Rykhlivska Dacha ecological trail near the monastery in Rykhli

Route map

Map © OpenStreetMap.

About the route

Rykhlivska Dacha is an ecological trail in Mezyn National Nature Park in the north of Chernihiv region, near the village of Rykhly in the Ponornytsia hromada of Novhorod-Siverskyi district. It runs through the nature reserve of the same name around St. Nicholas Pustynno-Rykhlivskyi Monastery: centuries-old oaks and chestnuts, an old monastic garden, a holy well in a ravine, a pond, and a spruce alley. The trail has 10 stops, is marked, and features information stands. The park does not state the official length; a guided tour takes about two hours.

Alley of old horse chestnut trees near the monastery — Alley of centuries-old horse chestnut trees near the monastery. Photo: Papa han, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Trail stops

Multi-centuries-old oak.
Chestnut alley — 40 horse chestnut trees that are over 100 years old.
Apiary garden — the old monastic Spasky garden, where an apiary once stood.
Holy well. One descends to it via a trail into a ravine, and the landscape here resembles the Carpathians. The water has been tested and is within normal limits.
Tsar Oak with ten trunk branches. According to legend, Menshikov watched the river crossing from it.
Rykhlivskyi pond, near which a birch and an oak have grown together by their trunks.
Pond panorama — an oak footbridge to the peninsula and a dam.
Deciduous forest area where four species of corydalis, lungwort, and asarabacca bloom in spring.
Fallen oak. Nearby are monastic caves from the late 18th to early 19th centuries; one of them stretches for 100 m.
Spruce alley. Out of a hundred planted spruces, 79 have survived, all taller than 30 m; the alley is a botanical landmark of local significance.

Century-old oak with a conservation plaque near the trail — Century-old oak with a conservation plaque on the trail. Photo: SnizhokAM, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve and monastery

The Rykhlivska Dacha national nature reserve, covering an area of 789 hectares, was established in 1994 to preserve the forests of the Ponornytsia loess island. Linden-oak and maple-linden-oak forests grow here, some of which are listed in the Green Book of Ukraine. Scientists count about 400 species of vascular plants, including six listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine, notably the martagon lily, lesser butterfly-orchid, and broad-leaved helleborine. The forest is home to 51 bird species and 21 mammal species; rare ones include the stag beetle, Old World swallowtail, black stork, and smooth snake.

According to written sources, the monastery was founded by the Monohrishny colonels in 1666. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were four stone churches here, and 152 monks lived in them.

Tall old spruce alley in Rykhlivska Dacha — Ancient spruce alley — the last stop of the trail. Photo: SnizhokAM, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Tips

Tours are booked in advance with the administration of Mezyn Park — applications must be submitted 10 days in advance. Starting January 1, 2026, admission costs 80 UAH per person, or 300 UAH per group for groups of up to five people; it is free for privileged categories and military personnel. It is most beautiful here in spring when ephemeroids bloom in the deciduous forest.

Spring primroses in a broadleaved forest near the spruce alley. Photo: NativePlanting, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

How to get there

Rykhli are located near Ponornytsia in Novhorod-Siverskyi district, and the administration of Mezyn Park is in the village of Desnianske. The trail starts and ends near the monastery. The track on the map is approximate: it is laid along forest paths through known stopping points (about 4.8 km in total), so the guide may lead you along a slightly different path.

Note. During martial law, visiting forests in Chernihiv region is prohibited, and Novhorod-Siverskyi region is a border area. Currently, the trail can only be walked with park staff and by prior arrangement. The route is described for the time when the restrictions are lifted.

Before you go

Polissia is flat: there are hardly any climbs, but there are swamps, sandy roads and long stretches of forest with no mobile signal and no water. Plan on 4 km per hour, 3 km on sand and rough ground.

Water. There are few springs, and water from rivers and swamps is not safe to drink. Take at least 1.5 litres per person per day; you can refill in villages — at a shop or ask at a well.
Swamps and floodplains. Do not leave the trail in wet places: peat bogs and floating mats can be deep. In spring after floods and in autumn after rain some roads may be under water.
Ticks and mosquitoes. From April to October wear covered clothing, use tick repellent and check yourself after the walk. In June–July there are many mosquitoes and horseflies near swamps.
Fire danger. In summer forests are often closed to visitors because of fire danger — check announcements of the forestry or community. Do not make fires outside designated places.
Explosive objects. Since 2022 mines and munitions may be found in the forests of northern Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Zhytomyr regions. Stay on well-used paths and roads and do not pick anything up. If you see a suspicious object, keep away, mark the place and call 101 or 102.
Signal and navigation. Mobile signal in the forests is weak. Download the GPX track and an offline map before you go, take a power bank and tell your family where you are going and when you will be back.
Chornobyl zone. The exclusion zone is closed to free visits — do not enter it without an official permit.

Emergency: 112 — free from any phone.