Estonia · 12th century
The Valjala Stronghold (Latin: Castrum Waldia, Estonian: Valjala Maalinn) was a major ringfort on the island of Saaremaa in Estonia. Established in the 12th century, at the time it was the most important Oeselian stronghold. Its surrender in 1227 finalized the crusader conquest of Estonia.
The surroundings of Valjala hillfort consist mostly of marshland. Higher ground extends for approximately 200 metres northeast of the hillfort, along the present-day road. A thin cultural layer has been discovered there, remaining from the former “town.” It was not an actual town, but rather a seasonal gathering place.
Text adapted from “Valjala Stronghold” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Valjala Stronghold ranks #6,783 of 9,035 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #33 of the 36 mapped in Estonia. Founded c. 1150, it is older than 80% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 763 atlas entries founded in the 12th century. 1 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Estonia compares in the castle statistics.
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