Pniv Castle

Pniv Castle is a historical monument located on the southwestern outskirts of the city of Nadvirna in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, on the border of Hutsulshchyna and Pokuttia. The castle was built in the late 14th and early 15th centuries by the Kuropatwa magnate family, who received the privilege to own this part of Pokuttia. The fortress functioned as a customs post on an important trade route, which contributed to the founding of the city of Nadvirna. The castle was built from large hewn blocks of gray Carpathian mountain stone. In plan, it was a quadrangle with five watchtowers at the corners, which allowed for crossfire. Entrance to the stronghold was via a drawbridge spanning an artificially dug moat. Throughout its history, the castle repeatedly suffered destruction, in particular from the opryshky in 1621 and the rebels led by Semen Vysochan in 1648. In 1676, the fortress withstood a siege by the Turkish-Tatar army. In the 19th century, the castle lost its significance, and local residents began dismantling it for building materials. To this day, the northern wall is the best preserved; it has not lost its original height and still bears remnants of plaster in some places. In 2018, restoration work began on the castle, which is one of the unique historical monuments of Prykarpattia.