Viljandi

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2019

City presentation

Viljandi, a city of 17,400 inhabitants, boasts a rich cultural landscape, highlighted by the Tartu University Viljandi Culture Academy, which specializes in native crafts. The city is home to 2,780 registered enterprises, with 738 linked to creative fields, contributing significantly to the local economy and providing social benefits. Key industries include blacksmithing, ceramics, and Estonia’s only prototyping wool mill.

Viljandi celebrates its crafts heritage through the Estonian Traditional Music Centre, hosting the annual Viljandi Folk Music Festival, which attracts over 20,000 visitors. Since 2014, the city has also organized the Craft Camp Estonia, promoting traditional handicraft techniques and blending old and new methods. To support the creative sector, Viljandi provides financial stipends to local artists and craftspeople, enabling them to focus on their work and promote their creations while preserving national culture.

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