Podilsky Tovtry is an unreal beauty of a natural park in the Khmelnytsky region, which is one of the seven natural wonders of Ukraine on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Find out why it's worth a visit from this article!
Podilsk Tovtry: origin
Podolsk Tovtry is a chain of limestone rocks that were a barrier reef about 20 million years ago. This place has no analogues in the world. The uniqueness is that the mountain ridge was formed not as a result of tectonic processes, but as a result of living organisms.
Such a miracle of nature was formed along the coast of the ancient Sarmatian Sea. In the faults of limestone and now find well-preserved corals, molluscs, algae, skeletons of turtles and the remains of sea urchins.
Getting to know the park
The Ukrainian Carpathians begin with Tovtry. Here, one after another, hills covered with all shades of green rise to a height of 400 m. In total, the park has as many as 160 hills. They are all different (above and below, with and without trees), but have one thing in common: steep western slopes and gentle - eastern.
Podolsk Tovtry goes from north to south, from the town of Sataniv in the Ternopil region, through Kamyanets-Podilsky and to the banks of the Dniester. It is best to start your acquaintance with the reserve from Kamianets-Podilskyi, the historical and administrative centre of the Podilski Tovtry.
The total area of the nature park is over 26,000 hectares. These are just endless spaces through which the Dniester carries its waters. The reserve has special microclimatic conditions, so there is a huge number of plants that are not found anywhere else (60 species are listed in the Red Book). There are rare species of saffron, sedge, ivy, flax, hyacinth and more.
What to do in Podilsky Tovtry
Podolsk Tovtry is a place of strength and inspiration. Here you can enjoy the beauty of nature in moderation, nowhere in a hurry or in the process of active recreation.
Visitors are offered tourist routes for every taste. There are, for example, hiking trails: around Chinatown (1.6 km one way, five stops), Smotrytsky Canyon (1.5 km one way, five stops), as well as the springs of Bakota Bay (3.2 km one way, five stops).
There are also horse, car, bicycle and water routes. Here they successfully organize hikes, rafting on the Dniester in kayaks and catamarans, excursions on ships, yachts and boats. Many people come to the park for hang gliding and paragliding. In warm weather, you can fly in hot air balloons, and in winter you can go skiing.
Fishing enthusiasts will definitely like it in Podilske Tovtra. The Dniester has a lot of pike perch, perch, bream, carp and crucian carp. Good fisherman on the river Smotrych.
Podilsk Tovtry: where to visit
Bakota
The most magnetic point of the park is the picturesque Bakota with crazy views and an ancient rock monastery. It is an ideal place for unity with nature and spiritual pursuits. There is total silence and peace, absolutely nothing distracting.
Owl ravine
In this reserve, 30 km from Kamianets-Podilskyi, you can see steep cliffs that rise above the river Studenitsa, the left tributary of the Dniester. Orchids grow and owl rare species of birds, and it is here that the easternmost beech grove in Europe is located.
Four gentlemen
In the northern part of the park, there are Four Cavaliers - so-called hills as if lined up to protect Kamianets-Podilskyi. They can be seen from the window of the train because the railway branch to Kamyanets runs nearby. This tovtry are forestless, with steppe vegetation and picturesque grottoes inside.
Atlantis Cave
Among the natural pearls of the park - the cave of Atlantis, located near the village of Zavallya. This two-kilometre three-tiered underground labyrinth is famous for its crystals of amazing beauty and "stone flowers". By the way, the cave was accidentally discovered in the 1970s by students who came to practice.
Now the cave is guided tours of varying duration and levels of difficulty. To get to Atlantis, you need about an hour and a half to travel from Kamianets-Podilskyi by bus or car to the village of Zavallya.
Bakota: why you should visit there
Personally, my acquaintance with the Tovtra began in Bakota. This village is no longer on the map of Ukraine. It was flooded almost 40 years ago in connection with the construction of the Dniester hydroelectric power station. People were then relocated and this period of history is remembered by the natives of the village with tears in their eyes. They had to cut down their houses, cut down gardens and destroy forests with their own hands. At the bottom was all their lives and settlements with centuries of history.
In the past, Bakota was a large and strategically important place. In the XII century there lived about 2.5 thousand people.
Today it is the territory of the Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park. Bakota is a conditional place along the banks of the Dniester near the ruins of a rock monastery founded by Anthony of Pechersk. These lands are now a place of pilgrimage and a paradise for nature lovers.
In Bakota you can soak up the beauty, relax on the clear shore, swim in the clear warm water of the bay, ride a boat (there are a couple) and catamarans, fry kebabs, fish and cook it on the fire. You will also take fantastic photos here and see one of the most magnificent events in the country.
In addition to the bay itself, you can visit the ruins of a rock monastery. Nearby is a small observation deck with a magnificent view of the Dniester and a picturesque rock. At the bottom are three springs in which you can collect clean water. People say that it is healing. Because of these sources, even people from other countries come to Bakota.
Bakota: how to get there
It is more convenient, of course, by car from Kamianets-Podilskyi, but it is also possible by public transport. You need to take a minibus in Kamianets-Podilskyi to Stara Ushytsia (it goes almost every 30 minutes). Tell the driver where you need to go and he will tell you where to get off (about an hour to go). From the stop, you will need another 3 km to walk on a dirt road.
Exact GPS coordinates - 48.592530, 27.004907
