In ancient times, the area now known as Võsu was part of Rebala Parish, then situated in the north-western part of Viru County. According to Danish researcher Paul Johansen, Võsu was mentioned for the first time in 1346. Be that as it may, historical accounts first note the settlement’s existence on 3 April 1510, when it forms part of an agreement regarding the transfer of Palmse Manor. Nevertheless, archaeological findings confirm that the area surrounding Võsu was settled long before the medieval period.
The resort’s development was boosted by the Paldiski to St Petersburg railway which opened in 1870. Holidaymakers who arrived from Russia by train became more and more prominent on the local scene. By the time World War One was triggered, more than 120 holiday homes had been built in Võsu and a cruise line had been established to operate between Tallinn and Võsu. During the tsarist era, most holidaymakers were aristocrats from St Petersburg, Moscow, and Germany, but in the early years of the Estonia republic, more and more local tourists found their way to Võsu. In the 1930s when visitor numbers began to surge anew, a regular bus route was established on the Tallinn-Võsu-Tallinn route. Following the Second World War, Võsu Holiday Home (‘Võsu Puhkekodu’ in Estonian) was set up, which included nationalised residences and holiday homes. During the operational years for Võsu Holiday Home, at times more than 11,000 people holidayed in Võsu over the course of one summer. To be able to service all of these holiday home guests, a number of residential complexes and other facilities were built, some of these which were unsuited to Võsu in terms of their architecture and scale. By now, many buildings of the former holiday home have been destroyed or torn down. Following Estonia regaining its independence, Võsu Holiday Home’s assets were returned to their former owners or were privatised, marking the beginning of a new era in the story of Võsu as a holiday resort.