イダヴィルの洞窟・トップ7

It is quite impressive to stand at this centuries-old border point, which is now the easternmost point of the EU.

The castle complex is well preserved and well-maintained. There is a very informative museum and many multilingual information panels outside the fortress grounds.

The fortress was founded by the Danes in the mid-13th century. In 1345 the fortress was sold by the Danes to the Teutonic Order along with Narva and East Estonia. After its dissolution, it was in Swedish possession from 1558 to 1704, and then in Russian possession. Like most of Narva, it was almost completely destroyed in World War II. The fortress, which has since been restored, now houses a museum. Narva was the easternmost castle of the Teutonic Order. Directly opposite, on the other bank of the river, is the Russian fortress of Ivangorod (Wikipedia).

The Ivangorod Fortress was built on a bluff above the banks of the Narva River, which today separates Estonia from Russia. The complex was built in 1495 by Tsar Ivan III. as a defense against the Lavions and Swedes. Opposite, on the other bank, sits the Estonian Narva Castle with the Hermann Tower.

Purtse Castle (Estonian: Purtse mõis, German: Alt-Isenhof) is a castle of the local manor Purtse in Purtse in northeastern Estonia. It was built in the mid-16th century, probably by the landowner Johann von Taube, at a time when late Gothic architecture was slowly being abandoned in favor of Renaissance ideas. The building therefore partly contains elements that were archaic even for the time and partly examples of Renaissance architecture (Wikipedia).

Very large castle, beautiful views from the top. You can wonder around for several hours. There are some modern exhibits plus also quite a lot of history is explained. They give an audio guide as well. Be prepared for bunch of stairs. There was a cafe and a souvenir shop. I quite recommend visiting the castle.

This is the place you can have a complete view of the border river. You can also take a picture including both Russia and Estonia from this point.

The border crossing from Estonia to Russia, with its opposing fortresses, is one of the most beautiful in Europe.