Staying at a country house, fishing, hiking, feeding farm animals and eating home-grown food — it all sounds like a great getaway for those tired of the city buzz.
And with more and more people from the villages all over Ukraine willing to host urban guests, green tourism is growing popular both with overworked Ukrainians who want to unwind, and curious foreigners who want to explore local traditions and culture.
In return, farmers get not only money, but also put their villages on the map — promoting local businesses and attracting more tourists.
Traveler Yevhen Puzatko and his wife have been promoting green tourism in their hometown Bohuslav in the south of Kyiv Oblast for three years.
“People who spend all their time in big cities like Kyiv get very stressed and tired,” Puzatko says, saying that green tourism helps people restore their mental and emotional harmony.
Founded in 1032, Bohuslav is one of the oldest of Ukraine’s towns. However, talking to various people in Ukraine and abroad, Puzatko found that not many of them knew about the ancient settlement. That inspired him, along with his wife Olena, to promote the town and the area. They decided to focus on green tourism, as they say the nature there is amazing.
Bohuslav is located 120 kilometers south of Kyiv, on the banks of the Ros River. The town has a hotel, the Bohuslav Hotel, where rooms start at just Hr 275 ($11). But those looking for a more rural experience stay in one of the seven country houses offered for rent nearby, each up to 25 kilometers away from the town. The houses are offered for rent for Hr 300 per night and more.
Puzatko’s interest in tourism was kindled by his own travels: He and his family have been traveling around Ukraine and abroad for more than 20 years, always organizing their trips without the help of travel agencies. They have also been writing a travel blog for five years.
Puzatko knew there were owners of the country houses in Bohuslav who wanted to rent rooms to tourists. So he and his wife started consulting local farmers, sharing their tourism experience and giving the farmers tips about how to promote their country house accommodation online. They introduced the locals to online platforms like Booking.com. As travel bloggers, the couple also offers advertising services to farmers who want to rent out their houses.
According to Puzatko, there are several reasons why people may find green tourism exciting.
First of all, many of the country houses are authentic hatas — traditional Ukrainian houses built with a combination of clay and sun-dried earth brick or brushwood. Inside they are usually decorated with rushnyky — embroidered towels which were traditionally used in many rituals. In such a place, tourists learn how Ukrainian people lived a century ago and get a taste of authentic Ukrainian culture.
“It’s like a real museum,” Puzatko says. “But you can live there.”
Another reason to choose green tourism, according to Puzatko, is for the rural entertainment.
The owners usually offer tourists horse riding, fishing, and workshops in arts and crafts — such as painting traditional ornaments or making pottery. In some country houses, there are farm animals that guests help take care of. Home-cooked food comes as another bonus.
However, probably the main reason people go to rural areas is simply to unwind, Puzatko adds.
Since Puzatko started promoting green tourism in Bohuslav region, the owners say they have experienced an increase in tourist numbers.
Natalia Holembiovska owns a green tourism business Koryakivka, a village in the Bohuslav area. She knows well how rural life can benefit city dwellers: She herself left Kyiv 15 years ago after getting tired of the big city.
“I saw a vacant niche,” the woman says. “I was tired of life in Kyiv, and just escaped. In the country I feel free. I can enjoy my life.”
Later she opened a mini-hotel for people like her seeking the comforts of rural life. Called Koryakivsky Rai (Koryakivka Paradise), it offers the chance to stay in an authentic country home with a bath house and a pond where visitors can swim or fish. There’s WiFi, but no TV, and guests may cook themselves or buy homemade meals from her.
Most of the visitors come from Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, but foreigners also stop by. Holembiovska says that Russian and Israeli guests come quite often.
