In the northern part of Estonia, on the very border with Russia, lies the beautiful city of Narva. Such a border location of this settlement in past times had both positive and negative sides. Here was the intersection of important trade routes, which could not but affect its prosperity. However, Narva has always been one of the first targets of the country during any military operations. It is for this reason that most of the rulers of a given period of the city’s existence tried to secure it by erecting various defensive structures, many of which have survived to our time.
What to see first of all, having arrived in a city with the name Narva? The sights of this settlement, as well as others, are historical architectural structures, among which the
Narva Castle of Herman, dated to the 8th century. The face of this complex is the Long Herman Tower, whose height is over 50 meters. Another interesting building is the Narva Town Hall, the construction of which began in 1868 and lasted more than three years. After numerous restorations, the original appearance of the building has already been changed. The Town Hall today is a three-story building with a high base. Its roof is covered by a dome, on top of which a crane is installed, which is a kind of symbol of the city.
Continuing to inspect the interesting buildings that Narva is famous for, sights can be supplemented with religious buildings, including the Resurrection Cathedral. The temple was built in the early 19th century in the Byzantine style. The outside of the building is lined with light and dark facing bricks. If you look at the plan of the cathedral, you can not fail to notice that it resembles a cross. The belfry consists of three small and three large bells. Inside there is a three-tier iconostasis made of oak, the decoration of which was used among other materials and gold.
Continuing the conversation about the religious buildings that Narva is proud of, the sights can be supplemented with such a structure as the Alexander Church, dated to the 18th century. The value of the temple is the historical bell. In addition, stained glass windows are interesting for tourists.
But these are not all the sights. Narva has many other interesting places. One of these is the Dark Garden. It is considered the oldest park in the city. It is located on the Victoria bastion, which by the end of the 19th century had lost its defensive significance. The most visited in the park is a monument, which is a cast-iron monument in the form of a cross. It is installed by the soldiers who died in the Northern War . In addition to him, there is a mass grave in the park , which is dedicated to the fallen soldiers, but already during the 1918 War of Independence. The Swedish lion is another sculpture erected here on a hilltop.
What is more remarkable city of Narva? Sights (more precisely, their list) can be supplemented with the names of many places, a visit to which will be quite interesting. One of the oldest museums in Estonia is the Narva Historical Museum, whose collection tells the history of the city from the 13th century. It is recommended to visit the art gallery, which is located in the former building of the arms warehouse, dating from the 18th century. And finally, you can visit the famous Estonian tavern - the White Horse tavern, which went down in history due to the fact that scenes from the famous movie Three Musketeers were shot here.