Housing vibrantly colourful works by local painter Paul Kondas (1900–85) and other self-taught artists working outside the mainstream, this is Estonia’s only gallery dedicated to naïve and outsider art. It’s not hard to find – in a marvellously oblique reference to the artist’s 1965 work Strawberry Eaters, the stalks of all the giant strawberries scattered around town point here.
Facing the old market square stands this modest two-storey museum, which has displays tracing Viljandi’s history from the Stone Age to the mid-20th century. There are folk costumes, stuffed animals, black-and-white photos of the city, and a mock-up of what the original castle probably looked like. English translations are limited.
Viljandi’s reputation as Estonia’s folk-music capital was cemented with the opening of this very un-folksy modern centre in 2007. As well as being a place for study, it has two state-of-the-art concert halls and an upmarket cafe; call in to see what’s on the programme or enquire at the tourist office.
