St John’s Lutheran Church

Southern Estonia


This dignified, compellingly picturesque 17th-century church, with its pale-grey walls and stone altar, has been restored since its Soviet incarnation as a furniture warehouse. It was originally part of a 15th-century Franciscan abbey (hence the stained-glass image of the saint to the right of the altar) and if you look closely you can spot the remains of pre-Reformation frescoes over the arch leading from the porch into the church proper.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Southern Estonia attractions

1. Kondas Centre

0.05 MILES

Housing vibrantly colourful works by local painter Paul Kondas (1900–85) and other self-taught artists working outside the mainstream, this is Estonia’s…

2. Viljandi Museum

0.15 MILES

Occupying two floors of a late-18th-century pharmacy on the old market square, this modest museum has displays tracing Viljandi’s history from the Stone…

3. Old Water Tower

0.16 MILES

One of Vijlandi's most distinctive landmarks, this odd 30m red-brick water tower topped with a hexagonal wooden structure offers fine views over the…

4. Viljandi Teutonic Order Castle

0.2 MILES

Set within a lush park on the natural defensive prominence of Lossimäed, the scant-yet-evocative remains of Viljandi's powerful castle form a picturesque…

5. St Paul’s Lutheran Church

0.22 MILES

Built in 1866 to accommodate Viljandi's growing Lutheran congregation, this visually arresting, Tudor-Gothic-style church has a wooden pulpit and gallery,…

6. Viljandi järv

0.36 MILES

Accessed by a steep path leading down from Pikk street, the lake is a popular place for a swim on warm summer days. All the usual hallmarks of the…