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Castles of the Little Horseshoe

Vynnyky – Pomoryany – Zolochiv
Piatnychany – Stare Selo - Zvenyhorod

The excursion starts with visiting Vynnyky which is one of the oldest towns in Lviv region. Here the remnants of German colony (XIII c.) have been preserved, among them German Protestant church, dwelling houses and traces of the medieval castle, where the tobacco factory is located now. We also visit an explicit museum of regional ethnography.

After Vynnyky we continue our tour among the beautiful landscapes of Holohory to the Assumption monastery of Univ – the biggest monastery in Halychyna. The activity of many famous personalities was connected with it. The Univ monastery used to be a residence of Metropolitan of Halychyna and was second in its significance printing center in Ukraine after the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.

The most astonishing is the fact that here, in an actually remote place one can hear visitors speaking different languages. Pilgrims and tourists from all over the world make their way to Univ monastery and find what they are seeking. In Univ there are holy places and conventual legends, picturesqueness of nature and unique architecture. Since the times when the monastery has been founded the healing spring flows from under the altar of the Assumption church. The main object of worship is the miraculous icon of Mother of God of Univ.

Next we move on to the ancient castle of Svirzh (1482) along the narrow meandering road which lies through the picturesque locality of Podillya hill. Next to the fortress the defensive tower (XIII c.) and the lock cathedral (1561) have been preserved up to our times.

The castle has two yards: dwelling and economic one. The brick bridge leads to the dwelling yard through the entrance tower. Despite the fact that yards are connected with each other by the staircase, the economic one has a separate entrance. The castle looks really beautiful.

After Svirzh we drive through an old town of Bibrka. Than we turn in the direction of Piatnychany where one of the few keeps has been preserved since XIII century. Now there is a museum functioning in this keep. Until cannons where invented such towers used to serve as impregnable fortifications to our ancestors.

Continuing our way back to Lviv we also visit Stare Selo, where we will examine one of the largest castles in Ukraine, which occupies an area of about 2 hectares. The important Volosky trade way used to lie through these places, that’s why in 1448 a wooden castle was built and in the 16th century builtstone walls were erected in order to protect local citizens from invaders. Since XIX century the fortress has been in a decline and now it serves only as a place for filming movies and video clips on its ruins, and also for various music festivals.

Next we go to Zvenyhorod - the former princely capital. In the ancient times (the first record of this city dates back to 1087 year) it was a powerful city, which played
a significant role in the political life of the western lands of Kyiv Rus. But in1241 Batu
Khan destroyed it. Until now, rchaeologists find skeletons, skulls of princely warriors andtheir horses, the remains of weapons, helmets, shields ...But the most valuable find isa stone church that dates back to 13-th century. During the tour we visit the Historical Museum and examine the remnants of fortifications and other historical monuments.

To get more detailed information in English you can contact me, your private guide:

+38 093 769 38 44, +38 067 394 58 53 or +38 050 036 20 62