How to get to the Shatsk Lakes

There is no railway near the Shatsk Lakes, so the journey almost always consists of two parts: by train to Kovel or Lutsk, then by bus or taxi. From Kovel to Shatsk it is about 85 kilometres, from Lutsk over 150, and from Liuboml, where the nearest station to the lakes is located, about 33. By car, everything is simpler: from any city you drive towards Kovel and Liuboml, and from there north to Shatsk.

The train and bus timetables change from season to season, so before your trip check them in the Ukrzaliznytsia app and on the bus station boards. Below is how to get here from various cities and how to travel between the lakes afterwards.

By train to Kovel

Kovel is one of the largest railway hubs in western Ukraine, and it is here that it is most convenient to travel by train. Direct trains arrive from Kyiv, Lviv, Rivne, Kharkiv and Dnipro, with some of them continuing further to Chełm in Poland. Most long-distance services are overnight: you board in the evening, in the morning or at night you are already in Kovel, and from there it is another two hours to the lakes by bus.

Kovel station, information boards and useful details can be found on the Kovel Railway Station page. The closest station to the lakes is Liuboml on the Kovel — Yahodyn line, but long-distance trains stop here less frequently, so check whether your service stops in Liuboml.

From Kovel and Lutsk by bus

Buses to Shatsk and Svitiaz depart from the Lutsk Bus Station and pass through the Kovel Bus Station. Services run year-round, several times a day, with the first ones departing early in the morning. From Lutsk the journey takes about three and a half hours, from Kovel about two. Current timetables from bus station boards are available on these pages, and schedules for other bus stations can be found in the Bus Schedules section.

If you have arrived by train in Lutsk, you can get from the Lutsk Railway Station to the bus station by city transport. From Kovel station, you can also take a taxi to the lakes — this is faster than waiting for a bus, especially with children and luggage.

From Kyiv

The most popular option is the overnight train to Kovel and a morning bus to Shatsk. The fastest trains cover the journey from Kyiv to Kovel in about six hours, while slower ones take ten. In season, direct buses to Shatsk and Svitiaz also run from Kyiv — look for them on the bus station boards.

By car from Kyiv it is about 530 kilometres. The route is straightforward: via the M-07 highway through Korosten, Sarny and Kovel to Liuboml, where you turn right onto the T-03-02 road, and in half an hour you are in Shatsk.

From Lviv

Trains run daily from Lviv to Kovel, the journey takes three and a half to four hours, and then by bus. By car, it is a little over two hundred kilometers via Sheptytskyi and Volodymyr to Liuboml, and from there via the T-03-02 road north to Shatsk. This is the shortest route to the lakes from western Ukraine.

From Kharkiv and Dnipro

Direct trains run daily from Kharkiv and Dnipro to Kovel via Kyiv: the journey from Kharkiv takes about fourteen hours, and from Dnipro about eighteen. Another option is to take any train to Kyiv and transfer to the night train to Kovel. By car from both cities, it is over a thousand kilometers, so it is better to break the trip into two days with an overnight stay in Kyiv or Zhytomyr.

From Rivne, Zhytomyr and Lutsk

Several trains run daily from Rivne to Kovel, and the journey takes from one and a half to four hours. You can also take a bus to Lutsk, and from there catch a direct service to Shatsk. By car from Rivne, it is about 225 kilometers via Lutsk and Kovel.

There are few direct trains from Zhytomyr to Kovel, and they do not run daily. It is more convenient to travel via Rivne by bus or train, and then proceed as from Rivne. By car from Zhytomyr, it is about 420 kilometers via Rivne and Lutsk.

Direct buses run from Lutsk to Shatsk, and by car it is about 155 kilometers via Kovel and Liuboml, taking approximately two and a half hours.

By car

All roads to the Shatsk Lakes converge in Liuboml. The M-07 highway from Kyiv and Kovel and the T-03-02 road from Volodymyr lead here, and from Liuboml the T-03-02 runs north through Zhorany to Shatsk, which is the final 33 kilometers of the road. From there, roads diverge to the villages: towards Svityaz, Melnyky, Pulmo, Pishcha.

The Shatsk Park is a protected natural area: cars are not driven right up to the water and must be left in designated parking areas. In July and August, the beaches of Hriada and Svityaz are crowded, so it is best to arrive in the morning. This is a border region: documents may be checked at checkpoints, so bring your passport, and men should also carry their military registration document.

Between lakes and villages

The center of everything is the urban-type settlement of Shatsk. The Hriada tract on the eastern shore of Svityaz lies within the settlement and is within walking distance. The village of Svityaz, with its beaches, park administration, and monastery, is located on the southwestern shore, a few kilometers from the center of Shatsk. Melnyky with Pisochne and Krymne lakes lie to the north, while Pulmo with Pulemetske Lake is to the northwest, over ten kilometers away.

Some buses from Lutsk and Kovel go directly to Svityaz, while local routes to more remote villages run infrequently — ask at the bus station in Shatsk. The most convenient way to get around is by car, taxi, or bicycle: the distances are short, the roads are smooth, and cycling routes and eco-trails have been laid out between the lakes: "Svityazyanka", "Lisova pisnya", "Dva ozera", and "PARK". The north of the hromada, particularly Pulmo and Pishcha, is a border zone, so keep your documents with you at all times.

The Road to Svityaz on Video

The author of the video talks about how she traveled to Svityaz by train and what is worth considering along the way.

Before You Go

Find out when the water is warm and when there are fewer people in the article When is the best time to visit the Shatsk Lakes. Before setting off, check the power outage schedule in Volyn and air raid alerts, and if you are heading to Poland via Yahodyn after visiting the lakes, check the border queues. Where to stay is covered in the article Where to live at the Shatsk Lakes, and where to swim in Beaches of the Shatsk Lakes. What else to see nearby can be found in the article Kovel Raion.