Ukraine Activities

Unfortunately, there are not many attractions specifically dedicated to children's needs and little in the way of beaches or amusement parks. Ukraine does, however, have the impressive Carpathian National Park where kids can walk among the wildlife and forests.

Carpathian National Park
Ukraine’s largest national park encompasses over 503 square kilometres, but only 25 per cent of it is protected from the industrial logging which will eventually spell its demise. The protected area is stunning and is home to a variety of animals such as wolves, brown bears, lynx, deer and bison. Ukraine’s highest mountain is also located within the park. Mount Hoverla rises 2061 metres from the valley floor. If the children need a place to run around, this is by far the best option. Phone: +380 03434 22 817.

Caves Monastery
This fascinating underground world lies beneath the capital city Kyiv, offering a mysterious and exciting environment for kids to explore. Historically, the Caves Monastery was the focal point of early Orthodox Christianity in Ukraine. Visitors have to carry candles deep into the maze of catacombs to see the mummies, church relics and other artefacts.

Chernobyl Museum
If your kids are old enough, they may have a sense of the potential power (and danger) of nuclear energy. The 1986 disaster at Chernobyl was one of the world’s most frightening episodes in its development of nuclear energy. This museum offers a realistic insight into the people who tried to stop the meltdown and the effects that followed. Phone +380 044 470 5422.

Cycling has become very popular in Ukraine over the past years. Although the cities are not especially bike-friendly, there are a number of parks and forest areas in and around Kyiv which are excellent for riding a bike. Ukraine’s countryside is ideal for longer cycling excursions, as the roads are quiet and uncongested. Travellers can take their bicycles on the trains as long as they are packed in a cover.

Like most European countries, Ukraine is fervent about its national football side. It also has a fairly well-developed professional league, which is divided into five levels. The strongest and most popular league is the Vyscha Liha, also known as the Ukrainian Premier League. The next league down is the Persha Liha, or First League and the three lower leagues are named Druha Liha A, B and C. If you happen to be in Kyiv during the football season, you may want to catch a game with Dinamo Kyiv, one of the better sides in Europe.

Shats’kyi National Park contains 23 lakes, including Lake Svityaz, the largest and deepest in the country. In 2002, this park was declared a Biosphere Reserve, so hopefully it will remain protected. Polis’kyi Reserve has swamps on 22 per cent of its land, making it a unique place to explore. Yovorivskyi National Park is mainly forest, but it also contains a number of historical monuments, churches and monasteries. Podil’ski Tovtry National Park has an amazing variety of geological formations interspersed with meadows and forests. The mineral springs, historical and cultural monuments attract many visitors each year.

The Askaniya-Nova Biosphere Reserve is the oldest protected area in Ukraine and in 1984; it was declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The park is the guardian of Europe’s only Festuca-Stipa grassland community and is home a large number of animal species which can readily be seen. Some 300 species of birds also reside in this park, making it one of the best natural areas in Ukraine. The Karpats’kyi Biosphere Reserve encompasses five massifs and is one of the nicest alpine areas. The park is very popular with tourists since it is full of health resorts, lodges, sporting facilities and archaeological sites.

The Crimean Mountains are another major area for outdoor recreation. The Yalta Mountain Forest Reserve extends along the coast of the Black Sea and is full of beautiful geological formations such as caves, grottoes and waterfalls. The Karadag Reserve protects Europe’s only Jurassic period rocky shoreline massif, making it a haven for rock hounds. The Carpathian National Park is Ukraine’s largest, and one of the most popular. Mount Hoverla, the country’s highest mountain, can be found here. It attracts mountain climbers and trekkers throughout the warm seasons.

The Carpathian Mountains, stretching across the western border of the country, have the most developed areas for skiing and snowboarding in Ukraine. The leading resorts include Bukovel, Slavsko, Drahorbrat and Tysovets. Drahorbrat is the highest ski resort in the country and also gets the most reliable snowfall. However, Bukovel is only ski resort of international standard.

Ukraine is well-known for its diversity of flavours, which over the centuries have evolved from Russian, Polish, German and Turkish cuisine. Popular ingredients in Ukrainian cuisine include pork, mushrooms, vegetables, berries, fruits and herbs. The availability of ingredients is dependent on the seasons, so visitors will find a constantly changing menu. Ukrainians are renowned for their hospitality, so it follows that their meals are always served in generous quantities.

Ukrainian dishes have a sophisticated simplicity often found in rural cuisine. The combination of fresh, pickled and smoked ingredients makes the flavours rich and intense. Bread is the staple of the Ukrainian diet, as is the local dish kasha, which resembles porridge and is part of a typical breakfast. The national dish of Ukraine is a soup called borshch, which has been adopted by many countries in the region. This beet-based soup can contain up to 20 ingredients depending on the season and the local region. Every visitor should try at least one bowl of this hearty dish.

Salads are also very common around the country. They come in endless forms, with the only constant being the presence of mayonnaise or vinegar. Ukraine also excels in the dessert area, producing a wide range of pastries and cakes. They are often less sweet than typical deserts on the continent, but equally delicious. The local specialty is a tort Kyivskiy, made from layers of crumbly wafers and hazelnuts. And you may want to try a glass of the unique Ukrainian drink kvas, a slightly sweet beverage made from wheat and sold out of giant tanks on wheels during the summer.

With a consumer market of about 48 million people, it’s easy to see why Ukraine’s shopping centres and shopping facilities are so impressive. By any standards, some of the shopping centres in the country will keep you busy for hours browsing the endless choices of designer clothes, handmade arts and crafts, woodwork and paintings. Kiev is the country’s main centre for shopping. It has lots of the world's top shops and brand names, most of which are concentrated in the heart of the city. Most visitors will probably be unimpressed with the pithy selection of traditional Ukrainian handicrafts. This is a country that has its eyes on the future, not the past.

Most Ukrainians shop for their fresh vegetables, meats, cheese and fish at old fashioned farmer markets. Kiev has an excellent selection of these local markets where you can buy everything fresh. If you enjoy bargaining then you’ll get a kick out of the many farmer markets in Kiev. The best and most expensive market is Bessarabsky Rynok. But even if you don’t care to buy fresh produce, you should still come and experience the authentic atmosphere of these markets. It’s one of the best spots in the country to see how the locals really live.