Western Fairy-tale A 12-day tour mostly along the Western visiting the most impressive castles and the beautiful Carpathian Mountains

Starting a journey in the capital city with its golden-domed , leafy parks and monumental architecture, you’ll go to the West visiting the real mighty castles and fortresses – the magnificent at Kamyanets-Podilsky, a massive fort over the river at and others of a kind. Having experienced the spirit of the Old Times you’ll be taken for a fascinating tour over the beautiful Carpathian Mountains with hiking, horse-riding, walking, rafting and other things you can only dream about. You’ll learn about culture and traditions of the hutsuls (an ethnic group at the Carpathians), dance the traditional dances and sample the delicious cuisine. Finally you’ll find yourself sitting in a cosy cafe with a cup of coffee you’ve never tasted in one of the most amazing Ukrainian cities – with its unique architecture and charm. Then you’ll be certainly impressed by the ornate golden domes of Pochayiv rising up from the surrounding plain. And on returning to Kyiv you’ll surely feel like you’ve spent the last 12 days in a real fairy-tale.

Day 1, Kyiv Meeting at the airport in Kyiv. Transfer to a hotel. Accommodation at the hotel. Welcome dinner. Meeting with a guide and a short presentation of a tour.

Day 2, Kyiv

Breakfast. Kyiv - a 3-hour bus tour around the historical districts of Kyiv: Golden Gate (the unique monument which reflects the art of fortification of Kievan Rus), a majestic St. Sophia’s , St. Volodymyr’s and St. Michael’s Golden Domed Cathedrals, an exuberant St. Andrew’s Church. A walk along Andriyivsky Uzviz (Andrew’s Descent) – Kyiv’s “Monmartre” - where the peculiar Ukrainian souvenirs may be bought. Lunch (optionally). Excursion to the museum-reserve and monastery Kyiv-Pechersk (an ancient Kyiv Cave Monastery). A walk along the historical district of Lypky: the House of Parliament, Mariyinsky palace (an official residence of the President of Ukraine for ceremonial purposes) and Mariyinsky park, the marvellous panoramic views over the Dnipro river; street (the main street of a city with its splendid architecture) and Maydan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). Dinner. Visiting theatres (the Opera House, the philharmonic), clubs and discos optionally.

Day 3, Kyiv – Medzhybizh – Kamyanets-Podilsky (470 km)

Breakfast. Journey to Kamyanets-Podilsky visiting Medzhybizh - the 16th-century Sieniawski castle - a mighty fortress which looms at the confluence of the Southern Buh River and its Buzhok tributary being spectacularly reflected on the water near the small dam. Arrival to Kamyanec-Podilsky. Accommodation at a hotel. Dinner.

Day 4, Kamyanets-Podilsky – Khotyn – (100 km)

Breakfast. Kamyanets-Podilsky - a majestic stone fortress, built on a rocky island near the River Smotrych, with numerous fortifications and intricate architectural decorations, which dates back to the beginning of the 12th century; the Furrier’s and Potter's towers, Russian and Polish gates, the Castle bridge; the Complex of the of Old city – the City Hall, Rynok square, an Armenian well, St. Peter’s and Paul’s Cathedral, the Dominican Monastery. Excursion to Khotyn – the 15th-century – an impressive massive fort overlooking the Dnister river, preferred by filmmakers above all Ukrainian castles, worth visiting by all means (a fortress can be called a real movie star). Arrival to Chernivtsi. Accommodation at a hotel. Dinner.

Day 5, Chernivtsi - Kolomyya - Yaremche (140 km)

Breakfast. Chernivtsi - a tour around this lively and energetic city (the instantly intriguing University Complex – a former residence of Bukovynian patriarchies – with all red-brick facades, green domes and a few Moorish touches; an attractive building of the Music and Drama Theatre, the City Hall). Kolomyya - National Museum of Hutsulshchyna and Pokuttya Folk Art (one of the best exhibitions of its kind in Ukraine), the eye-catching “” Museum, show-casing the colourful, hand-printed Easter eggs (Ukrainian tradition), the Old city. A master-class in Easter Eggs painting. Yaremche - visiting a pretty resort at the Carpathians with the beautiful waterfall „Probiy” and the hutsulian souvenir market. Accommodation at a hotel. Dinner.

Day 6, Yaremche – Vorokhta (35 km)

Breakfast. The whole day free. Optionally Hiking the highest peak of Ukraine Hoverla (2061 m) – pretty straight and not the most remote trail in the Carpathians; the breathtaking views from the mountain. Otherwise a) Activities in Yaremche: horse-riding, cycling, rafting, jeeping, kayaking etc. b) Visiting Oleksa Dovbush rocks (huge rocks and stones reminding the mysterious creatures). c) A walking excursion to the waterfall “Girl’s Tears” (“Divochi slyozy”). d) A walk to the rocky outcrops of the Carpathian flysch. Dinner.

Day 7, Vorokhta - Ivano-Frankivsk – – Lviv (240 km)

Breakfast. Ivano-Frankivsk – a city tour (Rynok square – a traditional heart of a city, where a mix of colourful buildings circle the star-shaped town hall, the baroque Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection, the former Armenian Church with an attractive, undulating baroque facade and twin, rounded bell towers). Halych – excursion Krylos – the place of the annalistic Halych (the ancient capital of Halych- Volynsky princedom). Arrival to Lviv. Accommodation at a hotel. Dinner.

Day 8, Lviv

Arrival to Lviv. Breakfast. Lviv – a 3-hour tour around one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine – the Assumption Church (Uspinnya) and Three Saints Chapel, the Dominican Cathedral, the Rynok Square – the heart of the city (Renaissance period), the City Hall (Ratusha), the Latin Cathedral with the Chapel, the ancient Armenian quarter and the Armenian Cathedral, the Liberty avenue (Prospekt Svobody), the Opera House, Town Arsenal – a part of the city’s original fortification system. Accommodation at a hotel. Free time or visiting museums optionally. Dinner.

Day 9, Lviv Breakfast. The whole day free. Dinner.

Optionally a) Visiting museums. b) Lviv – – Krehiv – Lviv (80 km) Zhovkva – the castle (the defense building of the Renaissance period), the City Hall with the reconstructured building of the old casemates (17thcentury), parochial St. Laurentium Church, the Christmas Church and Monastery, the Dominican Monastery building. Krehiv – the building of the Basilian Monastery of St. Nicolas (14-16thcenturies), the healing springs in the ravine near the Monastery.

Day 10, Lviv – – Berestechko – Lutsk (230 km)

Breakfast. Olesko – the 18th-century French chateau-style standing on top of a hill surrounded by a dense swamp - the unique historical and architectural monument. Berestechko – a town known as a place of the biggest battle of Khmelnytsky period; the museum-reserve „Cossack graves”. Journey to Lutsk. Accommodation at a hotel. Dinner.

Day 11, Lutsk – – Ostroh – Kyiv (580 km)

Breakfast. Lutsk – a 2-hour tour around the main city of the Volyn region (the outstanding 14th-century Lubart’s castle with its 13m-high brick walls and tall towers – a centrepiece of the old town, St. Peter’s and Paul’s Cathedral with the entrance to the city’s huge network of underground tunnels). - one of the largest orthodox centers, architectural complex of the 16 – 19th centuries with the baroque Assumption Cathedral (Uspinnya), famous for its miraculous and the Pochayiv Holy Virgin ichnogram on the stone. Excursion to Ostroh - the cradle of education and enlightenment in Ukraine, the place where the first complete edition of the Bible in Old Church Slavonic was printed and the well-known Ostroh Academy was established - visiting the castle of the Ostrozki princes and the Epiphany Church. Arrival to Kyiv. Accommodation at a hotel. Dinner.

Day 12, Kyiv Breakfast. Free time. Transfer to the airport. Leaving Kyiv.

*The organizer is entitled to the right to make the slight changes to the program without changing the general content of a trip.

www.terraincognita.info

[email protected] UKRAINE, Kyiv, Mala Zhytomyrska str., 16/3, of.4 Tel. +380443616801, Fax +380672313200, Mob. +380982259997