People have long been marked by curiosity and an interest in how their neighbours live. Ukraine's fortunate geopolitical position at the crossroads of trade routes fostered the development of tourism across our motherland as early as the 19th century. In our country travellers gain impressions no less vivid than abroad, but for less money. In every region you will be met with hospitality and always pointed in the right direction. We have preserved architectural monuments of various eras and styles, created all manner of national parks and arboretums, and Ukrainian cuisine is famed the world over for its uniqueness. The unchanging leaders among destinations on travellers' lists remain Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa.
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| Kyiv. St Sophia's Cathedral. 11th century |
Other regional centres are also gaining momentum and growing ever more popular — Chernivtsi, Ternopil, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia.
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| Ternopil. The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Dominican church. 1779 |
Small towns do not lag behind either — places where you can come for a weekend or a holiday, relax in nature, and get acquainted with local traditions and historical and architectural monuments.
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| Pryluky. Chernihiv region. The Brodsky Theatre. 1930 |
Every region is rich in wonderful places: castles, palaces, fortresses, caves, religious buildings, museums, natural curiosities — choose your theme and location; for this you need not cross borders and oceans, and for a romantic walk or an instructive excursion 1-2 days will be enough.
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| Myrhorod. Poltava region. The Dormition Church |
A mysterious fortification structure, located 10 kilometres from Dubno in the Rivne region, does not appear in the catalogues of tour agencies. Travellers stroll on their own through the galleries of Tarakaniv Fort, while observing the utmost caution in the half-ruined fortified area.
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| Tarakaniv. Rivne region. The New Dubno Fort |
Notable steps to attract holidaymakers have been made in recent years in
Henichesk and on the Arabat Spit (Kherson region). A warm sea, wonderful beaches, moderate prices for lodging and food, hot springs, and rail links with the industrial regions all foster the development of this resort on the Sea of Azov.
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| The Arabat Spit. Kherson region |
For rest and recuperation, holidaymakers combine their stay with water sports, visits to the safari park, and excursions to the Azov-Syvash National Nature Park and to Biriuchyi Island.
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| Biriuchyi Island. Kherson region |
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| The Arabat Spit. Kherson region. The safari park |
From the sea coast it is not far to the sandy massifs and dunes of the Oleshky semi-desert. For lovers of the exotic and of relaxation, the national nature park "Oleshky Sands" in the Kherson region is a must-visit.
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| The "Oleshky Sands" National Nature Park. Kherson region |
In the Lviv region, every town and village will surprise you with its distinctiveness, hospitality and unique monuments.
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| Zhuravlyne Lake (Dead). Lviv region |
To boost the tourist flow in Drohobych, in the Lviv region, theatrical performances are staged, the ascent of the town-hall clock tower, from which a panorama opens of the capital of oil-rich Galicia and the homeland of the "Drohobytska" sausage.
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| Drohobych. Lviv region. A view of the Market Square from the town-hall clock tower |
Travellers are drawn by the ancient wooden churches, one of which is under UNESCO protection, the oldest working enterprise in Ukraine — a saltworks of the 14th-16th centuries — and another 179 monuments of history and architecture.
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| Drohobych. Lviv region. St George's Church. 1656. UNESCO World Heritage |
One can see the Jan Sobieski Castle, as well as another 55 architectural monuments, 30 kilometres from the regional centre, in medieval Zhovkva, which was built on the model of an ideal city.
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| Zhovkva. Lviv region. The Jan Sobieski Castle. 16th century |
We dispel the myth that there is nothing to see in the Donetsk region but factory chimneys and slag heaps. Tourists and pilgrims from all regions come to the northernmost city of the Donetsk region to visit the Sviatohirsk Historical and Architectural Reserve. The Holy Dormition Lavra and other monuments of history and culture are located in a picturesque spot at the foot of the chalk mountains on the bank of the Siverskyi Donets River.
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| Sviatohirsk. Donetsk region. The Holy Dormition Lavra |
In a worked-out clay quarry in Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka there survive, lying in the open air, fragments of petrified prehistoric araucaria trees, which are 300 million years old.
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| Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka. Donetsk region. A worked-out clay quarry with fragments of araucarias |
From Mount Kremenets, the highest point of the Kharkiv region, a panorama opens onto the forest tracts surrounding
Izium, which is home to the ancient churches of Slobozhanshchyna.
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| Izium. Kharkiv region. The Transfiguration Cathedral. 1684 |
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| Izium. Kharkiv region. Mount Kremenets. An exhibition of Cuman warriors |
The tragic pages of the state's history open up on a visit to Baturyn, the residence of the hetmans of the Left Bank. The restored palace of Kyrylo Rozumovsky, the citadel of the wooden fortress, and the house of the General Judge Kochubei are part of the "Hetman Capital" National Historical and Cultural Reserve in Baturyn, Bakhmach district, Chernihiv region.
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| Baturyn. Chernihiv region. The palace of Count Kyrylo Rozumovsky |
Nizhyn is called the Greek capital and a city of churches. The preserved buildings connected with the Greek community, along with other monuments, are marked with plaques bearing historical information and smartphone apps. The locations of 12 churches form a cross that has protected the city for centuries.
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| Nizhyn. Chernihiv region. St Nicholas Cathedral. The 1660s |
Lovers of active recreation and high-speed descents can set off to Kremenets in the Ternopil region and ride the country's best luge-bobsled track.
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| Kremenets. Ternopil region. The luge-bobsled track |
But it is not only with the steep turns of its Olympic-reserve training base that one of the oldest cities in Ukraine will surprise you. Castle Hill with the remains of a 13th-century fortress, sacred buildings, a botanical garden and other monuments will win over the heart of even a seasoned traveller.
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| Kremenets. Ternopil region. Bona Castle Hill and the fortress remains |
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| Kremenets. Ternopil region. A view from Castle Hill of the monuments and historic sites |
For viewing the picturesque landscapes and historical monuments, signposted cycling routes have been created.
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| Kremenets. Ternopil region. A map of cycling routes with a survey of the monuments |
You can admire the beauty of the Carpathian mountains, drink healing water with a bluish tint, and ski in snowy weather at the resort of Syniak in the Zakarpattia region.
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| Syniak. Mukachevo district. Zakarpattia region. The ski slope |
Just ten kilometres from Syniak, in the village of Chynadiiovo there are two architectural pearls — the castle of Saint Miklos and the palace of Count Schonborn.
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| Chynadiiovo. Zakarpattia region. Saint Miklos Castle, 14th-19th centuries |
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| Chynadiiovo. Zakarpattia region. The hunting lodge of Count Schonborn. 19th century |
Connoisseurs of applied art absolutely must visit the district centre of Petrykivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region and see with their own eyes how the masterpieces of ornamental folk painting are created.
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| Petrykivka. Dnipropetrovsk region. Petrykivka ornamental painting |
Opishnia in the Poltava region is rightly considered the capital of pottery. Several museums preserve the history of the origin of this world-famous brand and its founders — renowned artists and potters. The gallery of ceramic works impresses with its size and the number of exhibits, and taking part in master classes lets you touch this ancient craft.
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| Opishnia. Zinkiv district. Poltava region. A ceramics display in the exhibition centre |
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| Opishnia. Zinkiv district. Poltava region. The Krychevsky Museum |
At any time of year, one is captivated by the beauty of the landscape compositions and the architectural ensemble of the "Oleksandriia" arboretum, the largest in Europe. This monument of landscape-gardening art, founded in 1793 by Oleksandra Branytska, is located in the town of Bila Tserkva 70 kilometres from Kyiv.
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| Bila Tserkva. Kyiv region. The "Oleksandriia" Arboretum. The Chinese bridge |
Travelling in Ukraine means freely choosing your own direction, inexpensive transport links, delicious Ukrainian cuisine, communication in your native language, and unforgettable impressions!
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| The Arabat Spit. Kherson region |
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