Narva (or Narova) is a major river flowing into the Baltic Sea, the largest river in Estonia. Draining the Lake Peipsi, the river flows on the border of Estonia and Russia through the cities of Narva/Ivangorod and Narva-Jõesuu into Narva Bay. Though length of the river is only 77 km, by discharge it is the second largest river flowing into the Finnish Gulf. The river gives its name to the Narva culture and the city of Narva.

Etymology

The etymology of the toponym Narva is not clear, but according to the most common theory it comes from a Vepsian word narva meaning waterfall or stream.

Geography

Narva River has its source in the northeastern end of Lake Peipsi, near the villages of Vasknarva (Estonia) and Skamya (Russia). There are a few more small villages in the upper section of the river, for example Permisküla and Kuningaküla on the Estonian side and Omuti on the Russian side, but up to the city of Narva the shores of the river are mostly forested or marshy. The river is dammed entering Narva and Ivangorod, forming the Narva Reservoir, which extends up to 38 km upstream. Narva flows into Narva Bay near the Estonian town of Narva-Jõesuu, third larger settlement on the river after Narva and Ivangorod.
Plyussa River is the largest tributary, joining Narva at the Narva Reservoir.

Narva Waterfall

Between Narva and Ivangorod the river flows over the Baltic Klint, forming the Narva Waterfall, once among the most powerful in Europe. As before the falls the Kreenholm island divides the river into two branches, the falls consist of two sections: Kreenholm Falls to the west of the island (60 m in width, 6.5 m high with multiple terraces) and Joala Falls to the east (110 m in width, up to 6.5 m high). The Estonian-Russian border follows the eastern branch and goes through Joala Falls.
Since the damming of the river in 1955 the waterfall is most of the time dry, water is let to flow in the original channel for up to a few days every year. Access to the waterfall is difficult as they are located in the border zone and the surrounding area on the Estonian side is closed industrial territory of the Krenholm Manufacture.

Bridges

thumb|right| Tallinn-St. Petersburg highway bridge
Narva River is crossed only by a handful of bridges between Narva and Ivangorod. Besides the dam of the Narva Reservoir, these are, in downstream order:

• a pedestrian bridge below the Kreenholm island

• Tallinn-St. Petersburg railway bridge

• Tallinn-St. Petersburg highway bridge on E20 just downstream from the Hermann Castle and Ivangorod fortress. The bridge named Friendship Bridge was built in 1960 and is 162 m long.

History

Narva River was used as a trade route during the Viking Age, from 5th to 11th century. It was an offshoot of the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks.

Narva has been for centuries an important border river. Beginning from the 13th century it was the border of Medieval Livonia and the Novgorod Republic. Though in earlier periods Narva was part of a larger buffer zone between the two territories, gradually the river emerged as the exact border. Castles built on the riverbanks (Narva Hermann Castle, founded in the beginning of 14th century, Ivangorod fortress, established in 1492 and Vasknarva Castle, first built in the 14th century) were one of the main reasons behind this. Treaties from the 15th century between the Livonian Order and Novgorod Republic also recognize Narva River as the border. During Swedish Estonia, when Ingria was also part of Sweden, importance of the river as a border diminished. During the Russian Empire, since the end of the Great Northern War until the establishment of the Republic of Estonia in 1918, Narva River was the border of Governorate of Estonia and Saint Petersburg Governorate, with the exception of the town of Narva, which was part of the latter. According to the Treaty of Tartu, signed in 1920, the Estonian-Russian border went slightly east of the river, up to 10 km. In 1944 the former Estonian territory east of the river was transferred to Russian SFSR and Narva was thus established as the eastern border of Estonian SSR, an internal border within USSR. In 1991 the same border became the de facto border of Estonia and Russia. Although no official border treaty has been ratified ever since, today Narva River is the eastern border of the European Union and Schengen Zone.