Norra manor is first recorded in 1569 and took its Estonian name from its long-time owners, the Knorrings. The two-story Early Classical house was built in the 1790s to a design by the architect Kranhals. Illusionistic paintings covering much of the walls of the state rooms on the upper floor made it unique. From 1908 until 1919 the manor belonged to Charles von Lilienfeld. The park was known for an intricate system of ponds and canals linked to the powerful Norra springs nearby.
After expropriation the house was a school until the 1970s. It then stood empty and by the late 1980s had become a ruin, losing its roof, ceilings and most of its paintings. Privately owned since 1996, it has been largely restored from ruin.
Owners
von Knorring
von Lilienfeld1908–1919
Good to know
Its German name, Kaltenborn, means “cold spring” and refers to the powerful Norra springs nearby.
Its secondary manor Udeva served as the working farm, so Norra’s only outbuilding was a long arcaded stable and carriage house.
Illusionistic paintings covered the walls of the upper floor.
