Address: Str. Arcasului nr.1, Targu Neamt, Neamt County

Built: in time of ruler Petru Musat (1374-1391)

Visiting program: Daily: 9-19

Short description

Neamt Fortress is a medieval fortress from Moldavia – Romania and it’s located near Targu Neamt, at approximately 46 km from Piatra Neamt. The construction is near the highest peak of the hill “Culmea Plesului” and it was declared a medieval monument in the National Heritage. Because of its strategic position and the events that happened here Neamt Fortress was one of the most hardened fortresses of Moldavia – Romania. The name of the fortress comes from Neamt, which is the name of the river that runs at the base of the hill – the same rule applies to Neamt Monastery and the cities Targu Neamt and Piatra Neamt.

On the entrance walls from the Neamt Fortress we can see a short history of this place:

“Neamt Fortress was built during the time of ruler Petru Musat (1375 – 1391). The first documentary mention about the place is from 1395 – the year in which the king of Hungary, Sigismund of Luxemburg was defeated by the armies of Stefan I Musat at Hindau.

The golden era of the fortress was during the time of ruler Stephen the Great (1457 – 1504). He is the one that understood the strategic role of this construction. That is why he consolidated the fortress by raising the walls higher, building the exterior court, the arched bridge that support itself on 11 stone pillars. Because of these reinforcements the fortress successfully resisted the sieges of the armies of Mohamed the II in 1476.
Photo Album
Click the images for a a larger version

Click here to see all the photo albums

Due to the advancement of the military techniques, the importance of fortresses from Moldavia – Romania will diminish over time, beginning with the second half of the XVI century. After the partial damage suffered by some interior constructions, during the time of ruler Alexandru Lapusneanu (1564) and the reconstruction work ordered by ruler Ieremia Movila, the fortress opened its gates in front of the man that made the first union of the Romanian Principalities: Mihai Viteazu.

The fortress was turned into a monastery by ruler Vasile Lupu (1646) and then partially destroyed by Dumitrascu Cantacuzino in 1675. Despite of all this, the fortress was witness of another important event when a small number of peasants managed to resist the attack of king Sobietski in 1691. In 1717 Mihai Racovita orders the destruction of the fortress: this is the moment when the architectural complex losses its military importance.”

From 1718, Neamt Fortress continued to be damaged by time or by the locals that are using the stones to build their houses. In 1834 this action of the locals is stopped and the building is declared national monument. Between 1968 and 1972, under the supervision of architect Stefan Bals the reconstruction work begins. Because of the lack of information only very few of the actual building was made.

Between 2007 and 2009 the entire complex was closed because of some intense work of restoration. After two years of hard construction works,  Neamt Fortress is again open for the public in all its glory and everyone that visits the place will be pleasantly surprised to see the restored building.