Vastseliina

Vastseliina belongs to southeastern Estonia, where wooded hills, lakes, and river valleys create routes between the Baltic interior and the Russian lands farther east. Cultivation and livestock supported scattered communities, while woodland resources and local exchange supplemented production. A fortified site could control approaches through this varied country, making the district important to defense as well as ordinary travel and trade.

Construction of Vastseliina Castle began in 1342 as a frontier stronghold of the Bishopric of Dorpat. A reported miracle in its chapel in 1353 made the castle a pilgrimage destination, bringing religious visitors to a site built for defence. During the Livonian War Russian forces captured the fortress in 1558. Later struggles among neighbouring powers changed the political framework of the surrounding countryside.