Autumn Weekend Route: Romantic Rivne Region

An autumn day off is worth filling with wonderful memories of the most beautiful places in the Rivne region. There is no need to spend several days on this; you can manage to see several locations in just one trip!

Weekend route: Kyiv — Dubno — Tarakaniv — Klevan — Kyiv

Trip duration: 1 day

Historical ornaments of Dubno

The city of Dubno is located almost 376 km from Kyiv. Therefore, to have enough time to complete the entire route in one day, it is worth setting out early in the morning.

Photo from the website dubno.rayon.in.ua

Dubno is an ancient city known for the Castle Complex, which is among the 7 Wonders of Ukraine. It once included a mighty bastion, one of the oldest palaces in the country — the Ostrozkyi Palace — as well as the castles of the Ostrozkyi and Lubomyrskyi families. After the Second World War, the complex suffered significant destruction, but it is still a popular tourist destination.
Dubno has many interesting historical sights, so for those who have enough time, the route can be extended to two days to get to know the beautiful city and its history better.

Tarakaniv and its secrets

Only 8 km from Dubno Castle lies the small settlement of Tarakaniv. And although at first glance it is no different from many Ukrainian settlements, it was here that Tarakaniv Fort was built. Its solid concrete-and-earth fortifications rise above the tall trees, reminding modern visitors of the grand defensive structure built here in the XIX century. The building is in a partly ruined state, but it still recalls the confrontation between two powerful empires that tried to seize as large a piece of Ukrainian lands as possible.

Photo from the website rivne.media

This place is not for the faint-hearted, because local residents say that ghosts of soldiers who took part in defending the fort still wander through the ruined corridors. Historians, however, claim that there are many active traps on the fort grounds. If someone falls into such a trap, they descend into an underground pit. In addition, during the Second World War, the underground rooms for torture and experiments on people were used by the Germans. So it is not worth wandering through the maze of corridors alone, so as not to get lost or encounter something otherworldly.

Romantic and mysterious Klevan

The next stop on the route is the urban-type settlement of Klevan, which is 80 km away. From Tarakaniv Fort. This small urban-type settlement appeared in the Rivne region back in the XII century. However, its flourishing and development began actively after the family of Prince Chortoryiskyi moved to these lands. He built a luxurious castle and the Annunciation Church here, which have survived to this day.

If the legend is to be believed, it was because of a curse that Chortoryiskyi's castle became neglected ruins that have been steadily destroyed by nature from year to year. Only the Annunciation Church managed to survive and endure the difficult times, remaining active despite years of decline.

Photo from the website www.facebook.com

The final stop on the route is the incredibly beautiful Tunnel of Love, created by nature and human action. On the way from Klevan to the settlement of Orzhev, the tracks of an industrial train formed a real tunnel, wrapped in the shoots of trees and bushes. The length of the tunnel is about 4 km. It is a true Tunnel of Love, because only lovers tie multicolored ribbons on the trees here, symbolizing the strength of their love. There is also a legend that if lovers walk the entire tunnel, their wish will come true.

So, if you are ready for adventures and for uncovering the most amazing secrets, choose your route and set off!