Rõuge Fortress: A Digital Reconstruction

How do you reconstruct a fortress that has been gone for nearly a thousand years? What did a waste dump in the 8th century look like?

Rõuge Fortress, located in a narrow strip of land between the Rõuge and Tindioru (Ööbikuoru) valleys, is one of Estonia’s most significant and best-studied archaeological sites. The hillfort and its adjacent village date back to the 5th–11th centuries, and together they form one of the most complete examples of a Viking-era settlement in the region. Excavations led by archaeologists Harri Moora and Marta Schmiedehelm in the 1950s revealed a rich cultural layer, providing detailed insight into life within the fortress and its surrounding village. Later studies by Anti Lillak and Heiki Valgu in 2008 confirmed that the site had been destroyed and rebuilt several times between the 7th and 9th centuries.

Today, only the building remains and buried artefacts tell the story of Rõuge. To make this history accessible, we created a digital reconstruction of the fortress and its village, based on archaeological data and historical sources. Using 3D modeling, we reconstructed the fortifications, dwellings, workshops, and storage pits that once filled the site. The inhabitants were brought to life through animation — craftsmen, warriors, and kids playing with a dog — showing scenes of everyday activity within the fort.

Interactive elements allow visitors to explore the reconstructed fortress, learn about its architecture, and uncover how its people lived: cooking over hot stone stoves, spinning yarn and forging metal. Archaeological finds reveal that Rõuge was a thriving Viking-age community, sustained by livestock farming, hunting, fishing, and trade stretching as far as Central Asia and the Arab world, as evidenced by Arabic silver coins and imported glass beads found on site.

To make the experience even more tangible, filmed scenes of daily life were filmed in collaboration with renowned Estonian filmmaker Marko Raat. These short films reimagine life in the fortress and can be viewed by interacting with points of interest in the digital model.

Through this reconstruction, visitors can immerse themselves in the world of Rõuge’s early inhabitants.