Võru

Võru was founded on 21 August 1784, at the request of the Empress Catherine II of Russia, by the order of Riga Governor general count George Browne, on the site of the former Võru estate as the center of the new county.

From 1797 until today, Võru has been the administrative center of the surrounding region.

In 1827, the Võru Town Hospital was opened and Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, who lived and worked as a doctor in Võru from 1833 to 1877, also wrote the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg in Võru. The development of the town was facilitated by the Pskov-Riga railway completed in 1889, which enabled Võru to have a direct connection with Riga and St. Petersburg. As a result, trade was developed, a flour mill, a sawmill and a distillery were built. Võru became the center of the surrounding rural area.^[2]

The town is situated on the shore of Lake Tamula.

Võru has a humid continental climate (Dfb according to the Köppen climate classification) with warm summers and cold winters. Võru has one of the most continental climates in Estonia: both the temperatures of 35.6 °C (96.1 °F), the highest temperature ever recorded in the country, and −43.4 °C (−46.1 °F), 0.1°C (0.2 °F) short of the coldest temperature ever recorded in the country (in Jõgeva), were recorded here.^[3] Precipitation is usually higher in early summer to late autumn, and lower in late winter to early spring.

The Võru Folklore Festival has been held annually in Võru in July since 1995.^[21]

Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, the author of the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg, lived in Võru from 1833 to 1877. The Kreutzwald Memorial Museum and the Võro Institute are also located in Võru.

Võru is home to Võru Stadium, the home ground of II liiga football team Võru JK.

European route E263 is the main connection with the rest of Estonia. Other roads connect Võru with Põlva, Räpina, Antsla and Valga. The Valga–Pechory railway, which passes through Võru, is currently inactive. The Võru train station is unused as of 2001.

Võru is home to Taara Army Base, headquarters of the Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion.^[22]

Võru is twinned with:^[23]

• Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (1803–1882), Estonian writer and folklorist, the author of Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg, lived in Võru from 1833 to 1877.
• Priidu Puusepp (1887–1972), Estonian educator and linguist
• Katrin Välbe (1904–1981), Estonian actress
• Moses Wolf Goldberg (1905–1964), Estonian-Jewish chemist, lived in Võru as a child.
• Debora Vaarandi (1916–2007), Estonian poet
• Helmut Ajango (1931–2013), Estonian-American architect
• Leon Sibul (1932–2007), American electrical engineer
• Priit Aimla (born 1941) writer, poet, humorist and politician
• Marianne Mikko (born 1961), Estonian politician.
• Erki Pehk (born 1968), Estonian conductor
• Sulev Iva (born 1969), Võro identity advocate, founder of Võro Institute.
• Innar Mäesalu (born 1970), Estonian politician
• Ain Mäeots (born 1971), Estonian actor and director
• Hilje Murel (born 1975), Estonian actress
• Kullar Viimne (born 1980), Estonian fillmaker
• Uku Suviste (born 1982), Estonian singer

• 
  Fr.R.Kreutzwald street in Võru
• 
  Tartu street near the beach
• 
  Tamula lake in Võru
• 
  MS Estonia memorial on the central square
• 
  Võro Institute
• 
  Võru Gymnasium
• 
  Monument to Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald
• 
  Võru county government building
• 
  Old fire station

• Võro language