Medieval castle · Valga County · Tõrva
Helme Helmet
Helme was built in the early 1300s on a high promontory cut off by two moats, beside the important road from Sakala to Ugandi. Its fieldstone ring wall followed the shape of the headland, forming an oval 116 by 70 meters, with rooms built along its inner side. In 1658, during the Russo-Swedish War, the Swedes blew the castle up and withdrew.
Built / first recorded early 1300s
Style Gothic Order castle
Condition Lost 1658
German name Helmet Today
The ruins have been cleared and conserved; legend says a girl named Anne was walled up inside the castle.
Owners Liivi ordu14. saj–1560 Jakob De la Gardie1624–1658 Good to know The main castle was an oval 116 by 70 meters, stretched north to south. It had only one entrance, facing south. Helme came through the Livonian War undamaged. Photos through time 1827 · The Helme ruinsc. 1850 · Site plan from the Paulucci album1856 · The Helme ruins1866 · Helme Castlearchive · Helme Order castlearchive · The Helme castle ruinsarchive · Helme Castle (Das Schloss Helmet)2011 · The east wall, 20112012 · Helme castle, 20122021 · The castle ruins, 2021Nearby
The buildings are stylized impressions, not surveyed models. Facts: mois.ee, Museum of Estonian Architecture, ERR, Wikipedia. Photos: MuIS and Wikimedia Commons, credited with each photo.
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