- Top 3 routes in the Ukrainian Carpathians
- Walking sightseeing around Kiev
- Lower Dniester National Park
- On a note
Ukraine is a huge country with the richest natural resources. There are mountains, sandy masses, forests, steppes, many lakes and high-water rivers, the Black Sea coast with beaches and resorts.
Ukraine is an ancient country, on its territory there are many monuments and sights from the Paleolithic to the present. You can walk on it endlessly, the opportunities for hiking are huge here.
Top 3 routes in the Ukrainian Carpathians
The most popular hiking destination in Ukraine is, of course, the Carpathians. Here you can just walk and go on a multi-day hike, there are ski resorts, waterfalls, ancient monasteries, picturesque Hutsul villages.
- Mount Hoverla is the highest mountain in Ukraine. Its height is 2061 meters above sea level and climbing it is probably the most popular Carpathian route. People come here from different points, for example, you can do it from the village of Kvasy near the Dragobrat ski resort. Then on the first day you can climb Mount Petros - it is the fourth highest in the Carpathians, and from it you can admire the surrounding landscape with higher peaks, and on the second day you can already understand Goverla. The route is well-trodden and crowded here. The length of the route with an ascent to two peaks - Petros and Hoverla - will be 34 km. The easiest route - from the nearest camp site to the top, up and down, will take about 10 kilometers, depending on which path you choose. There are two options: more authentic and flatter, or shorter, but also more abrupt.
- Mount Kostritsa is an easy option for a two-three-day hike available with children. From Ivano-Frankivsk through several peaks, located at an altitude of one and a half kilometers at sea level. Here you need to wade the shallow Prut River, and spend the night at the Vesnarka valley - nearby there is a small farm that sells cheese. Further, the path passes through three peaks with almost the same names: Kostrycha, Kostrich and Kostritsa. You can spend the night on the slope of Kostritsa, and on the second day return to Ivano-Frankivsk through the village of Krasnyk. The length of the route is 18 km.
- Gorgan mountain range and waterfalls - they usually go here for a whole week, although if desired and at a fast pace, the route can be covered in 3-4 days. It starts from the village of Pachisnaya. On the very first day of the walk, you can see the first attraction - a 10-meter waterfall, which is formed by the Bukhtivets River. For the night, you can get up in the Komarniki valley - there is a nice flat place surrounded by coniferous forests. The next day, the route leads through the picturesque Hutsul village of Zelenoe and Mount Pasichanka, the next day - along the Gorgan ridge itself. On the fifth day, on the way there will be the Maiden's Tears waterfall and the small town of Yaremche, where you can take a break from wild rest, sit in a cafe and buy souvenirs. On the sixth day on the way there will be the final point of the route - the village of Dora with a monastery and two churches. The length of the route is 70 km.
Walking sightseeing around Kiev
Hiking trails around the capital of the country are most often combined with sightseeing, of which there are many.
One of the huge parks is located right within the boundaries of Kiev - this is Goloseevsky Park named after poet Maxim Rylsky. There is a cascade of 4 ponds, several springs that are considered healing, several churches and the Holy Protection Monastery, with a recently built beautiful temple in honor of the Life-Giving Spring icon. Without leaving the city, you can arrange a walk for the whole day. Not so long ago, a comfortable eco-trail with information posters and markings was opened here; its length is 2.7 km.
Dobranichevka, 120 km from Kiev, is a popular hiking destination. A camp of primitive people with tools and mammoth bones was found here. Now at the site of the excavation there is a small archaeological museum dedicated to this find. Tourist routes usually run along the banks of the Tishanka River, where you can swim and relax with a tent. The length of the route is 2-3 km.
Arboretum Alexandria under the White Church. Once upon a time it was the residence of one of the richest families of these places - the Branicki family. It was a huge landscaped park with many pavilions, fountains and park statues. Exotic plants and flowers were specially brought here. After the revolution, the park was badly damaged, but by now it has been landscaped again. The oldest oaks in Ukraine grow here - they are 200 years old. Little remains of the Branitskys' door itself - it burned down after the revolution, but several outbuildings have survived. You can walk in the park all day long - the total length of its alleys is 20 km.
Lower Dniester National Park
The Lower Dniester National Park is located in the Odessa region in the lower reaches of the Dniester. These are fertile places for birds and fish: part of the territory is swampy, some are estuaries, there are lakes, streams and forest groves. Now, several ecological routes have been laid along its territory, allowing you to get acquainted with the rich flora and fauna of these places.
- The Bird Kingdom is the longest and most popular all-day ecological trail. It starts from the village of Mayaki (this is the main administrative center of the park) and reaches the estuary along the course of the Dniester. Along the way there are 4 stop-viewing platforms, the longest of them is on the estuary, where many water birds nest: pelicans, herons, swans, cormorants, etc. The length of the route is 20 km.
- Dniester Amazonia - this path leads through the Dniester to Lake Beloye and further to the winding river Turunchuk. On the way, magnificent views of the majestic Dniester will open. The path will go along a wide channel surrounded by a floodplain forest - it was this landscape that gave the name to the route. The length of the route is 20 km.
- Gontarenko Island - this trail can only be reached by boat, and on the island itself there will be thickets of reeds, cattails, reeds and other floodplain plants. A separate stop will be devoted to medicinal plants in the south of Ukraine. The next part of the route will again be water - by boat you have to get to the observation deck at the confluence of the Turunchuk River into the Dniester estuary. The length of the walking part of the route is 8 km.
In addition to ecological excursion trails in the national park there are specially designated places where you can just go fishing - fish abound here. But fishing also has limitations. For example, you cannot enter Lake Beloe by motor boats, but only by oars, so as not to disturb the inhabitants.
On a note
As usual, when going hiking, you need to take care of suitable clothing and shoes. If we are talking about summer hikes in Ukraine, especially in the Carpathians, you should definitely take sunscreen with you. This is the south, there are more open places here than wooded ones.
There are ticks in Ukraine, most of them in the western regions - in Volyn and around Lviv. They are also found in the Carpathians. There are few cases of encephalitis and borreliosis, but ticks can be a real danger for pets. There are almost no mosquitoes in the Carpathians, but when traveling along the Dniester estuaries, they can meet. Vipers are found in the Carpathians. But if you see a really large snake, then most likely it will be a harmless snake listed in the Red Book.
Mobile communications in the Carpathians are guaranteed to be available to settlements - and it will be good. But far from villages, any of the Ukrainian operators will have network interruptions.
