10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Ida-Viru County That You Shouldn't Miss

The Oru Park and grand palace in the beautiful valley of the Puhajogi River was built by Grigori Jelissejev – one of the wealthiest men in 19th century Russia. In 1935, three industrialists bought the palace and park and presented it to President Pats for his summer residence. The palace was totally destroyed during the Second World War. Today you can walk in the well-marked and well-maintained park, look at various species of trees and shrubs, explore the Silver Spring Cave, as well as enoy the sea view and the sunset from the petrel nest. Interesting fact: the Oru Park Promenade organized annually in August has become a tradition.

Northern suburb of Narva, located on the coast of Finnish Gulf with a pleasant sandy beach.

During more than its 700 years existence Narva Hermann Castle belonged to Danes, Germans, Swedes, Russians and finally Estonians. The castle’s appearance as we know it today originates from the 14th-16th c. from the period of domination by Livonian Order.Today Narva castle hosts a museum where one can see both permanent exhibition on Narva city history as well as about a dozen of temporary expositions.A beautiful view of Narva city and Ivangorod fortress on the Russian side can be admired from 51 metre high Tall Hermann tower.Each summer the artisan history centre Northern Yard comes to life in the castle’s northern yard.

Estonia’s highest limestone cliff, the Ontika cliff that is up to 55 metres high, is like a stone nature book, revealing the layers of various eras to the viewer. The best place to see the cliff is from the observation platform built near the Valaste cascade. Or take a hike along the coastal hiking trail to discover the unique forest on the limestone cliff. Interesting facts: - The Ontika Limestone cliff is the highest part of the over 1,100-km-long Baltic limestone bank that starts in Sweden on the Island of Oland and ends in Russia near Lake Ladoga. – The limestone cliff runs 23 kilometres from the Village of Saka to the vicinity of Toila, thus being the longest uninterrupted part of the cliff.

The Narva Castle is one of the main attractions of the city. In the seventh decade of the 13th century, the Danes established a castle as a residence for the Danish King’s vice-Regent. The Narva Castle is one of the most diverse and best preserved defense structure in Estonia. The area of the castle is 3.2 hectares, and the highest point is the Tall Hermann Tower (51 meters), which offers views over Narva, the Kreenholm factory and Ivangorod Fortress across the river in Russia. Today you can visit the museum in the castle, were the displays explain the history of Narva and the castle.

An underground museum has been opened in the former Kohtla mines. Join an excursion with a guide to see how oil shale is mined and the machinery and technology that is used to do so. Take a ride on an underground train and try your hand at drilling, using a real drill! The above-ground exhibits and underground visit take around one hour and a half to see and complete. The museum provides every visitor with a special jacket, helmet and miner’s lamp.Starting from 20 October 2011 until spring 2012 the underground exhibition at the mine is being completely redesigned. The other parts of the museum remain open for visits, and we still offer miners' lunches when booked in advance.

This museum in Narva-Joesuu has picture archives illustrating the history and culture of the resort town. You will find out about the famous people who have lived there, and those who have spent their summers on the ‘Estonian riviera’.Did you know…?*The museum is located in a building which was once home to one of Estonia’s most famous authors, A. H. Tammsaare.

It was built in 1890-1896 for the orthodox workers of Kreenholm Manufactory. The architect was Pavel Alis. Architectural solution comes from Byzantine tradition. Belltower is 28,8 m high. Church's walls and dome are made of local bricks. Rides, stairways and ornaments are made of Finnish granite. There is room for 2000 people. You can see three part iconostasis and 17th century’s Christ’s crucifix. Good to know: on year 1944 during the second world war, the bombing of the city left only the church untouched.

The Astri centre is the largest shopping and entertainment complex in Narva. It boasts more than 50 different stores and is home to the 3 screens of Forum Cinemas Astri. It also has a fast food restaurant and two bars. There is an exciting playroom for children where parents can leave their little ones in the care of professional child minders. The underground car park is one of the biggest in the city. The Astri centre was designed not only as a place to shop with an extensive choice of stores, but also as a great place for people to meet and spend time together. Fashion brands like H&M, Newyorker, Reserver, Lindex etc

Monument reminds battles of World War II and indicates breakthrough of Soviet forces. Narva’s tank is the only such memorial, being exhibited in Estonia until this time.