Sights in Northeastern Estonia
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Voskresensky Cathedral
The Russian Orthodox Voskresensky Cathedral, built in 1898, is situated north of the train station. On the square in front of the train station is a monument to the Estonians who were loaded into cattle wagons here and deported to Siberia in 1941.
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Narva Castle
The imposing Narva Castle is an absolute must-visit. Built by the Danes at the end of the 13th century, it faces Russia's matching Ivangorod Fortress across the river, creating an architectural ensemble unique to Europe.
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Town Museum
Restored after damage during WWII, Narva Castle houses the Town Museum and the castle grounds are the refuge of Narva's statue of Lenin - the only fully intact one left in the Baltics.
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Old Town Hall
North of the castle, the baroque Old Town Hall, built between 1668 and 1671, is impressive.
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Rakvere Castle
Rakvere's star attraction, Rakvere Castle was built by the Danish in the 14th century, though the hillside has served many masters over its 700 years: Danes, Russians, Swedes and Poles. The fortress was badly damaged in the battles of the 16th and 17th centuries and later turned into an elaborate manor in the late 1600s.
Extensive reconstruction was completed in 2004, and today the castle contains exhibits related to its medieval history with medieval-style amusement that's aimed mostly towards small children (make a candle, make a nail at the blacksmiths, pony rides), though the adults can try their hand at archery. Don't miss the medieval torture chamber. Concerts and p…
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Palmse Manor
The restored Palmse Manor and park at Palmse, 8km north of Viitna, is the showpiece of Lahemaa. In the 13th century a Cistercian monastery occupied the land, and it was later developed as a private estate by a Baltic-German family (the von der Pahlens) who ran the property from 1677 until 1923 (when it was expropriated by the state).
Fully restored to its former glory, the manor house, dating from the 1780s, contains period furniture and fittings. Other estate buildings have also been restored and put to new use: the ait (storage room) is a summer exhibition hall; the viinavabrik (distillery) houses a hotel and restaurant; the kavaleride maja (house of Cavaliers), once a …
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Sea Museum
The former Soviet coastguard barracks at Käsmu (Captains' Village) now shelters the Sea Museum. In the 1920s a third of all registered boats in Estonia belonged to this village; at one time there were 62 long-distance captains living here. From 1945 to 1991 the entire national park's coastline was a military-controlled frontier, with a 2m-high barbed wire fence ensuring villagers couldn't access the beach or sea.
The museum has photographs and memorabilia tracing the history of the village and exhibits on marine life from the area. It also hosts the Viking Days festival in August, when Vikings of all nations congregate for a bloodless battle.
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Citizen's House Museum
A few blocks south of the Rakvere Museum, on one of Rakvere's most historical streets, is the interesting Citizen's House Museum. Displays here show what an early-20th-century apartment looked like; several workshops tap into Rakvere's rich artisan tradition.
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Forest Museum
The impressive, fully restored Sagadi Manor houses a Forest Museum, with exhibits on the park's flora (notably mushrooms) and fauna (stuffed animals). The collection of chainsaws and hunting rifles is impressive indeed. On the grounds is a decent hotel.
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Rakvere Museum
In town, the Rakvere Museum, housed in a late-18th-century building, contains modest expositions related to the town's history.
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