Excursion Kamianets-Podilskyi and Khotyn

Book our Western Ukraine tour of Kamianets-Podilskyi and Khotyn and explore the medieval splendor of these 14th century bastions against invading armies.

Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle.

Historical accounts date Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle to the early 14th century, although recent archaeological evidence suggests there was human existence in the area since the 12th or 13th century.  Initially built to protect the bridge connecting the city with the mainland, the castle sits on top of a peninsula carved out by the winding Smotrych River, forming a natural defense system for Kamianets-Podilskyi’s historic Old Town neighborhood. Its name is attributed to the root word kamin’, from the Slavic word for stone. The castle’s location along a strategic transport route in Podolia made it a prime target for foreign invaders during the period between the 15th to the 18th centuries, including the Ottomans, Cossacks, and the Tatars [51 Times].

Along with the Old Town neighborhood, the castle is listed as part of the National Historical-Architectural Sanctuary “Kam’ianets” and the National Environmental Park “Podilski Tovtry”; is a candidate for listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and is also one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine.

Khotyn.

Khotyn, first chronicled in 1001, is located on cliffs above of the Dniester River, and is part of the historical region of Bessarabia. One of the important architectural landmarks within the city is the Khotyn Fortress, constructed between the 13-15th centuries by the Moldavian monarchy. Since the Moldavian state’s international significance was dwarfed by that of the Kingdom of Poland and that of the Ottoman Empire, the latter sought to gain control of the strategic river crossing. As a result, Khotyn’s later history was dominated by periodic conflicts between the expanding Christian powers (first Poland, then Russia) and the growing influence of the Ottomans. In the 17th Century however, the Turks suffered two decisive defeats at Khotyn, both at the hands of the army of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: in 1621 by Hetman Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, and again in 1673 by Jan III Sobieski.

The Ottoman Empire finally seized the fortress from Moldavia in 1713 during the Great Northern War and held it during the following century as a base for its troops until it was captured by the Imperial Russian Army in the early 19th Century. With the signing of the Bucharest Peace Treaty in 1812, the entire region became known as Bessarabia and was annexed from Moldavia by the Russian Empire. This lasted another century until the collapse of the Russian Empire at the end of World War I when Bessarabia passed into Romanian control which lasted through the interregnum period until the outset of WW II when the USSR seized control.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Declaration of Independence in 1991, Khotyn then became a part of newly independent Ukraine.  In September 2002, the city celebrated its 1,000 Year Anniversary.

There are also many legends about the fortress, created over the hundreds of years of its existence. Some popular legends involve the origins of the large dark spot on the side of the wall of the fortress. One legend says that the spot was created by the tears of the Khotyn rebels against the Ottoman Turks that were killed inside the fortress. Another legend has it that the spot was created from the tears of a girl named Oksana, whom the Turks buried alive in the walls of the fort.

In July, 2007 Khotyn Fortress was selected as one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine.

Can’t get enough of medieval castles?  Sign up for either our Castles of The North Tour or our Golden HorseshoeTour or both!