Kovel Raion is the largest in Volyn: 7.7 thousand square kilometres, 23 hromadas, and about 270 thousand residents. It borders Poland and Belarus and lies on both banks of the Prypyat. It includes the former Kovel, Liubomml, Ratne, Stara Vyzhivka, Turiisk, and Shatsk raions. The centre is Kovel. The main reasons to visit are the Shatsk Lakes, ancient Liuboml, and the Lesia Ukrainka estate.
Shatsk Lakes
The most famous place in the raion is the Shatsk National Nature Park with two dozen lakes. Among them is Svityaz, the deepest lake in Ukraine. The town of Shatsk, known since 1410, is the main resort centre of the region.
Liuboml
Liuboml is mentioned in a chronicle from 1287 — the Volyn prince Volodymyr Vasylkovych lived and died here. St. George's Church from the 1280s still stands in the centre of the town, and the Holy Trinity Church was founded by King Władysław II Jagiełło in 1412.
Kolodiazhne
In the village of Kolodiazhne is the Lesia Ukrainka museum-estate. The Kosach family lived here for many years, and the poet wrote many works at the estate. The museum was recently restored.
Also worth seeing
- St. Demetrius's Church in Hishyn from 1567, a national architectural landmark.
- Nechymne landscape reserve near Skulyn.
- Tur and Samary lakes near Ratne, forests and marshes of the Prypyat.
How to get there
Kovel is one of the largest railway hubs in western Ukraine; from here, trains and buses depart across the entire raion. The schedule is available in the article bus schedule in Kovel. Getting to Shatsk from Kovel takes about 2 hours by bus.
