IVANGOROD
Ivangorod is an ancient fortress town on the northwestern edge of Russia. The town is often refered to as the first 'window to Europe' (long before St Petersburg got this name) for Grand Duchy of Muskovy. Although many see Ivangorod as a hub to get into Estonia or Russia, the town is well worth spending at least a few hours. Ivangorod is unusual in many ways. Today as when it was founded, it stands right on the border of Russia and Estonia (then a part of Livonia). The new town fortress was built on the river Narva in 1492 following the order of tsar Ivan III (hence the name of the city, translated from Russian as 'Ivan's city'. The fortress was meant to counterveil the Narva fortress built two centuries prior on the other bank of the Narva river. Throughout history, they've been fighting with each other and uniting into one. Ivangorod was sieged by the Livonian Order, Sweden and Russia. Today, it is a unique place in the world where two fortresses stand so close to each other, literally face-to-face. Ivangorod stood on the important Baltic trade route which united Hanseatic cities and thus connecting Russia to Western Europe.
Distance from Moscow: 690km Founded in 1492 Population: 10 502 UTC+3
TO GET THERE
Ivangorod is located on the border of Russia and Estonia. In fact, it will take you about 5 minutes to cross the bridge separating Ivangorod and Narva. The border control is located on the main street of Ivangorod, right in the centre of the city and it's impossible to miss as you are likely to see a queue of lorries waiting to pass the customs inspection.
There's a railway station on the outskirts of Ivangorod. A premium sleeping train called 'Baltic Express' runs from Moscow to Tallinn every day and calls at Ivangorod.
Train 034A departs from Moscow at 9.02pm and arrives to Ivangorod at 9.24am. The return train (034X) leaves Ivangorod at 7.24pm and arrives to Moscow at 10.35am. Choose between a reclining seat (from 700₽), a shared sleeping car (from 1400₽) or a 4-berth compartment (from 3800₽). You can buy your tickets on the official website of Russian Railways (http://pass.rzd.ru/main-pass/public/en)
There's also a commute train to Kingisepp (the centre of the region) which runs once a day.
TO GET AROUND
The town can be easily explored on foot. If you enter Ivangorod from Narva you'll end up in the very centre of town and close to all sights. If you arrive by train you might want to call a taxi.The railway station is about 20min walk from the town centre but there's no pavement. So if you don't feel comfortable and secure walking on the road it's best to call a taxi and ask them to drop you at the museum or at the castle.
EVENTS IN IVANGOROD
May 18 - Ivangorod Castle Day
May 30-31 - Knights Festival 'Western Outpost', historical reenactment
June 21 - Fortress Day Festival
July 25 - Ivangorod City Day
August - Medieval Fair in the fortress
Oct 17-18 - Spear running reconstruction
INFORMATION CENTRE
Ivangorod tourist information office is located in the building adjacent to Ivangorod Museum.
Address: Kingisepp highway 8 (Кингисеппское шоссе, д. 8)
Tel.: +78137551792