Soroca Fortress

A view on the western side of the fort. Image courtesy of This is Moldova

Located in the city of Soroca, this fort is the best proof people in the past used to carry swords around here.

If you are amongst people impressed by The Game of Thrones TV Series, this fortress located on the Dniester riverbank, on the border with Ukraine, shall give you chills it’s kept since 1499, when it’s last brick was laid by the command of the Stefan the Great. At first made of wood, and somewhat 50 years later rebuilt in stone as a perfect circle with 5 bastions on the sides.

Fort entrance. Heavy copper-made doors are looking promising.

Image of the Fort before renovation on a post stamp. Image courtesy of Moldova Post

Fort has recently underwent a renovation thanks to EU, which provided it with pointed roofs that remind us of the Asian rice hat. Now it is able to accept guests no matter what weather conditions.

Main entrance. It feels authentic and it doesn’t feel like it was renovated.

Engraving of the Stefan the Great. Hello Stefan!

A view on the entrance from the first elevated level

A well and an overview of the inner yard

Fort has plenty of inner rooms and places to sneak into. Only from the inside you can get a feeling of how thick these walls are.

View from the inside

Roof from the inside

We love making selfies!

People used to carry bows and point arrows. Now we talk about peace and make photos. A view on Dniester river. It’s Ukraine on the other side.

Up on top beautiful sights open up.

A view on the East.

You can see torch holders on the walls.

This guy is taking a photo of the inner yard.

That’s the view.

Entrance looks pretty from the inside. It must’ve felt good to have been getting out of here.

Adjoining territory is well maintained

We definitely put Soroca Fortress on the list of the must see places in Moldova, and suggest you go there. Soroca is also famous for it’s gypsies, that are know for building spectacularly expensive houses. Restaurants are scarce, and you will find them on maps (yes, businesses are digital-friendly in Moldova). If you are not up for experiments, you can always rely on the Andy’s pizza chain restaurants.

Prices:
Adults/Students 5/3 lei
Photos 3 lei (sorry about this, friends)
Tours in English 100 lei

Hours:
Wednesday-Sunday
9am–6pm (operational break 1pm–2pm)

Contact:
+373 693 23 734

Address:
Str. Petru Rareş 1, Soroca, Moldova

Getting from Chisinau:
Busy schedule from the Northern bus station in Chisinau
To inquire departure times please call +373 22 411 338
Ticket price estimate is 75 lei
Travel time estimate is 2.5–3 hours