Șcheia Fortress in Suceava

The Șcheia fortress is located in the northwest of Suceava, at one end of Șeptilici Hill, above the Suceava River valley. The fortification was built at the end of the fourteenth century, during the time of Petru Mușat. Also called the Citadel of the West, it was part of the defensive system of the medieval capital and overlooked the land towards the valley.

The citadel was dismantled at the beginning of the fifteenth century. Today, visitors can see the ruins and fragments of masonry left on the hilltops, among areas covered with vegetation. The elevated position offers a view of the northern part of the Suceava valley. Pedestrian access is indicated by the local tourist portal on the forest trail at the end of Mihail Sadoveanu Street; the terrain is sloping and the facilities and signage are limited.

Photo: Cezar Suceveanu. Photo source. CC BY 3.0. Proportional resizing and cropping to 650 × 400 px.