Ivano-Frankivsk region is famous for its forests, mountains and the unique Carpathian charm. It’s the perfect place to study Ukrainian history, culture, and traditions. For those who are interested in cooking there are many places to roam with every restaurant offering a variety of national dishes. Also there is a lot of entertainment and theme parks. Many of them are pretty young and little known, so we decided to collect the top most interesting locations to visit, making the search easier for tourists.
EARTH HISTORY PARK
Where: Bohorodchany to the village of Pidhiria.
The first interactive park-museum in Ukraine and an absolutely creative place for anyone interested in science and the history of Earth. This visit will be an adventurous journey where you can not only have fun but also expand your horizons.
Here you’ll dive into the previously unknown world of dinosaurs and other animals. It won’t be a dry guide’s narration, but an exciting interactive game that will captivate both adults and children. History combined with science, quests, and excursions make this place a unique hub for children’s leisure which you’ll want to visit again and again.
The project organizers focus on education, engaging children in learning, letting them feel like researchers and even organizing Olympiads for pupils. New exhibitions, games and entertainment regularly appear in the park so even instant visitors won’t get bored.
For whom: for adults and children of all ages.
How to get there: from Ivano-Frankivsk, take a bus towards Bohorodchany to the village of Pidhiria.
To book an excursion: +380988489811.
“HEDZIO” LEGENDS PARK
Where: Yaremche, near the Probiy waterfall.
A park designed as a fairytale village with hobbit houses built into the hills. Here you can visit Gedzio Bulba’s home, which is arranged so masterfully that it truly feels like the owner has just stepped out for a moment. In total there are several cottages, each of which you can explore in detail, rest in, and enjoy a mug of ale or warm up with some tea.
For whom: for adults and children, fans of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
How to get there: convenient from any point in Ukraine.
Manyavsky waterfall
Where: Manyava village
One of the tallest waterfalls in the Carpathians, a hydrological natural monument of national significance, shrouded in legends and mystical stories. In ancient times locals called the waterfall “shypot” or “shypit” because of the peculiar sound of the water.
The water falls into a gorge between sharp cliffs, with mountain rocks here being over 60 million years old. Anyone who finds himself in this place cannot help but feel the greatness of elements and the connection with nature. And absolutelly everyone who visits this place for the first time will be amazed to discover such wonderful places in Ukraine. Most tourists come here for the impressions and stunning photos. There is also a rafting center near the Manyavsky waterfall.
How to get there: by train from Ivano-Frankivsk to Nadvirna station, then to the village of Manyava or by regular bus from Ivano-Frankivsk.
Pertsi meadow
Where: Yablunitsa village.
Both an amusement park in the Ukrainian Carpathians and a kind of museum of Carpathian charm and it’s also an art object. The park is designed in the style of a Hutsul village. It also features the largest Coat of Arms of Ukraine, 15 meters high, listed in the Guinness Book of Records.Picturesque views open from the meadow but what will impress most guests is the cultural program offered by the organizers.
Here you can find:
- Carpathian blacksmith shop where you can try yourself as a blacksmith.
- • A cheese factory where you can see the process, taste different types of Carpathian cheeses and drink mead.
- • Workshops: rug-making, Easter egg painting, creating household or decorative items from wood, copper, or bronze.
- • “Hatulia Folk” – a place to discover unique musical instruments like trembita, drym bas, and tylynky.
Cost: from 100 to 250 UAH.
How to get there: to Yablunitsia village, then take a minibus to “Polonyna”.
Kshecynovych Family Estate
Where: Bilshivtsi village, Galicia district.
There is a manor palace which is a neoclassical architectural monument. It’s one of the most beautiful buildings in Ivano-Frankivsk region. There used to be a ballroom here, two stories high. In front of the palace there’s a sophisticated landscaped park with mowed lawns, colorful flowers and an alley of pink acacias. Now the palace is home to a retirement home.
How to get there: by taxi or bus from Galicia or by bus from Ivano-Frankivsk (bus station Number 2).
Rey Palace
Where: Pryozerne village, Rogatynska territorial community.
The palace is an architectural monument of national significance, built in the second half of the 18th century in the style of classicism by Jozef Jablonowski. After his death the owner became Count Stanislaw Rey, a descendant of the ancient Polish Potocki family.
The brick house has towers, high slopes and resembles a castle in its entirety. The facades are decorated with stucco, and the entrance gate was the highlight of the estate. Today, the palace is empty and is rapidly deteriorating due to time and lack of maintenance. The surrounding park is rapidly turning into an impenetrable thicket.
How to get there: 17 km from Rohatyn by taxi or bus.
Animal rehabilitation center
Where: Krylos village, Galicia territorial community.
This center located within the Galician National Nature Park helps sick and injured wild animals recover before returning them to their natural habitats. Visitors can communicate with its inhabitants if they will and even feed the fawns.
The center’s main goal is to promote environmental consciousness and humane attitude to all living beings among the young generation. It’s also a popular place for recreation and tourist cognitive leisure.
Cost: 40 UAH/adult, 20 UAH/child
How to get there: to Halych by bus or train and then a 10-minute drive to Krylos.
Oleksa Dovbush Museum-House
Where: Kosiv district, Kosmach village, O. Dovbush St., 17.
The person of the Ukrainian hero Oleksa Dovbush is highly respected in Ivano-Frankivsk region with locals that have already opened three of his museum-estates in the region and installed around 100 busts.Also in Kosmach village there’s a private hut-museum which presents Hutsul household items. According to legend it was in this house that Dovbush was killed. You can see the weapon here from which the fatal shot supposedly was made .
The main exhibit is the wooden hut itself with a carved statue of Dovbush in the yard. No doubt visitors can not only learn about the leader of the opryshky (Carpathian rebels) but also gain valuable knowledge in ethnology.
Fans of the Ukrainian liberator can visit the hut-museum by contacting the owner Pokutsky local historian Mykhailo Didyshyn in advance.
How to get there: by bus from Kolomyia or Kosiv to Kosmach.
Pnivsky Castle
Where: Pniv village, near Nadvirna.
One of the strongest fortifications in Ivano-Frankivsk region, built in the late 16th century. The castle played an important role in the events that took place on the lands of the Carpathian region serving as a main fort and important trade routes also passed through it.
In the 19th century the destruction of the stronghold began. As a result today only the walls, a few towers and underground casemates remain. However they have been preserved in their original state. Therefore the castle ruins are a valuable exhibit for studying history.
And of course what’s a castle without ghosts? Local legends say that the ghosts of the guards live in a secret room of the castle.
How to get there: from Nadvirna in the direction of Yaremche to Pniv village, then walk 5 km to the castle.
Tershorska Lada
Where: between the villages of Yavoriv, Snidavka, and Bukovets.
It is a rock complex on the southern slope of Mount Ternoshora. A real “ place of power” in the Carpathians, a zone with powerful energy fields. The place also has various mystical features.
It is not clear how much of this is true, or maybe it depends on belief. But one thing is for sure – the views here are spectacular. Ideal for reconnecting with nature and photo sessions.
How to get there: drive to Yavoriv towards Verkhovyna and near the “Snidavka” sign turn right onto a dirt road.
Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Where: the city of Gorodenka, Volodymyra Velykoho St.
A Catholic sanctuary, an architectural monument of national importance from the 18th century in the late Baroque style,was built between 1743 and 1769.
The architectural complex consists of a statue of the Virgin Mary and a monastery building. Inside the sanctuary is decorated with 18th-century frescoes and carvings.The iconostasis and two small altars were created by sculptor Johann Pinsel.
How to get there: by car from Ivano-Frankivsk, by regular bus or minibus from the bus station.
So, if you are going to travel around the Frankivsk region, make sure to keep this guide so you don’t miss the most colorful and fascinating places in the area.
Written by Marina Pogorilko