The economically favourable location of Narva on the border and at the crossroads of trade routes gave the city an opportunity to earn a good fortune. However, this border location made the city the first object of conquest, the first target during wars and conflicts. That is why for centuries the rulers spared no expense to create a system of Narva's fortification.It can be called a miracle that Narva Castle, which has survived a huge number of wars and repeated reconstructions, has survived to our times, and today we can enjoy its magnificent view.
Regarding the exact date of the foundation of the castle, historians do not have a unanimous opinion. However, they agree on the sequence of events. Firstly, around the 13th century the Danes, who conquered Northern Estonia, built a wooden fortress at the intersection of the Narva River and the old road. Under the protection of this fortress, the city of Narva developed.
At the beginning of the 14th century, after a number of conflicts with the Russians, the Danes began to build a stone fortress, which was the predecessor of the present-day Hermann Castle. The stone defence fortress was a castle with a tower and walls 40 metres high. An outer courtyard was completed a little later, where the locals were allowed to hide in case of war.
In 1347, Northern Estonia (including Narva) was sold to the Livonian Order, which converted the castle into a convention house. There used to be a wall around the city, which unfortunately has not survived to this day. It was demolished by decree in 1777. The length of the city wall was about 1 kilometre. The wall, surrounded by a moat, was reinforced by at least 7 towers.
In 1558 the Russians conquered the city from the Livonian Order, but in 1581 Narva was again at the Swedes. In the historical chronicles there is a detailed description of how for 2 days the Swedes' cannons punched holes in the wall. The Swedes understood perfectly well that the defences of the castle were already outdated and would not resist firearms in a new battle. That is why they carried out repeated works on modernisation and strengthening of the defensive constructions. On the territory of the old town of Narva there is a hill, which is the ruins of the bastion "Royal rampart", where, most likely, there were earthen towers.
.In 1683, the Swedish king approved a project to create a completely new system of fortifications, designed by the famous military engineer Erik Dahlberg. According to the project, the defences in the form of a city wall remained inside the fortification zone, which almost completely lost their functionality. Only the side facing the river remained unchanged, while the northern and western parts were extended. Construction on the project began in 1684 and continued until 1704, when the city was conquered again by the Russians. Thanks to the huge expenditure spent on this project, Narva became the city with the most powerful defence system of that time in Eastern Europe.
The coastal bastions Victoria, Pax (or Wrangel) and Gonor have been preserved by now. Apart from these, the Fortuna Bastion, which is located at the south-west corner of the castle, the Gloria Bastion, located at the end of Westerwalli Street, and the south wall of the Triumph Bastion, which is located near Peter's Square, are well preserved. On the outer walls of the Gloria and Victoria bastions you can see the entrances to the casemates, which are currently in danger of collapse.
After the Russian victory in the Great Northern War, Estonia, including Narva, passed to Russia. The city lost its strategic importance. In 1863 Narva ceased to be a fortress city, and on the territory of the Victoria Bastion near the river the construction of a park began, which, due to its close proximity to the Dark Gate, was named Dark Garden.The Narva Castle and the city itself were badly damaged during the Second World War. The revival of the old castle began in 1950. The structure is under reconstruction even nowadays. Today the preserved objects are actively used by both locals and tourists. The Narva Museum is located in the castle, and a beautiful park has been created on the bastions, which is perfect for walks and recreation. In addition to the permanent exposition, the Narva Castle also hosts temporary exhibitions. Various events, celebrations and festivals are also held on the territory of the castle.
