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Geonivora
City

Paide

Located in Paide linn, Järvamaa Coordinates: 58°53′16″ N 25°32′26″ E

Paide
Ivo Kruusamägi · CC BY-SA 3.0 ee · Wikimedia Commons
Population
7,793
7.8K
Elevation
65 m
above sea level
Local time
UTC+02:00
Europe/Tallinn · UTC+02:00
When to go
June–August
See the climate
Airports
TLL Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport71 km
EPU Pärnu Airport81 km

About Paide

Paide is a city. Location: Paide linn, Järvamaa. Population: 7,793. Elevation: 65 m. The best months to visit are June–August. The nearest airport is Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport (71 km).

Travel notes for Paide

From Wikivoyage

Paide (German: Weißenstein, Low German: Wittenstein) is a small town in the heart of Estonia and the county seat of Järva County. It is best known for the 13th-century Livonian Order castle on Vallimägi hill, whose restored tower now holds an interactive history museum, for being the birthplace of the composer Arvo Pärt, and for the annual Opinion Festival held on the castle grounds every August.

Understand+

Paide sits roughly in the geographic middle of Estonia, which makes it a convenient stop between the larger cities. The town has around 8,000 inhabitants (8,073 in 2024). It is compact and easy to explore on foot, and a visit is a good chance to see everyday small-town Estonia alongside its medieval past.

The Livonian Order began building a limestone fortress on Vallimägi hill in 1265; the name Weißenstein/Wittenstein means "white stone". It was among the oldest order castles in Estonia and an important stronghold in the Middle Ages. Today the castle is mostly ruins, but the octagonal defence tower ("Vallitorn") has been fully restored.

The composer was born in Paide in 1935, and the town marks the site of his childhood home with a small music garden. The town centre is also decorated with a set of murals painted on house walls by local artists in 2017–2018.

Tourist information:

Visit Järva (Järvamaa turismiinfo), ☏ +372 552 7471, info@visitjarva.ee. Phone information Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00. The county tourism portal, with listings of sights, accommodation, food and activities in Paide and the rest of Järva County. (updated Nov 2026)

Paide town website

The national portal Visit Estonia also lists Paide's attractions, cafés and accommodation.

Get in+

By car:

Paide lies in central Estonia, a short drive off the main road between Tallinn and Tartu. The Mäo crossroads on that highway is less than 5 km from the town, and the village of Mäeküla (at about the 94th km of the Tallinn–Tartu road) belongs to Paide municipality. Approximate road distances: 86 km to Tallinn, 104 km to Tartu, 70 km to Viljandi, 83 km to Pärnu and 14 km to Türi. For the Time Centre, drive into the centre of Paide and follow the signs to the Order Castle.

By bus:

Long-distance services between Tallinn and Tartu have stops at Mäoristi near Paide. Regional buses connect Mäoristi with Paide. Regional lines connect Paide with Türi, Pärnu, Viljandi and nearby villages.

1 Paide Bus Station (Paide bussijaam), Jaama 15, Paide. The main bus station, served by regional buses and connections to other Estonian towns. (updated Nov 2026)

By train:

Paide has no station; the nearest railway station is in Türi, 14 km away.

Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged

Climate of Paide

Best months for sightseeing

Best months for sightseeing: June–August.

This month · November

A cold month

Day 3° · Night -2° · Rain 69 mm

Hottest month
July (day 23°)
Coldest month
February (night -9°)
Wettest month
August (86 mm)
Driest month
February (34 mm)

Bars: average monthly low and high temperature. Below: precipitation. Monthly averages for 1970–2000 at about 18 km resolution, adjusted for elevation. Highlighted months are mild and relatively dry. Source: WorldClim 2.1 (CC BY 4.0).

Show values as a table
Climate of Paide
Month JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high (°C)-2°-2°2°10°17°20°23°21°16°9°3°-1°
Average low (°C)-8°-9°-5°0°5°9°12°11°6°2°-2°-6°
Precipitation (mm)443434354062788671756954

Other places to visit in this season: June July August

How to get to Paide

The nearest airport is Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport (TLL), 71 km to the northwest as the crow flies. The nearest large city is Tallinn, 76 km to the northwest.

Airports

  • Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport (TLL) Tallinn 71 kmnorthwest
  • Pärnu Airport (EPU) Pärnu 81 kmsouthwest
  • Tartu Airport (TAY) Tartu 93 kmsoutheast

Nearby large cities

  • Tallinn Population: 394K 76 kmnorthwest
  • Riga Population: 742.6K 232 kmsouth

Straight-line distances; road distances are longer. Airport data: OurAirports.

Day trips from Paide

Within 100 km: 11 historic and cultural sites, 17 natural sites, 103 lakes, rivers and coasts.

0–25 km1 place

  • Prandi Jõgi River 14 kmSW

25–60 km25 places

  • Koeru TV Mast Landmark 31 kmE
  • Väinjärv Lake 32 kmE
  • Porkuni Järv Lake 50 kmNE
  • Lake Endla Lake 38 kmE

60–100 km105 places

  • Prangli Saar Island 88 kmN
  • Aegna Saar Island 89 kmNW
  • Mohni Island 89 kmN
  • Rammu Island 78 kmN

Straight-line distances.

Sources & licences

Data last updated: