The Chembalo Fortress is the main historical attraction of the Balaklava resort. It is located on the top of the Fortress Mountain, above the entrance to a narrow bay. This fortress was built by the Genoese to protect their colonies on the western coast of Crimea. Only four towers of the Chembalo fortress have survived to this day.
In the Middle Ages, the fortress was divided into two parts. At the top of the Fortress Mountain was the Castle of St. Nicholas. At its foot on the edge of the cape, at the entrance to Balaklava Bay, was the Castle of St. George. The fortress of Chembalo made Balaklava impregnable to attack from the sea, however, during the struggle with the Byzantine principality of Feodoro, the fortress changed hands more than once. In the 15th century, the Genoese owned colonies on the coast, the Crimean Khanate owned the steppe Crimea, and a small area in the area of modern Bakhchisarai was ruled by the principality of Feodoro. It was ruled by princes from Byzantium.
The beginning of the ascent to the slope to the fortress of Chembalo is located on the Embankment of Nazukin, near the Hydrotherapy Clinic of K.Ginali. The lower tower of Bernabo Grillo can be reached by stairs. There is a viewing point near the tower, from here you can see Balaklava Bay. From this tower you need to climb up the mountainside. The second tower is called the Gate Passage of the Chembalo fortress, fragments of the fortress walls have been preserved nearby. There is also an viewing point, which offers the best view of the Balaklava Embankment. On the opposite shore of the bay, the entrance to the tunnel of the Balaklava Submarine Museum is visible.
From the middle tower, you need to climb further up the Fortress Mountain, where the Donjon of the Chembalo fortress (the Main Tower) is located. Its height is about 10 meters, although earlier the Donjon was even higher. It was used to monitor the sea. From the viewing point of the Donjon, part of the Balaklava Bay is blocked by mountains, but it offers a very beautiful view in the opposite direction. The protected area of Cape Aya is visible in the distance.
Ruins of fortifications and walls have been preserved around the Donjon of the Chembalo fortress, but they are all in very poor condition. If you go down the cliff to the open sea, you will see fragments of the towers of the Castle of St. George. Unlike the Genoese fortress in Sudak, Chembalo was severely damaged during the defense of Sevastopol in 1942.
A hiking trail along the seashore to the Silver Beach begins from the Donjon Tower of the Chembalo Fortress. It is located 2 kilometers from Chembalo. Further from the shore there is a Grand Sevastopol trail, which you can take walk to Cape Aya.
History of the Chembalo Fortress
The fortress of Chembalo was founded by the Genoese in 1343. At that time, the rivalry between the Venetians and the Genoese for control of trade routes in the Black Sea ended. The Genoese provided their military fleet to the Byzantine Emperor Michael Palaiologos, who fought with the Latin states. In return, under the Treaty of Nifei, they received the right to duty-free trade in the Black Sea and began founding their colonies and fortresses on the coast of Crimea.
The fortress of Chembalo became the main fortification of the Genoese on the western coast of the Crimea. The city of Kafa (now Feodosia) on the eastern shore became the capital of the Genoese colonies. They built also the Genoese fortress in Sudak.
In the 15th century, the Genoese controlled the eastern coast completely, and in the Balaklava area there was a constant struggle with the Byzantine principality of Feodoro. Their capital was located in the cave town of Mangup-Kale (30 km from Balaklava), and they controlled the steppe regions of Crimea. In 1475, the Turks seized Crimea. The Turks called the fortress of Chembalo Balyklava. This name has survived to this day.
