On 1 July 1920, Valka was divided into two countries, Latvia and Estonia, when the border between the newly independent states was drawn. 2007. On 21 December 2007, when Latvia and Estonia joined the Schengen visa-free area, the Riga and Raja Streets border crossing point was officially opened by the President of the Republic of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, and the President of the Republic of Latvia, Valdis Zatlers.
A place where you have a unique opportunity to be in two countries at the same time in the city centre – with one foot in Latvia and the other in Estonia, holding “ice cream” in one hand and “jäätis” in the other. See which hand melts the ice cream faster – the north of Latvia or the south of Estonia. Take a photo of yourself at the border post and the European Union signposts “Latvia begins” and “Estonia begins”. Listen out for the Varžupīte frogs croaking in Latvian or Estonian and watch which way the Pedele River, the border crossing, flows.
On 1 July 1920, Valka was divided into two countries, Latvia and Estonia, by drawing the border between the newly independent states.
The previously established Latvian-Estonian border commissions were unable to reach an agreement. The decision to draw the border was taken by the chairman of the arbitration, English Colonel S. J. Tallent. The main part of the town was allocated to Estonia, while the suburbs of Lugazi and Putraskalns were allocated to Latvia.
The Varž River separated Valka, Latvia, from Valga, Estonia, both between 1920 and 1940 and at present.
- On 21 December 2007, when Latvia and Estonia joined the Schengen visa-free area, the border crossing point at Riga and Raja streets was officially opened by the President of the Republic of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, and the President of the Republic of Latvia, Valdis Zatlers, who each received a piece of the border barrier as a memento.
Welcome to Valka-Valga: one city in two countries!
Coordinates: 57.776444, 26.025918
Photo from the Valka TIB archive.