Suceava Fortress

The Fortress of the Throne was begun in the late fourteenth century and enlarged by Stephen the Great, who wrapped the original core in a thick outer wall with round bastions and dug a deep ditch, creating a fortress that resisted repeated Ottoman and Polish sieges. It served as the seat of the Moldavian princes while Suceava was the capital. Blown up in the seventeenth century on Ottoman orders, it stood ruined for centuries until a major restoration completed in 2015 rebuilt roofs, rooms, the chapel and the bridge, and filled the interiors with reconstructed furnishings, costumed figures and interpretation. It is now one of the most visited monuments in Moldavia. The hill also holds a park and an open-air village museum below, and from the walls the view runs across the city to the hills of Bucovina.

What you actually see

• The rebuilt interiors - halls, chapel and chambers restored and furnished.
• The outer bastions - Stephen the Great's artillery-era ring and ditch.
• The approach bridge - a long timber bridge across the ditch to the gate.
• City and hill views - Suceava and the Bucovina country from the walls.

When to go

April to October for the best conditions, though it opens year-round with shorter winter hours. Summer weekends and school holidays are busy. The park below is pleasant in autumn. Evening light on the walls is good.

Honest expectations

The 2015 restoration is extensive and much of what you walk through is new construction with mannequins and reconstructed rooms, which divides opinion sharply. Interpretation is largely in Romanian. The walk up from the centre is steep. It is a family-oriented site in high season and can be noisy.

Nearby

The Bucovina painted monasteries lie west; Putna is northwest.