Lviv. The Zalizna Voda Park. Green Riches and a Recreation Area

If you are choosing a park in which to watch nature and enjoy living natural scenes, the Zalizna Voda park meets the requirements of a quiet resting place for people of every age.

Lviv. The Zalizna Voda park

A long promenade along the park's winding alleys can be a free pleasure — filling your lungs with fresh air, relaxing and taking your mind off all your accumulated troubles.

 

The Ukrainian historian I. P. Krypiakevych, describing the popularity of this picturesque spot, recalled the tradition of Lvivians arranging walks and picnics on the wooded slopes as early as the first half of the 19th century. 'The people of Lviv often journeyed there early in the morning with their children and provisions, set up camps in the forest glades and returned to the city in the evening.'

Lviv. The Zalizna Voda park. The landscape

The renowned Lviv gardener Arnold Röhring worked on the planning of this green oasis with the utmost dedication and love until the last days of his life. In the northern part of the park you can still see outbuildings and the remains of greenhouses in which planting stock was grown for the green plantation.

 

Lviv. The Zalizna Voda park. The remains of the greenhouses

The creator of some of the finest parks tried to preserve the veteran plants and to use the hilly terrain to form emerald galleries and promenade terraces.

Lviv. The Zalizna Voda park. The green stock

The high iron content in the shallow streams gave rise to the toponym — Zalizna Voda, 'Iron Water'. One of the springs is framed with stone masonry bearing a relief image of a magnanimous and watchful lion. 

 

Lviv. The Zalizna Voda park. The spring

The green kingdom is ruled by the majestic beech. This slender, powerful tree stands alongside oaks, pines, larches, birches and maples.

Lviv. The Zalizna Voda park.

Especially valuable veteran trees are marked with plaques and need particular care and attention.

 

Lviv. The Zalizna Voda park

By the entrance to the park, two sycamore sentinels greet visitors and guard the quiet and order of these green domains.

 

Lviv. The Zalizna Voda park. By the park entrance

The park zone has preserved old apple trees that formed the foundation of this ancient green complex.

 

Lviv. The Zalizna Voda park. An old apple tree

Alongside the natives, young saplings have taken root. The workers of the municipal enterprise Zelenyi Lviv (Green Lviv) are creating new plots of wondrous plantings and replenishing the green stock with young specimens.

 

Lviv. The Zalizna Voda park. Young trees

The sculptural adornment and emblem of Zalizna Voda is considered to be the statue of a girl with a roe deer, made by the Lviv Ceramics and Sculpture Factory. Restoration in 2022 helped to preserve this park monument, but not all visitors treat the landmark spot with care — some climb onto the sculpture for a keepsake photo.

 

Lviv. The Zalizna Voda park. The sculpture of a girl with a roe deer

Since 1984 the park has held the status of a monument of landscape-gardening art of local significance.

 

Lviv. The Zalizna Voda park. The information plaque

The Zalizna Voda park lies to the south of the city centre, in the Sykhiv district, between Stusa, Mushaka, Ternopilska and Yaroslavenka streets. You can reach it by trams No. 4 and 8.