Castle Hill, castle site of Zhytomyr Castle

Castle Hill in Zhytomyr is a city square built on the former site of a 9th century castle. Only here you can truly feel the spirit of the ancient city, and sometimes come across numerous underground passages that cut through the mountain at different depths. In the center of the park there is a monument in honor of the founding of the city with the inscription «In 884 the city of Zhytomyr was founded here».

The first written mention of the castle in the city of Zhytomyr dates back to 1392, when it was captured by Prince Vytautas. The castle was located on a steep hill above the river Kamyanka. According to legend, the founder of the city was a warrior Zhytomyr from the army of the Kiev princes Askold and Deer.

The site for the castle was chosen to provide maximum protection – steep slopes over the river, ramparts were erected and ditches were dug in front of them, between which there was water, and two gates with suspension bridges were built. The fortress was repeatedly destroyed, but each time it was rebuilt. The city began to grow around the castle, underground passages were also laid, some of them lined with bricks and stones. Underground passages played a very important role in the defense of the castle.

In 1890, the city council decided to give the area for private development, since then only the barely visible ramparts, underground passages at a depth of 5-8 meters and a monument in honor of the founding of the city remind of the castle.

Today, Castle Hill in Zhytomyr is a cozy and quiet park in the heart of the regional center and a great place to relax and get to know Zhytomyr. The square is generously planted with trees and flowers, which attracts not only residents but also many tourists. 80 meters away there is an observation deck with magnificent views of the river Teteriv.