Parks of Ukraine
How often, while watching a foreign film, have you been captivated by landscapes from another country? Sometimes it seems that only in another country is everything so beautiful and amazing, but not more so than here. But Ukraine is not just forests and steppes, vegetable gardens, orchards and paved roads. Our country is a treasure house of nature, with a huge number of incredibly beautiful places. In Ukraine alone there are more than 50 unique national parks, each of which can surprise with its beauty and offer an unforgettable walk and memories. By comparison, Poland has only 23 national parks, Kazakhstan has 14, Switzerland has 29, and Turkey has only 43. So what makes Ukraine’s parks unique, and why is it worth walking through them at least once in a lifetime?
What makes Ukrainian parks special?
Park, forest, square — what’s the difference? How does a park differ from a forest? And what makes them unique? Parks differ from squares in size and location. If a cozy square is more often arranged amid dense development, parks are open green areas with an area of 2 ha or more and a certain landscape architecture. Unlike forests, parks and squares receive more funding from the state, so they are maintained better and more carefully. So what are parks made for? Parks are located within the city, whereas forests are set apart from development. In addition, parks are divided by purpose into sports, memorial, national and entertainment. In park areas, the strict restrictions typical of reserves do not apply, so they often turn into popular tourist locations that serve as a source of replenishment for the city’s local budget.
What are parks good for? At the legislative level, Ukraine’s national parks are a way to protect forests from illegal privatization and seizures, a way to preserve nature and culture while also creating an attractive hub for tourism. National nature parks are a magnet for financial contributions and investments. That is why almost every city has its own park, which is the epicenter of leisure for both local residents and tourists. So travel around Ukraine and get acquainted with the best parks of Ukraine’s major cities!
Amazing Parks of Kyiv
The capital of Ukraine is rich in sights and a variety of parks. If you enjoy walks in the fresh air, simply want an affordable rest and to see the city, then visit the most popular parks of Kyiv:
Mezhyhiria National Park — the luxurious grounds of Ukraine’s former president, V. Yanukovych. Thanks to his love of luxury, one of the largest national parks in Ukraine is now located just outside Kyiv. Its contents are a vivid example of how corrupt people live off corruption.
Mariinskyi Park — one of the most beautiful parks in the capital, located next to the Verkhovna Rada. This is not only one of the best-known parks, but also a place where it is pleasant to walk along neat paths, admire the views from the observation deck, cross the Lovers’ Bridge or stroll along the Alley of Love.
Khrashchatyi Park — one of the most visited places by tourists. It offers incredibly beautiful views of the slopes of the Dnipro, well-kept green areas, children’s playgrounds and a large number of architectural landmarks. From here you can reach the glass Klychko Bridge, which already has its own history of resilience.
Feofaniia Park — not only one of the most beautiful, but also one of the truly peaceful places in Kyiv. The park is located in the Holosiivskyi district of the city, away from noisy residential areas. Its area reaches 150 ha, so it is easy here to enjoy the silence and calm that are so uncharacteristic of the capital’s hurried pace of life.
Green Parks of Lviv
Grabovyi Rai Park — a popular recreation spot, where among the shady trees there are two lakes with local wild ducks. A feature of the park is its notional division into four zones: a birch grove, a larch grove, a beech grove and a hornbeam grove. Stryiskyi Park is one of the largest parks of Lviv, founded at the end of the 19th century by the gardener Arnold Rering. He created not just a green recreation area, but a true masterpiece of landscape architecture, with a greenhouse with tropical fruit, a swan pond and beautiful rare plants.
Promenade Park — one of the oldest parks in Lviv. Its history began in 1799, when Polish intellectuals used its paths for leisurely walks. Perhaps that is where the name of the park came from, and it was only in 1940 that it was turned into a true city park of culture and recreation. On the 129 ha site today there is not only a recreation area, but also the botanical garden of Franko University, as well as greenhouses with subtropical and tropical plants.
High Castle Park — a must-see tourist location for anyone who has visited Lviv even once. It is from its hills that an incredible view of the city opens up. It is no coincidence that in the 19th century Prince Danylo Romanovskyi and his guests walked these paths here.
The park is truly worth attention, since it is here that you can see about 45 species of shrub and tree plants. There is a pavilion with two stone lions and a memorial stone dedicated to Colonel Maksym Kryvonis.
Cozy Parks of Odesa
The uniqueness of Odesa’s parks — relatively small size. However, they have everything needed for relaxation, because not only Odesa residents but also the city’s guests love summer walks in the shade of the trees.
One of the most beautiful and largest parks in Odesa is Shevchenko Park. It was established back in the 19th century, so most of the trees impress with the thickness of their trunks and the height of their crowns. Near the park is the Nemo dolphinarium, a dry fountain, many cafes and food courts.
Small, yet remarkably beautiful Istanbul Park attracts visitors with its attractive design and panoramic views. It appeared in the city not so long ago thanks to the authorities of Istanbul, which made such a gift to the sister city of Odesa. The park has recreation areas for adults and children, a fountain and a water pump room, as well as many landscaped lawns and flowerbeds.
Gorky Park was founded only in 1977. Despite its compact size, it is equipped with a variety of recreation areas. Children's laughter always echoes from the playgrounds, rides, trampolines and mazes. This park of Odesa is a favorite place for family recreation.
The diverse parks of Kharkiv
The uniqueness of Kharkiv's parks lies not only in their varied purpose, each one is unique and unlike the other parks in the country.
The dendrological park is a large and picturesque place, where it is always neat and cozy. On an area of 22 ha, more than 900 species of different plants grow. The local landscapes are so beautiful that they often become photo zones for wedding and Instagram photo shoots.
The city's central park — Shevchenko Park has become a symbol of the city. It is constantly developing, being updated and expanded. Its monuments are like pieces of history that tell about prominent figures whose lives and work are connected with the city. In the shaded alleys you can see monuments to Klavdiia Shulzhenko, Ilia Repin, academician V. Vernadskyi, Les Kurbas, V. Bykov, and others. Each sculpture is like part of a photo zone that comes alive if you add your presence to it. No less interesting is the monument to the 50th parallel, made in the form of bronze and copper plaques indicating the distance to well-known European cities.
Various fountains, benches in the shade of trees, well-kept flower beds — in a place like this you walk and relax only with pleasure.
Slobozhanskyi National Nature Park is one of the largest parks in the city, covering an area of about 244 ha. Its terrain is uneven, as the beauty of the steppes, forest-steppe areas, plateaus and river valleys intertwine here. A walk through the park will allow you to fully feel the beauty of untouched nature, follow ecological trails, and get acquainted with the inhabitants of the flora and fauna. Specifically for nature lovers, places for recreation have been arranged, where you can stay in your own tents or in built cabins.
To feel the uniqueness of Ukraine's parks, to truly discover the beauty of national parks or learn more about the plant world of dendrological parks can only be done in person. Only walks along new paths, direct acquaintance with new plant species, can reveal the beauty of nature from an unknown side, give unforgettable enjoyment from rest, and help grasp the value of the green spaces of our country.
