The Carpathians - Ukraine - page 268

While Kamyanets-Podilsky is awesome taken as a whole, its castle building is up-
staged by Khotyn Fortress (admission 10uah; 8am-8pm) . Eastern European filmmakers
love to use this massive fort overlooking the Dnister River as a location; for instance it
served as Warsaw Castle in the highly controversial Russian-language 2009 blockbuster
movie Taras Bulba . With walls up to 40m high and 6m thick, today's stone fortress was
built in the 15th century, replacing an earlier wooden structure. Its location safeguarded
river trade routes, making it a sought-after prize. The defining moment in its history
came in 1621, with a threatened Turkish invasion. The incumbent Poles enlisted the help
of 40,000 Cossacks and managed to rout a 250,000-strong Turkish army. This improb-
able victory made a hero of Cossack leader Petro Sahaydachny, whose huge statue greets
you near the fortress' entrance. However, any notion of the fortress' impregnability was
dispelled in 1711 when the Turks finally nabbed it. The Russians took over in the 19th
century.
Inside the fortress walls there ain't a whole lot to see, but it's really the large riverfront
grounds that make the place. Some of the outer fortification walls remain and you can
clamber precariously over these. In one far corner, locals even pose for pictures where it
appears they're jumping over the fortress. But whatever you do, don't forget to bring a
picnic.
Getting There & Away
There are regular buses and marshrutky making the 30km journey between Kamyanets-
Podilsky and Khotyn (10uah, around 50 minutes) and every Kamyanets-Podil-
sky-Chernivtsi bus stops en route. The fortress is about 2.5km north of Khotyn town
centre and the best strategy is to get off the bus when locals alight near the market (not at
the far-flung bus station). Head along the road through the market and you'll pass a blue
church on your right and a Soviet war memorial on your left. Stay on this road for a fur-
ther 20 minutes until you see an old flaking sign marked. Take a right here and you'll
soon see the ticket office.
TRANSCARPATHIA
Most people are only likely to pass this way if entering or leaving Ukraine via neigh-
bouring Hungary or Slovakia. This is a pity, as this corner of the world, where the Soviet
Union once faded out and Europe took over, is a melting pot of Hungarian, Slovak,
Ukrainian and Roma cultures and has a fascinating social mix. It's also the home of
Ukraine's best red wines and most impenetrable dialects. Transcarpathia is so far west
that some old timers still set their clocks to Ukrainian time minus one hour, and it's this