The capital offers some great getaways for a romantic interlude or just a day of rest
Too busy to get down to Crimea for a week or so? Too broke to get out of Ukraine for a brief vacation? Those who lack money, time or just don’t have it in them to go on a real holiday have plenty of options for getting out of town even for a day‑long respite from the city.
No, we’re not talking about Hydropark or any of the other crowded haunts that draw droves of sunbathers and drunks. We’re talking about places just far enough away to discourage the lazy masses, and close enough to be convenient for someone looking for a few hours of solitude in a picturesque setting.
The ideal weekend picnic spot should be no more than a 45‑minute drive from the city. It should also be out of sight of any industry, railroad tracks or nuclear power plants. And there shouldn’t be so much as a glimpse of a gray, monstrous apartment complex or a factory chimney on the horizon. There must be plenty of shade and a body of water for swimming.
Our search for perfect picnicking places revealed that there are a handful of great getaways in almost every direction from Kyiv. Here is the cream of the crop:
Pushcha Vodytsya
It’s hard to find a better place for picnicking than Pushcha Vodytsya, a small and quiet village north of Kyiv. This little suburban refuge is home to a number of hotels, sanatoriums and children’s summer camps. Yet all the buildings are tucked in the woods so it does not appear too commercialized.
In Pushcha Vodytsya there are at least half a dozen lakes scattered throughout the area. The easiest ones can be found right after you enter the village. Take the road to the left of the Hostomel highway and you’ll discover two unnamed lakes, known as the first lake and second lake.
The second is bigger and cleaner so its perfect for swimming. Even on sunny weekends, there are few people there except for a few locals who come to swim in the afternoon. There is a rope swing that offers endless fun for children and adults.
Both of the lakes are surrounded by forests, so its easy to find some dry wood to make a fire and cook shashlyk.
One of the most picturesque places in Pushcha is a big lake near the sanatorium Pushcha Ozerna, which previously belonged to the Communist Party Central Committee. Now it is one of the preferred places for Rada deputies and foreign companies to hold seminars and conferences. To find it, follow the tram line to the last stop and turn to the right.
To get to Pushcha Vodytsya, take tram #12, which starts at Kontractova ploshcha in Podil. The trip takes about an hour. By car it’s about half an hour from the center on the Hostomel highway.
Kytaivska Pustyl
In the opposite direction from Pushcha, south of downtown Kyiv, there are two other quiet sites. Even many Kyivans are not aware of Kytaivska Pustyl, a little oasis of tranquility and silence right in the middle of the city. Yet it is well‑known to many in the religious community because of the famous Kytayeve monastery.
The monastery dates back to the 12th century and there have been many legends and mystic stories surrounding it. First, it’s located next to Lysa Hora (Bald Hill), which was believed to be a site of witch gathering in Medieval times. Also, in the forest there are caves where many ascetic monks lived including one of the local celebrities – monk Dosifey. HE was actually a woman and became a folk hero after it was discovered that the male impersonator lived among the men in the monastery.
The monastery is located near two small lakes and a forest, which makes Kytaivska Pustyl one of the most beautiful and romantic places in Kyiv. Since it lies completely off the tourist routes there are never many people there. The area occasionally lures some bums who come to the monastery for food and often spend the night on the lake’s bank. Yet they usually hide from visitors and rarely disturb anyone.
Blue Lake
If you go further south and take the new Obukhiv highway, in minutes you will get to one of the favorite picnic places for Kyivans – Blue Lake. To get there, look for a small Middle Eastern cafe called Kushi Dzhan located right off the highway. Then turn left from Kushi Dzhan where you’ll find the entrance to the lake area.
The popularity of Blue Lake has apparently become its main drawback. In the past year, several cafes have popped up on its banks. And now it costs Hr 5 to drive into the picnic area. But it’s still free if you walk in or ride a bicycle. Popularity has brought some positive changes, as well. There is now a few designated beach volleyball areas.
But the highlight of Blue Lake is the swimming. The lake is big enough and has underground streams that keep the water surprisingly fresh and clear. There is no swampy smell or algae floating in the water, which often plagues many small forest lakes.
Kyiv sea
Of course, it’s not a real sea, it’s just a huge reservoir. And its construction was probably a big mistake because it often floods nearby villages. But at least it makes for a nice place for cooking up shashlyk and baking potatoes.
The vast amount of space surrounding Kyiv Sea means there is plenty of room for everyone, from windsurfers to canoeists to picnickers.
The sheer size of the lake makes it a great place to watch the sunset. You almost get the feeling that you are sitting by the real seaside, especially with river gulls flying over head. The bank of Kyiv Sea stretches for a couple kilometers so it’s easy to find privacy and solitude to pitch a tent and spend a couple of great days and nights batting mosquitoes and consuming huge quantities of canned food.
When going to the Kyiv Sea, it might be a good idea to take a fishing rod. Judging by the number of fishermen who are always hanging around near its banks, there must be something in there. If you don’t catch anything, it’s always possible to buy fresh fish from a fisherman and impress friends and relatives with “your” catch.
To get there take Vyshhorod highway toward Dymer from Ploshcha Shevchenko on the northern edge of Kyiv.
