Top Historic Sights in Jõhvi, Estonia

Explore the historic highlights of Jõhvi

Jõhvi Church

The church of St. Michael (Mihkli) was built in the mid-15th century and it is the biggest one-nave church in Estonia. It was originally constructed as a fortress church; two meter thick walls, narrow windows and the surrounding moat made it easy to defend. The church has been damaged in wars and restored several times. The unique detail of the Jõhvi church is a great vaulted cellar, which is today renovated as a ...

Founded: 15th century | Location: Jõhvi, Estonia

Edise Manor

First mentioned in 1477, the manor was a small stronghold (now destroyed) and belonged to the Tuve (von Taube) family in the Middle Ages. The main building was built in the Neo-Renaissance style in the 1860's and both this and the storehouse-dryer (now reconstructed as the Valge Hobu Trahter, White Horse Inn) have remained till today. Reference: Estonian Manors

Founded: 1860's | Location: Jõhvi, Estonia

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Rhodes, The Island of Knights

Great Spa Towns of Europe

History of Guernsey & Jersey

Photo from Flickr, copyright Mr Phil Price

Historic Site of the week

Caerleon Roman Amphitheatre

Built around AD 90 to entertain the legionaries stationed at the fort of Caerleon (Isca), the impressive amphitheatre was the Roman equivalent of today’s multiplex cinema. Wooden benches provided seating for up to 6,000 spectators, who would gather to watch bloodthirsty displays featuring gladiatorial combat and exotic wild animals.

Long after the Romans left, the amphitheatre took on a new life in Arthurian legend. Geoffrey of Monmouth, the somewhat imaginative 12th-century scholar, wrote in his History of the Kings of Britain that Arthur was crowned in Caerleon and that the ruined amphitheatre was actually the remains of King Arthur’s Round Table.

Today it is the most complete Roman amphitheatre in Britain.