A Walk Through Oleksandriya Arboretum in Bila Tserkva

Route map

Map © OpenStreetMap.

About the route

«Oleksandriia» is a state dendrological park of the National Academy of Sciences on the banks of the Ros River in Bila Tserkva and the largest architecturally designed landscape park in Ukraine: over 400 hectares, more than 20 km of avenues, and about 1,500 species and forms of plants. It was founded over two hundred years ago by the Branicki family and named in honor of Oleksandra Branicka. There is no separate marked eco-trail here, but the park's most interesting sights can easily be explored via a loop of about 7 km — it is worth setting aside three to four hours for this.

Park structure «Ruins» over the pond — «Ruins» over the pond. Photo: Roman Naumov, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Ponds and Waterfall

From the main entrance on Skvyrske Highway, the avenues lead to the Mirror Pond. The ponds and cascades cover over 10 hectares, and near the large waterfall stands a monument to the Greek Warrior. Further on is the romantic park structure «Ruins,» deliberately built to resemble the remains of an ancient building.

«Echo» colonnade in the park — Colonnade «Luna», also called «Echo». Photo: Roman Naumov, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Chinese Bridge and Turkish House

Deep inside the park are the Chinese Bridge, the «Turkish House» pavilion, and Rose Island with a column. Right here is also the «Luna» colonnade, often called «Echo»: stand in the center and say something — you will hear an echo.

Autumn on a lawn in the dendrological park — Autumn in «Oleksandriia». Photo: Haidamac (Serhiy Krynytsia), CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Paliieva Hill and Austeria

The highest point of the loop is Paliieva Hill with an observation deck. In 1702, Colonel Semen Palii camped here, and an old oak tree on the hill bears his name. On the way back, the route passes the «Lev» (Lion) spring and the ruins of the «Austeria» summer palace in the north of the park. The park is home to 148 bird species, and since 1946 it has belonged to the Academy of Sciences; you can learn about its history in the park museum.

Tips

The park is open daily: from April 15 to September 15 — from 8:00 to 21:30, and the rest of the year — until 19:00; the museum is open from 9:00 to 17:00, closed on Tuesdays. Admission is paid. It is most beautiful here in spring and October. The track on the map is our suggested loop along the park's avenues.

How to get there

Bila Tserkva lies approximately 80 km from Kyiv; local minibuses run from the bus station to the park, and the main entrance is on Skvyrske Highway.

What you will see on the route

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.