Soroca

Soroka is a county town located in the north of the Republic of Moldova about 160 km north of Chisinau. In the XII-XIII centuries. On the site of the city was the Genoese settlement of Olkhionia, which was a significant trading center.

The inhabitants of the city have preserved their traditions and customs to the present day. They decorate dwellings and wells with carvings and folk paintings, pleases the eye with the variety and richness of flowers.

Three puzzles of the city Soroca!

The first riddle is the Fortress of Forty Fortress: a fortress of the 15th century. The first mention of it was noted in a document from 1499, from which it became known that the fortress was erected by the order of Stefan cel Mare. The Great Lord decided to build a fortress at the ford across the Dniester to strengthen the country's border and protect the population from frequent ravages of Turks, Tatars and other enemies. Later, in the period from 1543 - 1546, during the reign of the Prince Peter Rares, it was completely rebuilt. For security reasons he ordered that he build a stone fortress on the site. The huge historical value of the fortress is that it has survived to the present day the same as that created by the masters of the Middle Ages. In addition, the small military church located above the central gate was also preserved. Due to this, it is still a unique monument of the defensive architecture of Europe.

The second mystery is "Hill of sedentary Gypsies": during the Soviet era, they were able to successfully combine their rites with the rites of the local population. In the aftermath of the city's uplift, the Soroca were named "the Gypsy mountain or hill", where elegant houses were built, called "Swallow's Nest".

The third riddle is the "Thanksgiving Candle": its fire, lit on March 27, 2004, is the memory of the author of the ballad Miorita. Located at the entrance / exit of the city, recommended for viewing for two main reasons. The first of them, the church itself in the form of a burning candle, combined in an unusual manner of masonry. Plus stunning view, opening from the observation deck, get on that, you can only overcome the helical rise in the number of steps.