UNESCO Says No to Narva Castle
Narva Castle's chances of achieving the coveted UNESCO World Heritage Site status have been dashed - a UNESCO inspection committee has turned down a petition to have the structure put on its candidate list.
The committee, which visited Estonia in autumn, decided that the castle's inclusion on the list was unrealistic, as the building is not original and differs significantly from its historic roots, rus.err.ee reported.
The Hermann Castle, as it is also called, was originally established by the Danes in 1256 as a wooden fortress, and developed through the centuries as a counter to Russia's Ivangorod Castle, just across the river. Narva Castle was destroyed during World War II and reconstructed during the Soviet period.
Estonia currently has two sites included on the UNESCO World Heritage list - Tallinn's Old Town and the Struve Geodetic Arc.
Steve Roman