Ida-Viru (county)

Ida-Viru (county)

The **Valaste** waterfall in Ida-Viru county is the star here falling over fifty meters down a vertical cliff of colorful rock layers. You can walk the steel stairs to see the power of the water hitting the forest floor far below. The viewpoint offers a unique cross section of the earth's crust with layers of limestone and sandstone visible in the cliff face. The industrial soul of the region shows at the oil shale mining museum where you can go deep underground in a real mine. Back on the surface look for the **Blue Hills** and the massive ash pyramids that look like strange man-made mountains. The **Narva** river promenade offers a direct view across the water to a huge Russian fortress standing right opposite the Estonian castle. This dramatic architectural standoff is one of the most unique border views in all of Europe. Relax at the long sandy beach of **Narva-Jõesuu** where historic wooden villas hide among the pines. The Kuremäe convent provides a peaceful contrast with its onion domes and healing holy springs. It is a region where raw industry and delicate nature live side by side. Driving through the Ida-Viru county gives you a deep appreciation for the resilience of the local people and the sheer power of the landscape.

Ida-Viru (county) highlights

Part of these road trips

Follow the routes that cross this destination

The Scenic Route
The Heritage Drive
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History of Ida-Viru (county)

The Ida-Viru county has been the strategic front door of the north for over 700 years. In 1256, a wooden fort was built on the banks of the **Narva** River to mark the border between different empires, which eventually grew into a massive stone castle. For centuries, this river was one of the most tense boundaries in Europe, where the knights of the west stood on one bank and the forces of the east built their own fortress just a few hundred meters away on the other side. The region's identity changed forever in 1916 when the first industrial extraction of oil shale began. This "burning stone" turned the county into a massive energy hub, leading to the creation of huge mines and the tall ash mountains that look like man made volcanoes today. After 1945, the town of **Sillamäe** became a secret city that was completely deleted from public maps because it was used for processing uranium during the early years of the Cold War. Today, the county is a place where you can see the power of both nature and industry side by side. You can visit the **Kuremäe** convent, founded in 1891, where nuns still live a traditional lifestyle among ancient oak trees or see the **Valaste** waterfall which drops over rocks that are millions of years old.
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