Around Vinnytsia

Vinnytsia region is rich in interesting and remarkable places. We would like to introduce you to the most famous of them and add them to your itinerary when planning a trip to the Podilia region.

Palaces and parks

Podilia is famous for its historical monuments of the 18th ― early 20th centuries. During this period, many palaces were built here in the style of classicism and with elements of eclecticism.

An architectural and park complex in the village of Voronovytsya, popular tourist attraction, is the estate of the Grocholski-Możajski counts. The center of its composition is a three-story palace built in the style of early classicism. The facade under the roof is decorated with a relief frieze with garlands and bucrania. The historic interiors of several halls have been preserved to this day.

The estate was built for the noble Polish family of Grocholski. A century and a half later, it passed into the possession of subordinates of the Russian Empire ― the Możajski family. One of its owners was the inventor of the glider, Aleksander Możajski. In memory of him, the Palace has housed the Museum of Aviation and Cosmonautics of Ukraine since the Soviet era and until today.

To the southeast of Vinnytsia is the town of Nemyriv. It is home to an early 20th century palace that was built thanks to its last owner and patron of the city, Princess Maria Shcherbatova. The palace is built in a neoclassical style with a spectacular park facade. Now the Avangard sanatorium is located in its premises. The luxurious park around the estate was laid out in the days of the Potocki family. Writer Honoré de Balzac and composer Ludwig van Beethoven have visited this place once.

The estate of Counts Grocholski and Możajski in Voronovytsya. Photo – travel.camon.pro

The house where the prominent Ukrainian writer Marko Vovchok lived has also been preserved in Nemyriv. Now a memorial museum of the writer has been created in this building.

On the outskirts of the city, the remains of a Scythian settlement dating back to the 7th century BC, one of the largest in Ukraine, were found.

Perhaps the most famous classicist monument in Podilia is the palace in the town of Tulchyn. It was built at the end of 18th century for the family of the legendary Counts of Potocki. Strict, precise, and at the same time soft perfected forms are a characteristic feature of the architecture of this building. At the time of its creation, the palace was equated with the royal one because of its beauty and grandeur.

Since 1984, the building has been used as a high school of culture. To this day, the architectural decoration of the interiors has been preserved only in the main lobby. Restoration work is underway to keep the Potocki Palace in good condition. Despite its complicated history, it still attracts tourists from Ukraine and Europe with its grandeur.

Considering the concert life of the palace in its “youth”, it is worth coming here in June for the large-scale international opera festival OPERAFEST TULCHYN, which takes its guests to the times of balls and aristocracy, successfully combining it with modern performances and contemporary art objects.

Tulchyn is known not only for the Potocki estate, but also as a town where Mykola Leontovych, a prominent Ukrainian composer and author of the world-famous musical arrangement of the song “Shchedryk” (Carol of the Bells), lived and worked for a long time. In honor of the composer, and to emphasize Tulchyn’s artistic spirit, the city has created many art objects over the past few years, including giant murals, art installations, and bright photo zones. The Museum-Apartment of Leontovych was opened here in 1977, and recently it was renovated (digitized).

Memorial complex

Führer Headquarter “Werwolf “. Photo by Valentyn Porokhniak for vinnytsia.city

There are places in the Vinnytsia region that preserve the memory of the tragic events of the Second World War. At that time, Vinnytsia was a strategically important site for the Nazi camp. One of Hitler’s main headquarters, the Werwolf (German for “armed wolf”), was built 8 km north of the city. Not far away were the concentration camp and the Stalag, where tens of thousands of Jews and other prisoners died.

Today, it is difficult to see any traces of the Nazi base on the territory of the former headquarters. However, there are still many superstitions surrounding the headquarter. This place is often mentioned in various mystical stories related to the activities of the Third Reich.

Today, the territory of the Werwolf and the mass grave of the prisoners who built the headquarter are united in the Historical and Memorial Complex in Memory of the Victims of Fascism. There is a museum pavilion where visitors can learn about the headquarter, the history of the occupation of the region and the crimes of the German-Romanian invaders, as well as the resistance of the Ukrainian population and the liberation of Vinnytsia region.

Railway stations as a form of art

Zhmerynka railway station. Photo – uk.wikipedia.org/Posterrr

In Vinnytsia region beauty can be found not only at the destination point but also on the way to somewhere. The luxurious Zhmerynka and Koziatyn railway stations, which are architectural monuments of the XIX century, are must-see. The appearance of the Zhmerynka station is impressive. This station was built in 1865 in a new style: Ukrainian Art Nouveau combined with the Renaissance. The architects, developing the project, tried to make it look like a train station in Munich, Bavaria.

Koziatyn railway station is also extraordinary. Back in 1899, the Koziatyn station was one of the best in the entire Russian Empire: the station could receive and send several trains at the same time and had its own power plant, which was a rarity. Its decoration was no less impressive: elegant ornaments and furniture.

Spiritual shrines

The Church of St. Anne (Bar). Photo – uk.wikipedia.org/Posterrr

There is a special atmosphere in many towns of the Vinnytsia region. It was formed due to their compactness and being filled with architectural monuments of different times. In particular, Vinnytsia region attracts with excellent examples of sacred architecture: Orthodox, Catholic and Jewish. Whole architectural complexes built by Catholic monastic orders are located here.

There is a church of St. Anne in the town of Bar. This neo-Gothic religious building was built in 1911. The Carmelite Monastery was founded back in 1616. However, the buildings of the complex that have preserved are somewhat younger. There are also ruins of an old castle in Bar.

Sharhorod is a well-known historical and cultural center of spirituality and harmony. Among its notable buildings is the Church of St. Florian, founded by the city’s founder and built in the Baroque style; one of the best architectural monuments of the Jewish community of Podilia is the 16th-century synagogue, which was part of the town’s defense system; St. Nicholas Monastery, which is a complex of buildings from different periods of the 18th-19th centuries.

Brailiv is a city that should also be added to the tourist route of small atmospheric towns in Vinnytsia region. Among its monuments are the Holy Trinity Convent of the 18th century and the former parish church of the Holy Trinity of the 19th century. It is also worth mentioning the 19th-century palace of the von Meck family. It houses the State Museum of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, who created many of his masterpieces here, and his patroness, Nadezhda von Meck.

History and nature

Lyadiv Rock Monastery. Photo – uk.wikipedia.org/Zysko Serhii

The forest-steppe zone, temperate climate and location on two heights provided a very favorable climate. The territory of Podilia is rich in unique geological formations, diverse flora and fauna, and picturesque landscapes. Here is a list of several places where you can go to admire the nature of the region.

The Historical and Cultural Reserve Busha is a “place of stone legends”. Here you can see finds from different eras, from a Trypillian temple, which is several thousand years old, to the sculptures created at international plein airs over the past few decades. The most popular object for discussion in Busha is the rock temple of the 1st-9th centuries, the artistic relief of which still remains a mystery to researchers. Near Busha, there is a natural monument of national importance, Haidamatsky Yar, which has a unique geological landscape.

The village of Lyadova is located near the large canyon of the Dniester. It is surrounded by a valley with many rare plants growing on its steep slopes and natural caves formed by chalk outcrops. Lyadiv Rock Monastery has been located here for more than a thousand years. It is a popular place among pilgrims as a religious monument and among tourists as an ancient location with beautiful views.

To preserve the environment and unique plant species, the Karmeliukove Podilia National Nature Park was created in Vinnytsia Oblast. Unique forests with centuries-old trees and relict plants that have been growing here since another geological era have been preserved on its territory. The area is also home to rare species of animals listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine and Europe. The park attracts tourists with local landscapes that are simply enchanting.

Resorts and recreation

Photo – sanatoriipodillia.ua

Every year many tourists come to the Vinnytsia region for health resumption.

The city of Khmilnyk is a leading resort, which is also called “Baden-Baden of Podilia”. What makes it unique is the local deposit of radon waters, which, in terms of their origin and composition, have no analogues among European mineral waters. Khmilnyk is also known for another natural factor with an active biological effect – therapeutic mud from the Viitivetsky peat bog. All this, combined with the magnificent nature and healing air, gives health and pleasant rest to all guests of the resort.

The recuperative resort in the village of Pechera attracts with its temperate climate. Mild winters and warm summers are an important factor for climatotherapy. Various physiotherapy procedures, mineral waters, etc. are also used here. Sanatoriums are located on the high bank of the Pivdennyi Buh, in the bed of which huge boulders form rapids. In addition to physical recreation, the area attracts visitors with the opportunity to relax in Potocki Park and on the riverbank, admire the old mill, or take part in the annual folk-rock festival Mlynomania.