You're reading: Great one-day getaways

The long Orthodox Easter weekend on April 11-13 will be a great opportunity to get away from Kyiv. Here are some nearby places worth visiting.

 

Baturyn Palace

Baturyn, the city in Chernihiv Oblast, used to be the residence of the Ukrainian hetmans. Peter the Great had it burned to the ground in the 18th century to destroy remnants of Ukrainian independence and statehood. The palace of the last Ukrainian hetman, Kyrylo Rozumovsky, was reconstructed in the early 21st century. The house is beautifully restored according to its original 18th century architectural blueprint, although the original household items were destroyed.

Also on the grounds is the house of judge Vasyl Kochubey, which was built in the second half of the 17th century. Kochubey’s 16-year old daughter, Motrya, had an affair with hetman Ivan Mazepa, then 65, and his love letters to her are on display in the house. And so are authentic tools for torture of that period.

Schedule and prices:

9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Group excursion tickets (per person): Hr 20, Hr 12 for children

Group excursion ticket (foreign languages, for more than 5 people, per person): Hr 25, Hr 17 for schoolchildren.

How to get there:

By car, take the Kyiv – Gomel highway (M-01) to the Kipti village, then turn onto the Kipti – Glukhiv road (M-02).

Or take the Kyiv train to Konotop (No. 830 at 7:40 a.m. or No. 818 at 9:50 a.m.) From Konotop to Baturyn, take the bus that leaves at 12:45 p.m. From Baturyn to Konotop take the microbus that leaves at 5:30 p.m., 5:45 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. From Konotop to Kyiv take electric train No. 817 at 7:25 p.m or train No. 774 at 7:47 pm.

Kachanivka Palace

The Kachanivka village national reserve in Chernihiv Oblast can be reached after a two-hour drive along a grueling, pot-holed road from Kyiv. But it is well worth the trip.

Lost in time and in its remote location, Kachanivka consists of a 19th century palace, a church, and several small outbuildings. The palace is surrounded by lakes and a picturesque park full of bridges and alleys.

The palace’s interior, with its mahogany stairs, glorious mirrors on marble pedestals and ample stained glass adds to the authentic 19th century ambiance.

While Kachanivka is an aesthetic and historical delight, its main drawback is the absence of restaurants in the area. So one will want to pack a good lunch.

Schedule and prices:

Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Saturday – Sunday and holidays, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

No excursions on Mondays.

Tickets into the palace: Hr 10, Hr 5 for students

Tickets to the exhibition: Hr 5, Hr 3 for students

Group excursion tickets (per person): Hr 15-20, Hr 7-10 for students

How to get there:

A bus to Kachanivka leaves the Darnytsia bus station in Kyiv every day at 9 a.m. The bus back to Kyiv leaves at 2:40 p.m.

Oleksandriya Dendrologic Park

Oleksandriya Dendrologic Park spreads over 400 hectares along the banks of the Ros River in Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Oblast, and is Ukraine’s oldest landscape park. It’s named after Oleksandra, the wife of the Polish nobleman Franciszek Ksawery Branicki. Designed at the end of 18th century, it was the residence of the Branicky family until the beginning of 20th century.

Today, most of the park’s buildings are little more than ruins, but its abandoned feeling only adds to its romantic allure. Visitors can admire its China Bridge and Echo Colonnade, or walk along its many ponds, gurgling streams and noisy waterfalls.

The Oleksandriya Dendrologic Park is a well-kept secret, attracting few tourists. This makes it an ideal destination for those seeking a bit of quiet and privacy.

Schedule and prices:

9 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. (from Dec. 1 to April 15, the park is closed on weekends), lunch break 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Tickets (no guide): Hr 10, Hr 5 for students. Tickets to the museum (no guide): Hr 6, Hr 4 for students

Group excursion tickets (per person): Hr 20-25.

How to get there:

Take a bus from the Kyiv railway station to Bila Tserkva (approximately Hr 50). From the Bila Tserkva railway station take bus number no. 13 to the “Pionerska” stop.

Radomysl Castle

The Radomysl Castle houses Ukraine’s only museum for non-canonical icons (largely painted by peasants), with some 5,000 on display. Built in the 17th century, the castle is located in Zhytomyr Oblast, about 100 kilometers west of Kyiv. It first served as a paper-production factory run by monks. Today, it still has the vintage machines. The tower’s biggest attraction is in offering master classes so visitors can learn how paper was produced the old fashioned way.

The castle is surrounded by a small pond and a picturesque park where one can admire 17th century marble statues of Archangel Michael.

Schedule and prices:

Thursday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Group excursion tickets (per person): Hr 50, Hr 25 for children

How to get there:

From the Zhytomyrska metro station (from the side of the shopping center) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., take city bus no. 13 to the “Zamok” stop (about Hr 55). To get there by car, drive 86 kilometers west on the E40 and M06 highways.

Sofiyivka Park

Sofiyivka is a fairytale-like park that was built in the 18th century in Uman, in Cherkasy Oblast. Stanislaw Potocki, a Polish count, built it as a symbol of his love for his wife Sofiya.

Because of its picturesque scenery and many classical references and images, the park attracts thousands of tourists all year round. Statues of characters from Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey” adorn Sofiyivka. Tourists visit Calypso grotto, or walk in the Flora pavilion and the Muses’ terrace. The bravest can even drift on a boat along the underground river Styx.

Sofiyivka is not only a great attraction for fans of ancient Greek mythology. The park is a real paradise for photographers and painters, who love capturing its waterfalls, boulders, pergolas and footbridges.

Schedule and prices:

9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Tickets: Hr 30, Hr 20 for children

Group excursion ticket (per person): Hr 15, Hr 10 for children

Group excursion ticket (English, Polish, French, and German languages): Hr 40, Hr 30 for children

How to get there:

You can take a bus from the Kyiv Railway Station to Uman, or a micro bus from the Central Bus Station on Moskovska Square. The buses depart every 30-40 minutes. Tickets are around Hr 50.

By car, it’s a 210-kilometer drive along highways E95 and M05.

Kyiv Post staff writer Yulia Sosnovska contributed to the story.