Narva · Estonia

Narva Muuseum

castlehistorybordergoogle verified

easy

9/10

best: morning, afternoon

dramatic, historic, frontier

A local would say...

Two medieval castles face each other across 150 metres of water — one in the EU, one in Russia.

A restored medieval castle guarding the Narva River and the Friendship Bridge into Russia, dating from Danish rule in the 13th century, and facing its near-identical counterpart Ivangorod Castle across the water on the Russian bank. The border between Estonia and Russia runs through the middle of the river, making this one of the most visually dramatic frontier points in Europe — two medieval fortresses facing each other across 150 metres of water. Monthly candlelit night tours make the castle particularly atmospheric.