CYMK | 2022 July 27 – August 10, 2022 | 15 Days See the Old World in a New Way We are happy to present a customized tour proposal to Ukraine! The cities and places we have selected have a rich Ukrainian history and unique Ukrainian traditions specific to the regions you will visit. The activities, tours and workshops you will take part in will become bright memories for a lifetime! Our local guides will escort you to the must-see sights, show you their secret off the beaten trail spots, fill your belly with homemade delicacies and ensure a cozy bed at the end of night. Lviv – Ternopil – Carpathian Mountains – Lviv Faith | Culture | Leadership | Fellowship Day 1 | Wednesday, July 27: Arrive in Lviv (-/-/D) Start your journey arriving into Lviv, an ancient, historic city in Western Ukraine that is quickly becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ukraine, and for a good reason! With its quaint charm, cobblestone streets and classical architecture, you won’t fail to be charmed by this city of love and UNESCO heritage site. Famous for its beer, coffee and chocolate, but also for being a place where time stands still – Lviv truly is a city of a laid-back, café culture where you can pick a spot, relax, and watch the world go by… Upon arrival to Lviv, your Cobblestone Tour Leader will meet you at the airport (look for the Cobblestone Freeway sign) and will transfer you to your hotel and help you get checked-in. After some time to unpack and rest, we will provide a guided city orientation, where we will show you around the local neighborhood and help familiarize yourself with this historic city. We will introduce you to delicious places to eat, small hideaways to grab a cup of coffee and we’ll make sure you know where to find ATMs, bottled water and all the things you might want. This evening, we will take you to a traditional welcome dinner at one of the best restaurants downtown. Day 2 | Thursday, July 28: Lviv (B/L/-) After breakfast at the hotel, it’s time to see Lviv! We’ll discover its history and charm as we ride the retro train on a city tour. We’ll see this picturesque city that’s been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and get a glimpse of some of Lviv’s most famous attractions. After lunch, we will continue discovering picturesque Lviv on a walking city tour, which will give you a better understanding of the city history and vibe. The city tour will show you around authentic sights, numerous cathedrals and making you completely fall in love with Lviv’s enigmatic atmosphere. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy – we suggest you climb to the highest point in Lviv – the High Castle Hill and enjoy the panoramic view of this beautiful сity at the set of sun! Day 3 | Friday, July 29: Lviv – Kornalovychi – Lviv (B/-/D) After breakfast at the hotel, we will travel to Kornalovychi to visit “Native House” orphanage (Sambir orphanage). Spent the day in Kornalovychi orphanage – get to know each other and lead sessions with children. (CYMK is working out the details). In the evening, return to Lviv. Dinner in one of the restaurants in the city center. Day 4 | Saturday, July 30: Lviv – Kornalovychi – Lviv (B/-/D) After breakfast at the hotel, we will have another outreach to the orphanage in Kornalovychi. Day in Kornalovychi orphanage (CYMK is working out the details). Return to Lviv in the evening. Dinner in one of the restaurants in the city center. Accommodation: Number of Nights: Tours & Museums: “Lviv” Hotel or similar 4 Nights Lviv Train City Tour https://hotel-lviv.com.ua/ Lviv Walking City Tour ‘Native House’ orphanage visit Day 5 | Sunday, July 31: Lviv – Olesko – Ternopil (B/-/D) In the morning, to plunge into spiritual side of Lviv, we will visit The Dormition Church, a Ukrainian Orthodox church and also one of the most recognizable symbols of the Old Town. It is its silhouette that can be frequently seen on the postcards with city views. It consists of three splendid medieval buildings: the church, the bell tower, known as Kornyakt’s Tower, and the Chapel of Three Prelates. Each of them is a true gem of Lviv Renaissance architecture. Afterwards, we’ll get back to the hotel to check out, and then we will travel to the next city on our itinerary – Ternopil. On our way, we’ll stop to visit Olesko Castle, the oldest building in western Ukraine, and one of the best-known castles that had been reconstructed from ruin. For over six centuries, the castle has been soaring on a 164-feet high hill, protecting memories of crucial historical events that it had witnessed and participated in. The castle is a great example of the fortification architecture and you will uncover many secrets of the past, exploring its territory. Arrive to Ternopil in the late afternoon. After check in to hotel in the heart of the city, we will show you around during the brief city orientation and treat you with a dinner in a restaurant with traditional Ukrainian cuisine. Remainder of the evening at leisure. Day 6 | Monday, August 1: Ternopil (B/L/-) Ternopil is one of the largest cities of western Ukraine, located in its heart and having the status of an important trade center. It is a quiet, incredibly green city with a unique atmosphere, bright history and many interesting natural, historical and architectural sights. It is famous for its Borshchiv embroidery technique – a very dark colored floral pattern, but also for the incredible “Optimistic” Cave network – over 265km long! Discover more about the rich history, culture and myths of this unassuming city. After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll have time to relax and unwind in this quaint city – a place with a bright history and a plethora of interesting natural, historical and architectural sights. We will take you on a walking city tour of Ternopil - walk around the old city centre, visit artificial pond, local castle that used to be a residence of Polish nobles and beautiful Dominican Cathedral. During the tour, we will also discover Ternopil culture in the Museum of Regional Ethnography. Ternopil region is famous for its absolutely unique Borshchiv embroidery technique – dark colored floral patterns. The numerous collections of decorative and applied arts are the subject of the museum’s pride. Despite of folk clothes and embroidery, the museum includes ceramics and textile, leather and wooden exhibits. Once the tour of the city and the museum is over, we’ll take you for lunch in one of the local restaurants with delicious food. Take the evening for your leisure and explore Ternopil on your own. You may choose to go for a stroll in the city park, which will lead you to the town lake, offering great views all around, and fantastic vistas of the area. Your Tour Leader will accompany you there, if necessary, or provide other options of activities in evening Ternopil. Accommodation: Number of Nights: Tours & Museums: “Ternopil” Hotel or similar 2 Nights Olesko Castle http://www.hotelternopil.com/ Ternopil Walking City Tour Ternopil Museum of Regional Ethnography Day 7 | Tuesday, August 2: Carpathian Mountains (B/L/-) The beautiful Carpathian Mountains are home to sweeping green forests, flowing rivers and breath-taking waterfalls – it’s hard not to feel at-one with nature when you breathe in the fresh mountain air...This is the land of the Hutsuls, Boykos, Lemkos and other native ethnical groups whose colourful folk culture is laced through thin villages stretching along wide valley floors. After breakfast at the hotel and checkout, we will travel to the mesmerizing and majestic Carpathian Mountains. On the way, we will stop for a brief tour in spiritual center of Zarvanytsia, which is called "Ukrainian Jerusalem". It is the destination of an annual youth pilgrimage and numerous eparchial pilgrimages from the farthest corners of Ukraine and Ukrainian parishes abroad. The unique complex of religious buildings of the Holy Land includes a copy of the Holy Sepulchre, Golgotha, Garden of Olives, Stairs of Repentance, the Lion gate and the Tower of David. The Marian Spiritual Centre in Zarvanytsia in the Ternopil region is well known not only in Ukraine but also beyond its borders due to its miraculous icon of the Mother of God. Its history is connected to the story of a Kyivan monk who survived the devastating Mongol invasion of 1240, having found safe refuge here in Zarvanytsia, and who in a dream saw an image of the Virgin holding the baby Jesus in her arms. In 1867 Pope Pius IX crowned the icon and granted Zarvanytsia its status as a significant pilgrimage site. Since then, thousands of pilgrims have visited this holy place. We’ll have the guided tour of the place. Next on our way, we will stop in a quaint little town called Kolomyia. Here, we will visit the world’s only Pysanka (Easter Egg) Museum, which houses a unique and rich collection of specimens of the ancient art - about 12,000 Easter Eggs from different regions of Ukraine and from artists around the world. This two-story building even looks like a large Easter egg! After lunch in Kolomyia, we’ll drive further into the Carpathians, to a place called Kosiv. We’ll get you checked into your hotel and let you enjoy the evening at leisure - wander around the grounds of our hotel, swim in the pool, or simply enjoy the stunning views of the mountains.