Fortress
Ustra Fortress
🇧🇬 Bulgaria · 10th century
Ustra (Bulgarian: Устра) is a medieval fortress in the eastern Rhodope Mountains in southern Bulgaria. It is among the highest and best preserved fortifications in the mountain range. The fortress was controlled by the Byzantine and the Bulgarian Empires until the region was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in the second half of the 14th century.
Ustra Peak on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after the fortress.
Text adapted from “Ustra” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Ustra Fortress ranks #5,106 of 8,134 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #25 of the 27 mapped in Bulgaria. Founded c. 950, it is older than 93% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 138 atlas entries founded in the 10th century. See how Bulgaria compares in the castle statistics.
View on the interactive castle map →Frequently asked questions
Where is Ustra Fortress?
Ustra Fortress stands in Bulgaria, at 41.47028°, 25.22583°.
When was Ustra Fortress built?
The atlas dates its founding to c. 950. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.
How famous is Ustra Fortress?
In this atlas's fame ranking: #5,106 of 8,134 worldwide, and #25 in Bulgaria. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.
What is the nearest castle to Ustra Fortress?
Oxyro Nymfaias, about 32 km away.
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