ESTONIA - Põlva

The City of Põlva was founded in the 15 th century around a church, which had been built at the crossroads of trade routes. The small village has developed into an administrative centre of the province.

Põlva has 6500 inhabitants. It is a nice place to work and live. It is safe and the village offers many activities for youth. Moreover, there are many dynamic enterprises. Approximately 70% of all industrial goods of the province are produced in Põlva. You can find all the ingredients for a pleasant life in Põlva: companies, education culture, sport and medical services.

The town is also popular for tourists. The diverse and untouched nature fascinates both active holidaymakers and those who enjoy rest and peace.

Põlva is a healthy village that recently became a member of the "movement of healthy municipalities". The beach of Lake Põlva is the best place for enjoying the pleasures of summer swimming and sunbathing, playgrounds, skate park attractions and walking trails, boat-trips and fishing. Young and old can share the brilliant sun, clean water and warm air! The long history and the many traditions have made Põlva famous in Estonia and abroad.

The open-air song festivals are particularly well known. In 1990, the people of Plva celebrated the day of the village, a great festival with concerts, dance parties, expositions and a parade.

The inhabitants of Põlva are extraordinarily sport lovers. There are 20 sport clubs, including handball, basketball and football. The village has several sport facilities like a new sports hall and football stadium. The neighbourhood used to be agricultural. Agriculture and forestry still play an important role in the economy of the Põlva County. In the village, several companies produce food products or manufacture wood. The service sector is sizable. There is a large hospital; there are eight institutions for education, many shops and commercial services etc. Tourism is growing.