In winter, old castles look different than in the high season: snow highlights the walls and bastions, there are fewer people in the courtyards, and from the towers you can see far across the bare floodplains of the Styr, Ikva, or Seym rivers. We have gathered castles, palaces, and estates from our guide that you can visit from December to March — in Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions.
Some of them are museums and reserves open year-round, but in winter they often have shorter hours. Others are ruins or buildings currently housing a school or hospital: these are viewed from the outside. Next to each site, we suggest what else to see nearby.
Before the trip
- The daylight hours are short: leave in the morning to have time to see the courtyards and walls before dusk.
- During air raid alerts, museums close and visitors are led to shelters. Allow extra time.
- Schedules change due to energy saving and holidays. Check the institution’s page or call the ticket office before your trip.
- The walls, tower stairs, and castle hills are slippery in winter — wear comfortable shoes.
Volyn
Liubart’s Castle in Lutsk
Liubart’s Castle is one of the largest and best-preserved castles in Ukraine, depicted on the 200 hryvnia banknote. You can walk along the walls, climb the Gate Tower with its observation deck, and see the remains of the princely palace and the foundations of the Church of John the Theologian in the underground section. Inside are the museums of the “Old Lutsk” reserve. In winter, the schedule is shorter than in summer, so check the reserve’s page for opening hours.
Nearby in the old town is the Volyn Icon Museum with the Chełm Icon of the Mother of God. More about the city in the article “Lutsk — what to see in the city and nearby.”
Olyka
About 40 km east of Lutsk is the Olyka Castle of the Radziwiłł family, one of the first bastion-type castles in Ukraine. It currently houses a psychiatric hospital, so entry is not always allowed, but the walls, bastions, stone bridge over the moat, and the Baroque tower with a clock are clearly visible from outside. In the town center is the collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity from 1635–1640 with the Radziwiłł family crypt.
Rivne Region
Dubno
Dubno Castle of the Ostrogski princes stands on a cape above the Ikva River. It features bastions, a moat, the palaces of the Ostrogski and Lubomirski families, and dungeons — once a carriage could turn around in the casemates. The castle is a state historical and cultural reserve. Its page lists summer hours from April 1, 9:00 to 18:00; check the ticket office for winter hours.
Ostroh
In Ostroh, the entire old town functions as a museum: the princes’ castle on the hill, the gate towers, the Museum of Book and Printing with the Ostroh Bible of 1581. According to the Ostroh reserve, in the autumn-winter period museums operate from 10:00 to 17:00, Fridays until 16:00, Monday closed. From the balcony of the Murovana Tower you can see the Viliya River and the snow-covered valley.
Klevan, Korets and Tynne
Near Rivne, it is worth visiting the Klevan Castle of the Chortoryiskyi family: the viaduct over the moat and two stone towers have been preserved. From here, it is a few kilometers to the Tunnel of Love, which is covered in snow in winter. In the east of the region — the ruins of Korets Castle above the Korchyk River with a gate tower and a viaduct. In the north, in Tynne on the Sluch River, there is the Mladzanovskyi Palace from around 1900 with white columns. It houses a lyceum, so visits are from the outside only.
Zhytomyr Region
Radomysl
Radomysl Castle is a private museum complex located where the Myka River spreads into the Papirnyanskyi Pond. It was restored on the ruins of a mill built on the foundations of a paper mill from 1612–1615. Inside is the Museum of Ukrainian Home Icons. In December and January, the castle is decorated for the holidays, and the snowy alleys, icicles, and frozen Myka provide great photo opportunities. Check the schedule and ticket prices on the complex’s page. About the town — see the article «Radomysl: from Paper Mill to Castle».
Berdychiv and surroundings
In Berdychiv, the main attraction is the Monastery of the Bare Carmelites, a former fortress with massive walls, still called “krepost” by locals. It is an active monastery, so behave respectfully as in a place of worship. Twelve kilometers north, in Halchyn, is the Mikhail Chaikovskyi Estate, a classicist palace with a four-column portico; since 2023, the “Chaikovskyi Space” cultural venue has operated there. Thirty kilometers from Berdychiv is the Hanskyi Estate in Verkhnia, an 1800 palace with a Balzac museum. A day itinerary is in the article about the Berdychiv District.
Chernihiv Region
Kachanivka
Kachanivka is one of the few Ukrainian estates that has remained intact. The classicist palace with a dome, wings, and a ceremonial courtyard stands on a plateau, with a 560-hectare landscaped park below featuring 12 ponds. Inside the palace halls are preserved fireplaces, tiled stoves, and a painted ceiling in the knights’ hall. In winter, the park is quiet and empty, and the ponds freeze over. Check the reserve’s opening hours in advance.
Baturyn
Baturyn — the hetman capital at the Seim. Here the fortress citadel, the palace of Kyrylo Rozumovskyi, and other sites of the “Hetman Capital” reserve have been restored. According to the reserve, from November to March it is open from 8:00 to 17:00 (ticket office until 16:30), Monday is closed.
Sumy Region and Kyiv Region
In Sumy on the Psel River, the Lyntvaryov estate on Lutska has been preserved, where Anton Chekhov spent the summers of 1888–1889. But Sumy and the northern part of the region are regularly shelled: before traveling, check the community news and the alert map, and do not go to border communities unless necessary.
In Kyiv Polissia, in Kopyliv on the Buchanka River, stands the wooden von Meck estate, where Pyotr Tchaikovsky stayed twice. The house is in disrepair, so it can only be viewed from outside.
Travel Tip
It is convenient to combine castles in pairs: Lutsk and Olyka, Dubno and Ostroh, Kachanivka and Baturyn. Take a thermos, a charged power bank, and extra fuel — in case of power outages, gas stations and cafes in small towns may not be open. Each place’s page has a “How to get there” button with coordinates.
