Rakovets Castle, of which only the tower remains

Rakovets Castle in the Ivano-Frankivsk region is a case in point where I realized how important it is to read reviews on Google Maps when looking for interesting places to visit on your travels. Otherwise, you might end up driving for several hours on a terrible road just to catch a glimpse of the remains of a wall.

Let me show you his photo and tell you the story, and you decide whether you want to go there or not.

The road leading to it is simply disgusting. If you decide to visit this place, you should consider whether it is worth the trouble. After turning off the highway, you will spend a long time driving along the remains of a road covered with white dust and mud, which is frequently blocked by scattered boulders. Let me show you a photo and tell you the story, and you can decide whether you want to go there or not.

History of the Rakovets Castle

The castle’s military history began even before its construction was completed. In 1657, it withstood a siege by the Zaporozhian Army. It was only completed in 1660 by Galician cupbearer Dominik Wojciech Benyavsky. ^[1].

In 1667, the Tatars unsuccessfully attempted to storm Rakovets Castle. In 1672 and 1767, it was captured and destroyed by the Turks. Soon, the Poles recaptured this stronghold, and together with Chernelytsia Castle, it became an important outpost of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. They played their part in King John III’s campaigns against the Ottoman . Nearby was a strategic crossing over the Dniester River, and inside, there were sufficient supplies and ammunition. This made the castle a tempting target, and military clashes regularly took place here ^[1].

However, in the 18th century, the castle lost its defensive significance and began to serve as ordinary housing. The last battle it witnessed was during the Bar Confederation uprising, when Russian army burned down the castle in 1769. It was never rebuilt. Over time, local residents dismantled the defensive walls and the remains of the fortress for their own construction needs (which reminded me of the story of the Vasilyevsky Palace near Zaporizhzhia).

Today, only a partially destroyed tower and fragmentary remains of the wall remain from the castle.

After doing a little research, I managed to find historical photographs of the castle ruins.^[3]. For example, Juliusz Dutkiewicz’s photo shows how much remained of it at the end of the 19th century. This well-known photographer from Kolomyia even held a photo exhibition dedicated to Rakovets Castle and the problems of its preservation, but so far I have not been able to find other photos in the public domain.

The second interesting photo is from a 1938 postcard. It is a photograph by Andrzej Progulski, showing us the remains of the castle shortly before these lands were transferred from Poland to Ukraine (then the Ukrainian SSR).

Today, only a partially destroyed tower and fragmentary remains of the wall remain from the castle. Author: unknown (public domain). Source: Biblioteka Narodowa.

How to get to Rakovets Castle

Rakovets Castle is located in the village of Rakovets in the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine, on the banks of the Dniester River.
The only way to get here is by car. To do this, take the P20 road, which runs from Ivano-Frankivsk to Horodenka. In the Voroniv area, turn onto Lesya Ukrainka Street and follow it all the way to the village of Rakovets.

The castle’s coordinates are 48.79659125101754, 25.292671889403746. You can park your car nearby at 48.797569796827545, 25.29371532432073.

For lovers of water adventures, you can combine this with a rafting trip down the Dniester River.

If you’ve already ventured into these wilds, you can combine your trip with a visit to Chernelytsia Castle and the Dzhurynskyi Waterfall. If you wish, you can drive to the magnificent panorama of Zalishchyky.

For lovers of water adventures, you can combine this with a rafting trip down the Dniester River and see the Dniester Canyon from a completely different perspective.

1. Арсеніч, М. З Історії Раковецького Замку. вибрані аспекти від середини ХІХ століття до 1939 року.[↩][↩]
2. Андрусяк, У. Б. АНАЛІЗ СТАНУ ЗБЕРЕЖЕННЯ РАКОВЕЦЬКОГО ЗАМКОВОГО КОМПЛЕКСУ (ЗА РЕЗУЛЬТАТАМИ ВІЗУАЛЬНОГО ОБСТЕЖЕННЯ). Практичні та теоретичні питання розвитку науки та освіти: матеріали ІІІ Міжнародної науково-практичної конференції м. Львів, 30-31 липня 2021 року.–Львів: Львівський науковий форум, 2021.–66 с., 5.[↩]
3. Polona. (n.d.). https://polona.pl/sets?searchCategory=objectSets&page=0&size=24&sort=RELEVANCE&searchLike=Zamek+Rakowiec©right=false
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