Eesti Raadio äpp, kust leiad kõik ERRi raadiojaamad, suure muusikavaliku ja podcastid. Tartu County Court has convicted Valga Hospital chief surgeon Andres Sell for conducting illegal human trials and several other counts. Under an agreement with prosecutors, Sell, 50, pled nolo contendere to conducting the trials, importing prohibited goods, influencing another person to forge a document and using the forged document. The total fine was 31,285.25 euros. Sell was also ordered to pay procedural costs of close to 500 euros. Sell's lawyers said Sell did not fight the accusation due to pragmatic reasons. "Regardless of the evidence gathered in the criminal case, Andres Sell did not wish to undergo an exhausting court procedure under public scrutiny and wishes to focus on his main line of work as a doctor," said Aivar Pilv, Sell's attorney. Pilv said that due to the plea bargain, in which Sell did not admit guilt, there was no discussion at the hearing on whether Sell's actions were a case of a drug trial, as alleged, or gathering data in the course of everyday medical practice. According to the accusation, Sell carried out a study of the effects of an anesthetic called 2-chloroprocaine on humans, despite lacking consent from the Agency of Medicines and informed consent from patients. A young male bear who was caught near Valga in August and comes from Pskov Oblast in Russia was sent to a rehabilitation center for orphaned bears in the Tver Oblast Central Forest Reserve on Tuesday Proša's journey began Tuesday afternoon at Tallinn Zoo where the bear has been staying since he was caught. His journey took 24-hours and was 850 kilometers long. He arrived on Wednesday and will be released into the wild in the spring Organizing the transport of the bear turned out to be more difficult than initially thought ERR reported. "The bear had entered the Estonian state illegally without documentation due to the understanding of the authorities in both countries all the obstacles that had been resolved and the untraditional situation had been overcome we have been asked why the zoo did not keep Proša the zoo generally does not take wild animals for its collection we are unable to provide a suitable habitat for the brown bear." He added the system of rehabilitation of wild animals in Estonia is still under development. "If possible the zoo will try to help in such cases in the future," said Maran Proša was one of two brown bears spotted in Valga County in south Estonia in August Only Proša was captured after he fell asleep under a tree Experts think the bears had strayed across the Estonian-Russian border The two-and-a-half-year-old Proša was found scavenging at a compost heap in Valga County ETV's current affairs show Aktuaalne kaamera reported in August The bear had knocked over paint pots and clambered over at least one vehicle and some outhouses The bear had reportedly visited the compost heap nightly for several days before being caught Vet Madis Levits said that the bear had plundered a trash bag before falling asleep under a fir tree where he was found.  Take note – story published 1 year and 11 months ago As previously reported by LSM the scrap metal has previously visited Rīga The T-72B will be on display in the central square that links the two towns from May 10 to June 6 for anyone who wants to see it