Rakvere is Estonia's fifth-largest city, sitting in the northern part of the country about 100 km east of Tallinn. Most visitors come for the medieval castle on the hill above town, which is one of the best-restored and most entertaining in the Baltics — it's been turned into a living history site with knights, craftsmen, and a torture chamber that keeps kids busy for hours.
The town centre itself is modest but pleasant, with a handful of good restaurants and a laid-back atmosphere that makes a nice contrast to the tourist bustle of Tallinn. Rakvere works well as a day trip from the capital or as an overnight stop on the way to the Lahemaa National Park.