«Muzeina Perlyna» is an ecological trail of the Kostopil Forestry, starting near the Forest Museum two kilometres from Kostopil along the highway to Sarny. This 2.4-kilometre loop with nine stops is designed to take an hour or two. Forestry workers call it a comprehensive trail: it features ecology, botany, zoology, and stories about how forests are grown.
Nine stops
- Start of the route near the Forest Museum;
- «Ancient Oaks»;
- «Forestry Practice»;
- «Flora and Fauna of Polissia Meadows»;
- «Bird Cradle»;
- «Rokytnianska Dibrova» reserve;
- «Mature Pines»;
- «Forest Gifts»;
- «The Forest Heals».
At the «Bird Cradle» stop, forestry workers explain why log birdhouses and nest boxes are hung in the forest, and at the forestry stop — how the forest is planted and tended. At the end of the loop, they tell about berries, mushrooms, and medicinal plants.
Rokytnianska Dibrova
The most valuable part of the trail is the 54-hectare botanical reserve «Rokytnianska Dibrova», established in 1993. Here, 220–250-year-old oaks grow alongside birch, hornbeam, and alder, with hazel and spindle in the understory. Rare plants include sedge and lesser wintergreen. The reserve's information board lists its inhabitants: the European robin, blackbird, Eurasian nuthatch, black woodpecker, stock dove, European hare, red squirrel, and edible dormouse; roe deer and wild boar also visit.
Forest Museum
The museum was set up by forestry workers in the former building of the Kostopil Forestry and opened in 2011; since 2015, it has held the title of a people's museum. It tells the history of the forests and forestry of Ukraine and Rivne Region, displays collections of local plants and animals, and showcases folk crafts related to the forest. Gazebos and a playground are located near the museum.
How to get there
The Forest Museum is located at 2 Dubky Street, approximately 2 km from Kostopil near the Kostopil — Sarny highway, and about 40 km from Rivne. Restrictions on visiting forests have been in place in Rivne Region since 2022, so before your trip, check with the forestry enterprise to see if the trail is open and to confirm the museum's opening hours. The track on the map is plotted along forest paths according to the layout on the board.
