The flower on the stone, the city of seven cultures, the pearl of Podillya — this city-museum under the open sky is called in different ways, and each epithet reflects the unique impression it makes on all its guests. A visit to Kamyanets-Podilskyi is an opportunity to see not just a beautiful, ancient city with architecture preserved from XII-XIX centuries, but an amazing miracle of nature, which was turned into a real masterpiece of urban development by the bright idea of people.
In the ancient city tourists from Ukraine, Russia and even Europe are attracted not only by architectural sights of Kamenets-Podolsky, of which there are about 200. The city is famous for its museums, which have unique collections: in the dungeons and towers of the fortress, one of the oldest city halls in Europe, you can see skillfully recreated scenes of medieval court, Magdeburg law, defense of the castle. You can touch the past of the region at the exposition «Antiquities of Podolia», and the national coloring at the Museum of Bread. Kamyanets is also notable for local festivals. Every year dozens of balloons soar over the picturesque lands and ancient architectural landscape, and the guests of the city enjoy a wonderful opportunity to admire it from a bird’s-eye view. And you can plunge into history, see court ladies and knights, Cossacks, Polish pans and Moscow Streltsy at the large-scale festival Terra Heroica — a three-day historical and military reconstruction.
This city has gone through many shocks, but today not only peace and tranquility, but also its former glory have returned here again — Kamyanets-Podilskyi is once again talked about far beyond the borders of the region.
When exactly began history of Kamyanets-Podilsky, even historians do not know. It is generally recognized as a legend that 
that four brothers — Lithuanian princes Koriatovich decided to found the city on the area surrounded by a deep moat, through which the waters of the tributary of the Dniester river Smotrich flow. Hunting in the wilderness, they saw a beautiful deer, which, running away from their pursuers, and led the nephews of the great Lithuanian prince Olgerd to the amazing place.
The old town, which is now part of the State Historical and Architectural Reserve «Kamyanets-Podolsky», was founded on a place ideally suited for the construction of a castle — on an area of 121 hectares rising 40-60 meters above the rocky banks of the river. Having seen this place, as if specially created by nature for man, which would reliably protect him from external threats, the princes decided to complete the work of nature and build an impregnable fortress. According to legend, this is how the history of Kamyanets-Podilskyi began in the middle of the XIV century.
However, sensational archaeological finds show that life here was boiling much earlier. Thus, historians attribute the foundation of Kamyanets-Podilskyi’s landmark — the Castle Bridge, which is a part of the city’s visiting card — the ancient fortress, to the times of the Roman Emperor Trajan. It is believed that Kamyanets was one of the five cities founded on the border of the Roman Empire on the banks of the Dniester. Remains of the Trypillian culture have also been found here, and the Slavs, the Ulychi and the Tivertsi are also called the ancestors of the town builders.
Kamyanets-Podilskyi, located on the way «from Varangians to Greeks», the crossroads of European ways, on the border of Orthodox, Muslim and ancient worlds, grew and developed rapidly, as a major trade and craft center was a rival of Kiev and Lviv, but this development was interrupted by the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars. It began to grow and build again in 1362, when it was liberated by Lithuanian troops. In 1374 it was first mentioned as a town, and in 1463 it was proclaimed a Royal Town. The castle and fortifications were built with funds from the royal treasury, and later it withstood more than one siege, but in 1672 it surrendered to the Turks, who besieged it for two months. For almost 30 years they lived and dominated in the walls of the ancient city, rebuilt it, as a result of which today you can see such unusual sights of Kamenets-Podolsky as Turkish minaret next to the church of St. Peter and Paul.
This town is truly memorable. Half a century of peaceful neighborhood of three cultures — Polish, Russian-Ukrainian and Armenian — has left a trace in its architectural appearance: there is a harmonious combination of Western and Eastern styles, monuments of the Middle Ages, classicism and Renaissance — you can see an old town hall and an Orthodox church, Catholic churches and Armenian barracks, and many other unusual combinations.
After the Turkish oppression the city passed from one state to another several times, in which Poland, Lithuania, Russia took part; wars were a hard period, but today the city, which has long been beyond Kamenec-Podolskaja fortress, has flourished again.
The historical buildings of Kamenec-Podolskiy are famous attractions of Ukraine, as are the beautiful karst caves and ancient buildings, fragments of castles, fortifications, and rock monasteries scattered here and there in the vicinity. To visit the former Podolia means to touch the history of Kievan Rus and even Ancient Rome. This region is as amazing as its historical center — the unique Kamyanets-Podilskyi.