Tustan Fortress
T1421, L'vivs'ka oblast, Ukraine
About
Drive on dirt road to the village of Urych and at museum take another dirt road uphill to parking coordinates. You will need to pay a small admission. Enjoy Tustan Fortress and then get ready for the hike. Tustan Fortress - "There is a Stone in Urych. And forged Chambers and gates and cellars are there too. And hardly one can tell you whether A giant or just some burglars belongs all that to." - Ivan Franko One mile north of the village of Urych stands a unique rocky massif that attracts hordes of tourists each year. Once here stood a Kyivan-Rus Fortress named Tustan (9th – 13th Centuries). All that remains are 4000 grooves and kerfs where the wooden beams once clung to the rocks. Tanks were carved to hold water, and a well was dug to withstand long sieges. The castle derived its name due to its functioning as a customs house on a major trade route. "Tut stan" means "stop here" which is what caravans were required to do to pay for passage. The Tatars burned the fortress to the ground in the 13th century and the Poles seized the rebuilt fortress in 1340. The final devastation of the castle came in the 16th century. Every September a Medieval Festival is held below the rocks.
