Väätsa – a quiet little settlement tucked between forests and fields in the heart of Järvamaa – has proven that even the smallest village can shine the brightest. Once known as a forward-thinking kolkhoz community, it has grown into one of Estonia’s most charming winter attractions, drawing more visitors in one month than some towns manage in a year.

Everything began with a simple idea: what if the dark windows of the old cultural centre could glow again? In the first year, the locals decorated just 20 windows – an idea wild enough for people to jump in with enthusiasm. And grow it did. Today, the number of Christmas windows has doubled, and around 15,000 visitors stroll through Väätsa every holiday season.

The secret of Väätsa isn’t the windows themselves, but the people behind them. Creativity and cooperation run deep here. Whether it’s the snowman parade, the apartment block festival or the beloved Christmas windows, this is a community where ideas start bold and get realised together. Schools, clubs, businesses, museums, hobby groups and ordinary residents now contribute to the project, turning it into a county-wide celebration of imagination.

The cultural centre, once a dark and lonely giant in the middle of the village, has become the beating heart of it all. In late November, it fills with joyful noise: Christmas music, the rustle of gingerbread, the scent of mandarins and about a hundred people crafting tiny fairy-tale worlds for their windows. Väätsa even has its own “inventors’ brigade” – a group of clever hands who help bring ideas to life with lights, moving parts and a bit of friendly engineering magic.

The project has changed everyday life as well. Young families are discovering Väätsa as a place worth calling home, local businesses gain visibility, tourism in Järvamaa gets a welcome boost, and above the village shines once again the legendary Väätsa light sign, rebuilt by a determined local who wanted his childhood memory to glow again.

And perhaps the most beautiful part: everything is voluntary. There is no competition, no judging panel, no pressure. Everyone is invited, everyone is welcome, and every single window matters.

Väätsa’s story shows that great things can grow in small places. You just have to start. And when a little village can bring so much light into the darkest month of the year, it’s no wonder that more and more travellers find their way to this cosy corner of Central Estonia.

If your curiosity is already sparkling, Väätsa is worth the trip.
The magical Christmas windows light up from the beginning of December until Epiphany in early January, when even the last elf finally packs away his red hat.

Come stroll through the glowing evening paths, enjoy the creativity of locals young and old, and feel how a small Estonian village can warm your winter spirit in the most unexpected way. You may even find a delightful idea following you home.

Väätsa is waiting for you – and so is Christmas.