ONE DAY TOUR | MUSEUM&STUDIO „ARTA RUSTICA“ – SOROCA FORTRESS

 

Today, we’ll take you to the North of Moldova, to explore the area and get the insight into the Medieval fort – Soroca fortress.

On the way to Soroca town, we make a stop in the village Clisova Noua where we can learn about the history and origin of the Bessarabian carpet at a Handicrafts‘ Museum&Studio „Arta Rustica“ with a rich variety of national articles reflecting Moldavian way of life, customs and traditions. Among them traditional carpets, pottery, garment, old weaving looms, which are still working, modern machinery and many other things ornamented in traditional style and carefully preserved.

Continue to the north of Moldova and explore Soroca town and Soroca fortress incl. a drive through the Gypsy Quarter.

 

The town of Soroca is picturesque in its own right. The steppes and rolling valleys that make up Moldova surprisingly become rocky hills and cliffs as one begins to approach the Nistru river.

Soroca Fortress is a Moldavian fortress dating from the 15th century, built during the reign of Petru Vodă and meant to guard the country’s border – the Dniester River, from the Tartar troops. The Soroca fortress also served as a customs point for merchants, and although it was besieged several times throughout history, it was never conquered by enemies. The fortress had captured many dramatic events including the invasions of the Tatars, Cossacks, Polish King Ian Sobesky troops, military actions of Bogdan Hmelnitskyi, anti-Ottoman campaign of the Russian Monarch Peter the Great.

Of the 7 border fortresses on the Dniester, the Soroca Fortress is a very special one. It differs in its shape – a circle with a concentric defense system.

The circular plan has a diameter of 37.5 meters, four circular towers and a rectangular plan access tower, all located at equal distances. In this way, the fortress has no blind spots, which could have hidden enemy soldiers.

The most popular legend about the Soroca Fortress says that during a long siege by the Tartars, a white stork would have brought grapes to the hungry and

thirsty defenders of the fortress, thus saving their lives and giving themvictory. The grapes being associated with the blood of the Savior, reference is made to the victory obtained through faith.

By the way, we can find that stork on the coat of arms of today’s city.

Soroca is quite hilly, and upon one of these hills lives a community of Gypsies (Gypsies hills). This community is quite famous in Moldova and they are surprisingly wealthy compared to the rest of the city. They live in big, elaborate houses, which can be better described as palaces. Here you can see copies of such famous buildings as the Moscow Bolshoi Theater, the Capitol of Washington, the Vatican Basilica of St. Peter. Among the houses is the mansion of the gypsy baron – Artur Cerari.

 

 

Price offer €/per person	1 pax	2 pax	3 pax	4 pax	5 pax	6 pax
	294 €	160 €	125 €	102 €	87 €	94 €
Inclusions	Comfortable car (up to 3 pers)		Comfortable minivan (up to 5 pers)			Comfortable minibus (up to 8 pers)
	Licensed English speaking guide (other languages on request) Entry fees Soroca fortress and Museum&Studio „Arta Rustica“
Supplement	(optional) lunch in a local restaurant