Kamianets-Podilskyi is a town on a rocky island ringed by the canyon of the Smotrych River. The Old Town is compact, and in one day you can walk from the Town Hall to the fortress and see the highlights. The second day is best spent outside town: at Khotyn Fortress above the Dniester or in Bakota with its cliff monastery. Here is a plan built around the opening hours of the sights.
Day 1: the Old Town and the fortress
Start on Polish Market Square at the Town Hall, one of the oldest in Ukraine: its story began with Magdeburg rights in 1374. The eight-tier clock tower is the main landmark of the Old Town, and its cellars house the exhibition The Court of Medieval Kamianets, with wax figures and an executioner’s tools. The Town Hall is open daily: on Monday from 9:00 to 16:00, and on other days until 17:00. Next to it stands the Armenian Well of 1638.
A few minutes away is the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul, a rare pairing of a Catholic cathedral and a minaret topped by a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary. The minaret survived from the Ottoman era even after the town was returned in 1699. Inside is the marble tomb of young Laura by Wiktor Brodzki. Entry is free, but this is a working church, so modest clothing and quiet are expected.
Do not rush between the Town Hall and the fortress: turn into the Armenian Quarter and walk to the Polish Gate. The walking tour of the Old Town on the trip from Kyiv follows these same streets, so they are a must for getting to know Kamianets.
Kamianets-Podilskyi Town Hall. One of Ukraine’s oldest town halls, with a bell tower on Polish Market Square and a medieval court in its vaults
1 Polskyi Rynok Sq, Kamianets-Podilskyi
from25UAH
Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. A cathedral with a minaret crowned by a statue of the Virgin Mary and Laura’s marble tomb
20 Tatarska St, Kamianets-Podilskyi
From the Town Hall to the Old Fortress it is a 10–15 minute walk to the Castle Bridge over the canyon. The castle on its rocky cape has more than ten towers, each with its own name, among them the Papal Tower, where Ustym Karmeliuk was held. From the walls you see the Old Town and the Smotrych. The fortress is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00; allow at least an hour and a half to two hours, and wear comfortable shoes for the towers and walls.
- Morning: the Town Hall, the Armenian Well and the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul.
- Before lunch: the Armenian Quarter and the Polish Gate.
- After lunch: the Old Fortress, so you can see it without rushing before it closes at 17:00.
- Evening: a walk along the Smotrych canyon and the Castle Bridge lit up at night.
The fortress is especially beautiful at dawn and when its towers are lit at night, so it is worth returning to the Castle Bridge even after your visit.
Day 2: Khotyn or Bakota
Khotyn Fortress, 25 km from Kamianets, is one of the 7 Wonders of Ukraine: tall walls and towers on a cliff above the Dniester. Here in 1621 Sahaidachny’s Cossacks stopped the army of Sultan Osman II, and later the fortress became the set of dozens of films. It is open daily: until October 31 from 9:00 to 18:00, and from November 1 to April 1 from 9:00 to 17:00. A slope leads down to the gate, so comfortable shoes help here too.
Bakota, 50 km from town, is the Ukrainian Atlantis. The old town was flooded by a reservoir in the 1980s, and above the wide Dniester bay an 11th-century cliff monastery with cells cut into the rock remains. A trail runs from the viewpoints on White Mountain down steep slopes to the monastery caves, so bring water and good shoes. It is part of the Podilski Tovtry National Park, where you can also camp overnight.
Khotyn Fortress. One of the “Seven Wonders of Ukraine”: a medieval stronghold above the Dniester and the site of the 1621 Battle of Khotyn
1a Fortechna St, Khotyn, Chernivtsi Oblast
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Bakota. The “Ukrainian Atlantis” on the Dniester: a rock-cut monastery, White Mountain and views over the bay in Podilski Tovtry National Park
Bakota tract, Kamianets-Podilskyi Raion, Khmelnytskyi Oblast
from45UAHHow to choose day two
- Khotyn if you want another fortress and more history: the drive is shorter, and its walls above the Dniester are among the most striking in Ukraine.
- Bakota if you want nature, views and a hike: give it the whole day.
- Both places in one day are possible too, but only by car, and you will not be able to take your time at either.
Coming on a tour
From Kyiv there is a weekend tour to Kamianets and Khotyn: you leave on Friday night, spend Saturday in the Old Town and the fortress with a hotel night, and on Sunday visit Khotyn Fortress, the site of the Battle of Khotyn in 1621. It is handy if you would rather not plan the travel and the hotel yourself.
Good to know
- The Old Town stands on an island, and bridges over the canyon lead to it from the newer part of town, including the Novoplanivskyi Bridge.
- Cobblestones, steep tower stairs and the slopes at Bakota call for comfortable shoes.
- From November 1, Khotyn Fortress closes at 17:00, so in winter plan your visit there for the first half of the day.
- Tickets and current hours are on the cards above.
If you want more castles and palaces, see our guide to castles and palaces near Kyiv, including a trip to the Golden Horseshoe of the Lviv region.