Narva castle

Narva Castle is an ancient castle, built in the XIII century. It was built on the banks of the Narva River, first of wood, but after its burning by the Russians, the Danes built a new stone fortress.

The architecture of the castle corresponds to its direct purpose - protection from the enemy. This is a voluminous quadrangular tower, for combat purposes. The thickness of the walls ranged from 2.5 to 3.5 meters, which allowed the fighters to feel safe. The walls surrounded the courtyard on all sides, thus forming a closed space. Inside, to the north side, an outbuilding was attached, where living quarters were located, and the eastern part located rooms for household needs.

The castle changed owners several times, the Danes were there, the Russians, and even the Swedes. Since 1342, the fortress was reinforced by the Great Fortress, in front of which a ditch of one and a half meters was dug. The Livonian period of ownership of the castle contributed to its further strengthening.

The main tower became higher - nine-tiered. The tower is crowned by two weather vanes: a dragon and a lion, symbolizing glory and valor. In this regard, the fortress was nicknamed “Long Herman”. In its composition, the castle had a chapel, in the basement a prison for prisoners.

During World War II, like many other buildings, the castle was heavily damaged. After restoration, the Narva Museum was placed in its building.