The Dark Garden is the oldest park in Narva. It is one of the favourite places among locals and tourists, great for strolling and relaxing. The Dark Garden is an example of 19th century garden architecture. The park is located on the Victoria Bastion, which had lost its defensive significance by the end of the 19th century. This fortification, located on the bank of the Narva River, is the most powerful bastion of the city. The maximum height of the outer wall reaches 16 metres. This fortification was badly damaged during the Great Northern War, however, it was later rebuilt by the Russians.
The Dark Garden is home to trees that are over 100 years old. In the park there is a monument erected in 1853. The monument is a cast-iron cross mounted on a stone pedestal as a memorial to the Russian soldiers who died during the Northern War in 1704 when storming the city of Narva. There is also a mass grave in the park, symbolising the fallen soldiers during the War of Liberation in 1918. There is one more sculpture in the park, which is definitely worth seeing - it is the "Swedish lion", installed as a memorial to the battle between Russians and Swedes at Narva. The battle took place in 1700 between the armies of Swedish King Charles XII and Peter the Great. The Swedish lion was installed in 1936. In November 2000 it was restored and reopened. This sculpture is located at the top of a hill with a marvellous view of the river.
