Narva in Estonia – attractions on the border with Russia

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | Narva in eastern Estonia is a city unlike any other in the country. Here, Estonia and Russia lie on opposite sides of the Narva River, with two mighty fortresses facing each other. Add Swedish history, bastions, a long river promenade and an exciting industrial heritage – and you have a city that is definitely worth a stop on your trip through Estonia.

Narva – Estonia's border city with Russia

Narva is located in the easternmost part of Estonia, right on the border with Russia. On the other side of the narrow Narva River is the Russian city of Ivangorod, and from several places in Narva you can see straight across to the neighboring country.

Narva today has just over 50,000 inhabitants – significantly fewer than the 67,000 who lived here when we first wrote this article. By October 2025, the population had dropped to just over 51,000 people.

The city is also culturally and linguistically different from much of the rest of Estonia. Russian has a very strong position, something you both hear and see when you move around the city.

When we visited Narva, we thought it felt almost a bit exotic to come here. The settlement is largely characterized by the Soviet era, while you can find older buildings, parks and monuments – and above all, lots of history.

On one of our walks, I (Helena) also took the opportunity to play a game of chess with Paul Keres, the famous Estonian chess player. He didn't respond much, but seemed nice nonetheless.

The border between Estonia and Russia in Narva

One of the strangest experiences in Narva is standing by the river and looking straight into Russia. Narva and Ivangorod are connected by the Friendship Bridge, and when we were here in 2019, both cars and pedestrians were crossing the border.

It doesn't look like that anymore. Since 2024, the Narva border crossing has been closed to vehicles. In August 2026, the Narva-1 border crossing will be open to pedestrians only and will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The situation at the border may also change at short notice. Estonian authorities recommend that travel to Russia be avoided altogether.

For those visiting Narva as tourists, the bridge is still a special place to see. On one side you are in Estonia and the EU – and just a few hundred meters away, Russia begins.

Hermannsborg – Narva's mighty castle

The biggest attraction in Narva is undoubtedly Narva Castle, or Hermannsborg. The castle was founded by the Danes in the 13th century and has since had a long and, to say the least, eventful history.

What makes the place extra spectacular is its location. On the other side of the river lies Ivangorod Fortress, which Ivan III had built in 1492. Two large medieval fortresses. Two countries. A river between.

When you stand at Hermannsborg, the Russian fortress feels almost ridiculously close. It's one of those views that's hard to capture in a picture – you almost have to be there to understand how close the countries actually are to each other.

Visit Narva Castle

Narva Castle is now a museum and is well worth a visit. Here you can learn more about the history of both the castle and the city, and the environments make the history much more tangible than when you just read about it.

When we were here, there was a blacksmith, an old-fashioned pharmacy and various small shops in the courtyard. When we visited, you also received a special coin with your entrance ticket, which could be used to buy a small souvenir.

The museum has developed since then and today there is a permanent exhibition inside the renovated castle. Narva Museum also arranges various tours and events.

Tall Hermann and the view towards Russia

One of the highlights – literally speaking – is the tower of Long Hermann. On the way up you get a good dose of stair training while also learning about Narva's history. For us Swedes, the visit is extra interesting because much of the city's history is intertwined with Sweden's.

When you finally reach the top, a fantastic view of the Narva River and the Ivangorod Fortress on the Russian side awaits. Or you can wait a little further down while your less afraid of heights travel companions go up with their cameras. I chose the latter option. Peter got to take the pictures.

Narva and Swedish history

For Swedish visitors, Narva is of particular interest. The city belonged to Sweden from 1581 until 1704 and developed during the Swedish period into an important trading and border town.

The most famous event is of course the Battle of Narva in 1700, during the Great Northern War. The Swedish army under Charles XII defeated a significantly larger Russian army.

The victory did not last long, however. Four years later, Narva was captured by Peter the Great's Russian army and the Swedish era was over. Traces of the Swedish era are still visible in several places in the city.

The Swedish lion in Narva

A clear reminder of our shared history is the Swedish lion. The first monument was erected in 1936 to commemorate the Battle of Narva, but was destroyed during World War II. The current monument was inaugurated in 2000, 300 years after the battle. The monument also offers a fine view of the area around the river and the fortresses.

Victoria Bastion – a legacy from the Swedish era

Even more Swedish history can be found at the Narva bastions. During the Swedish period, Narva's defenses were greatly expanded according to plans by the Swedish fortification officer Erik Dahlbergh. Work on the large bastion system began in 1682 and continued until the Great Northern War. The Russians later continued the work after they conquered the city.

The most powerful of the defense installations is Victoria bastion. Today you can take guided tours through the old underground casemates. When we were in Narva we managed to find days when it was closed, so we still have this to experience.

Nowadays, the facility is open year-round, but visits to the underground passages are by guided tour and require advance booking. It can be chilly even in summer – the temperature in the casemates reaches around 15 degrees at most.

The river promenade in Narva

A much more accessible experience is to walk along the Narva River. The promenade runs below the castle and bastions, offering a constant view of Russia on the other side of the water. There are seating areas, small sculptures and green areas.

It's a nice walk in itself, but above all it's the location that makes it special. On the other side of the river you can see Ivangorod and the large Russian fortress, while Hermannsborg rises behind you on the Estonian side.

Town Hall and Narva College

One of the few older buildings remaining in central Narva is the Baroque Town Hall from the 17th century.

The city was hit extremely hard during World War II and large parts of the historic buildings were destroyed. Next to the town hall is today the University of Tartu's Narva College, a modern building with an unusual architectural connection to old Narva.

For those who want to see what the city looked like before the destruction of the war, there is also a virtual experience at the town hall where you can walk around old Narva using VR technology.

Churches in Narva

There are also a couple of churches that are worth checking out when walking around the city.

Alexander Cathedral

Alexander Cathedral is a Lutheran church that was built between 1881 and 1884. The church was badly damaged during World War II and has since been restored in stages. When we were here, the church was closed, so we had to make do with seeing it from the outside.

Resurrection Cathedral

A completely different church is the Russian Orthodox Resurrection Cathedral, Resurrection of Christ Cathedral, which was built at the end of the 19th century. Here we had better luck and were able to go inside and look at the beautiful interior with its icons and gilded details.

Kreenholm – a huge industrial heritage

One attraction we didn't visit during our trip, but which we would definitely like to see next time, is Kreenholm.

The huge old textile industrial area is located on an island in the Narva River and was once one of the largest textile factories in Europe. At its peak, over 10,000 people worked here.

Production has long ceased, but the monumental industrial architecture remains. The area is not freely accessible, but Narva Museum regularly organizes guided tours of Kreenholm. In 2026, tours about the history of the textile industry and special tours through the Joala factory will be offered. This really feels like a place we missed!

Narva-Jõesuu – long sandy beach on the Gulf of Finland

After all the history, it can be nice to have some sea and sand. About 13 kilometers north of Narva lies the health resort of Narva-Jõesuu, at the mouth of the Narva River in the Gulf of Finland. Here is a long and wide beach with soft, fine-grained sand.

When we arrived here, the rain was heavy in the air and it wasn't a classic beach day. But we could still see that the beach is really nice – and a real contrast to the castles, bastions and Soviet architecture inside Narva.

Narva by motorhome

We visited Narva during a longer motorhome trip through Estonia and found it easy to get around. Narva itself can be explored on foot once you have parked. Many of the main sights are clustered around the castle, river, town hall and bastions.

However, keep in mind that the border area is significantly more sensitive today than when we made our trip in 2019. Follow signage and current instructions and please check current information before your visit.

Vana-Olgina – camping outside Narva

We stayed overnight at Old-Olgina, just outside Narva. And yes – the place is still there. This was one of the more original campsites during our trip. On the large green plot there was a delightful mix of boats, cars and other gadgets, a small pond and an outhouse that most resembled an Indian tent. The nice owner was originally from Russia and had many stories to tell.

Today, Vana-Olgina is marketed as a holiday home and campsite, with spaces for motorhomes and caravans. The facility is said to be open year-round.

When we got there, the rain poured down and we quickly crawled into the camper. Later in the evening, the rain eased and the fog began to roll in. Peter took out his camera and got some of our best photos from our stay in Narva.

Is Narva worth a visit?

Yes, we absolutely think so. Not because Narva is that obviously beautiful tourist town with picturesque neighborhoods and restaurants in a row. It's rather the contrasts and history that make the city interesting.

Here, Estonia and Russia meet on opposite sides of a river. Here, there is a medieval Danish castle, Swedish bastions, Soviet architecture and a gigantic industrial heritage. And history feels unusually close – perhaps even more so today than when we visited the city ourselves.

For us, Narva was one of the most unique places during our trip through Estonia. We would love to come back, not least to visit Kreenholm and finally enter the Victoria Bastion.

More to see in the neighbourhood

If you want to continue your adventure in Estonia, there is much more to see and discover. Here you will find more tips and reports:

• Ontika Cliff
• Rakvere Fortress
• Lake Peipus
• Things to do in Estonia

Programme "Promoting Estonia as a Tourism Destination" is supported by European Union Regional Development Fund.