Rise early, rug up and take off in a kayak or a yacht.
Rise early, rug up and take off in a kayak or a yacht. This simple recipe for a weekend outdoors works perfect for Kyiv still basking in the warm glow of the Indian summer.
The Dnipro River cutting the capital won’t be your only choice as there are 129 lakes, 102 ponds, 9 rivers, 27 channels and 24 bays, according to Kyiv communal water company Pleso.
Fantastic views, remote islands covered in woodland and a few ducks here and there will provide for an unusual city break.
Wakes, kites and skis
Erroneously, many people think that extreme water sports can only be practiced at the seaside or in the ocean.
Kyiv sports lovers beg to differ, with classes and simply fun rides on the Dripro.
Again, the best places to get up on the water skis or the board would be in Hydropark, Druzhby Narodiv Park and Obolon pier.
Break Water club, wakeboarding, water skis
breakwater.kiev.ua, Russian only
40 Trukhanivska St.
Hr 25 per 1 min. (10 minutes minimum)
096-447-0788
Try Wake club, wakeboarding, water skis
trywake.com, Russian only
Heroyiv Stalingrada Pr-kt., metro Geroyiv Dnipra
Hr 22 per minute
097-320-2131
X-traction club, wakeboarding, water skis, kiting school
wake.com.ua/xt/, Russian only
Druzhby Narodiv Park
Hr 95-Hr 250 for half an hour of training; Hr 500 for a basic course in kiting school
229-2617, 067-403-7357
Single or double-passenger kayaks can be rented in Hydropark. (inforico.com.ua)
Kayaking
You can either rent a kayak for a great ride or join a sports school to practice rowing professionally in any weather or season.
Hydropark and Druzhba Narodiv Park are the best places to enjoy leisurely rides close to the city center.
Prices start from Hr 40 to Hr 80 per hour. Make sure you bring a passport to leave as a deposit for a kayak.
Kayaking school,
metro Vydubychi
kayak.kiev.ua, Russian only
050-183-7718
Kyiv kayaking club, multiple spots
Kievkayaks.com, Russian only
050-355-6641
Hydropark kayaks,
metro Hydropark
pobeach-kayaks.com, Russian only
097-967-7576
Team-building events on yachts grow in popularity. (Alexey Furman)
Yachting
There are some astounding sunsets in Kyiv.
The beauty triples in magnitude if you are on a yacht.
For those who feel glamorous, there are a few options out there to rent a yacht.
But if you want to learn sailing professionally, you can even get a lesson with an Olympic champion since Ukraine is one of top sailing countries in the world.
Silver medalist in 2004 Olympic Games, Rodion Luka now runs a school in Vyshgorod just outside Kyiv.
Rodion Luka sailing school
teambuilding-crm.com/en
Team-building events, regattas – from Hr 500-3,000 per person (any size teams)
School – from 1,800 euro for 60 hours
tel. 517-1903
DniproTrip, yacht rent
yacht.org.ua, Russian only
35 Naberezhno-Khreshchatycka St., metro Kontraktova Ploshcha
Prices from Hr 2500 per hour
332-5477
Cruise boats sail past Kyiv’s lush green hills, which occasionally offer a peak at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the statue of Motherland, among other attractions. (Yaroslav Debelyi)
Dnipro River trip
They are old, rusty and Soviet-looking; yet, every night they fill up with giggly school girls, couples on a date and tourists from near and far.
Jump on a cruise boat in Hydropark or Podil, for an hour of loud pop music, cheap drinks and sometimes even a disco.
Kyiv River Station, metro Poshtova Ploshcha
Prices start from Hr 20
425-1268
Simple old boats are good for fishing and bird-watching, as is the case with this young man looking for a good spot to hide with a bunch of green twigs. (Yaroslav Debelyi)
Vagabond’s boat
Renting an old little boat in Hydropark whisks one back to those good old days of fishing with a grandfather.
Just keep on rowing past green woodland and little islands and listen to the whispers of approaching autumn.
“Fregat” boat station, metro Hydropark
To find the wharf, turn left as you exit the metro and left again past the amusement park, through the woodland.
Only Hr 24 per hour but you need to leave your passport as a deposit.
238-5669
