The Narva Town Hall building had stood empty for almost a quarter of a century, and it took an agonizingly long time to find a new use for the Old Town's finest surviving building.

With the renovations complete, it is now set to be home to the city council and government. The first session of the city council in its new home is due to take place in the third floor hall in August.

It is hoped, that the new building will be a place where better decisions are made regarding the city in the future. "Hopefully it will be a bit more modern. I'm thinking here of the general idea of where the Estonian state should be heading," said city councilor Denis Larchenko (Eesti 200).

The mayor's office and a hall for hosting important guests will now be located on the second floor, where the model of Old Narva was previously housed.

"Delegations that come here and negotiations with the national government, for example, as well as other events - this is the place to be," said Anne Veevo, a representative of Narva City Government.

A tourist information point will also be opened in the town hall building along with a series of craft workshops and a café. A restaurant, the likes of which Narva has never seen before, is due to be established in the Town Hall's vaulted basement.

"An identity needs to be built here. If that should be something directly Narva-ish, something different that we don't find in Tartu or Tallinn, well it's very difficult to say what exactly that might be," said Narva city heritage protection inspector Madis Tuuder.

Built 350 years ago and restored after the World War Two, Narva Town Hall will open its doors to visitors at the start of the summer.

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