It is said, that Charles de Gaulle during his visit to Kyiv uttered: “I saw many parks in cities, but I have never seen a city in a park.” Of course, the Ukrainian capital has been changed a lot since the visit of the French president, but what’s never changed is the fact that even in the very center of Kyiv there are some cozy beautiful parks, where you can have a pleasant stroll, enjoy the nature and fresh air.
Let’s look at some of the most popular parks in Kyiv.
Park of the Eternal Glory and the Pechersk Landscape Park
The nearest metro station is Arsenalna.
The centrally located Park of the Eternal Glory and the Pechersk Landscape Park became a hallmark of Kyiv and some of the most favorite tourist spots. It’s no wonder since the parks cover a large area and slop down to the river opening the breathtaking views of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the Dnipro River, and the left bank of the city.
Park of the Eternal Glory was founded in the late 19th century and nowadays you can find here a lot of sights and monuments. The most interesting one is the Memorial and the Museum to the victims of the Holodomor in Ukraine opened in 2008 and dedicated to the tragic events of 1932 – 33 years.
Most of the monuments in the park were established in honor of the Victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. You’ll see here the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Eternal Flame, the alley of Hero Cities.
If you go down to the Dnipro River, you’ll reach Pechersk Landscape Park with a green and beautiful place that looks very festive – Spivoche Pole.
Spivoche Pole is not only an excellent location for a pleasant stroll but also a popular place for exhibitions, festivals, concerts that are held here almost all-the-year-round.
Mariinsky Park
The nearest metro stations are Khreshchatyk and Maidan Nezalezhnosti.
Not far from the Park of the Eternal Glory located a beautiful cozy park with shady alleys, ancient chestnut trees, maples, and lindens.
Mariinsky park has a great location on the steep bank of the Dnipro River and boasts one of the best observation decks, built in the 1874 year. You can enjoy the breathtaking views of the Dnipro River and the left bank of Kyiv.
A true gem of the park is a beautiful Mariinsky Palace designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli in the 18th century. Mariinsky Park began with this palace when in the late 19th century empress Maria decided to establish a park near their Kyiv residence. Nowadays the Mariinsky Park can’t be imagined without the palace and both these masterpieces delight visitors with their beauty and exquisite.
The park is an excellent sample of a landscape design of the 19th century; it looks cozy since trees and bushes are planted not in even rows but as they grow in nature. There are some monuments dedicated to prominent people, and a beautiful fountain in the center, established in the 1900 year.
Taras Shevchenko Park
The nearest metro station is Ploshcha Lva Tolstogo.
Taras Shevchenko Park is one moregreen island in the city center located not far from Khreshchatyk street. It was founded in the 1860 year and often became a place of important historical and political events.
The park is nice and lively, with impressively big trees, beautiful fountains, and the Monument to Taras Shevchenko in the center. It is placed next to the National University and usually full of students and young people. Traditional visitors to the park are also chess players, who have been gathering here for more than 50 years.
Taras Shevchenko Park is also a great place for families since there is a large children’s playground, some coffee stations and restaurants, beautiful benches. Nearby situated a famous Museum of Western and Oriental Art, Taras Shevchenko Museum, and St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral.
Feofania Park
The nearest metro station is Teremky
Even though Feofania Park is placed on the outskirts of the city, it is one of the best Kyiv parks which is worth to visit. The park has a developed infrastructure and offers a delightful pastime among its beautiful nature.
It covers a huge historical territory, which is known since the 15th century, and the landscape park was established in the 1992 year in the heart of an ancient forest. Nowadays the park is an amazing combination of wildlife and landscape design.
Feofania Park is beautiful all-the-year-round, it enchants tourists with its shady alleys, a great variety of plants, beautiful lakes full of fish and ducks, waterfalls, and healing springs. There are several children playgrounds and open-air cafés.
The main landmark of the park is a gorgeous St. Panteleimon Cathedral erected in the early 20th century, and St. Panteleimon women’s monastery.
The park is an excellent choice for family rest, picnics, cycling, photo sessions and simply for a great outdoor pastime.
Holosiivskyi National Nature Park
The nearest metro station is Vystavkovyi Tsentr
The history of Holosiivskyi Park started in the 1957 year when the park was established in the part of the surrounding forest. Nowadays it is the largest park in Kyiv which still looks rather like a forest with a great variety of trees, plants, and birds. It’s one of the favorite places for people who like nature and active leisure and, for sure, this place will give you a feeling of being one with nature.
Holosiivskyi Park offers a huge number of activities for children and adults; it is a great place for hiking, cycling, picnics, and family rest. In the park there are four lakes where guests can rent a boat; also, there are children playgrounds and an extremely popular rope adventure park with the trails for kids and adults.
In the 2019 year, a 3-kilometer eco-trail was opened in the park. Tourists can go for a walk, to enjoy the surrounding nature, to watch the birds, and animals.
You can also find here a lot of cafes and restaurants.
Hryshko National Botanical Garden
The nearest metro station is Druzhby Narodiv
The Botanical Garden is located on the Pechersk hills, in the heart of the city, and in Kyiv, it’s associated primarily with lilacs. Every year, thousands of people come to the botanical garden to admire more than 1,500 bushes of blooming lilac. This fantastic sight does not leave anyone indifferent. Photos of lilac bushes on the background of the Dnipro River have long been a hallmark of the Ukrainian capital.
But tourists who visit the Botanic Garden for the first time will be surprised by the diversity and richness of its collection of the plants. In the garden, there are over 13,000 plant species from all over the world. There are a lot of flowerbeds, rose gardens, alleys with exotic plants. In the early spring, you can marvel at the beauty of magnolias blossoming; all-the-year-round you can enjoy the alley with coniferous plants and explore the garden’s greenhouses. On the territory of the garden placed a gorgeous monastery of the 19th century.
Nyvky Park
The nearest metro stations are Nyvky, Beresteiska.
Nyvky Park is another great place to enjoy nature, quietness, and fresh air. The park is located not close to the city center but can be easily reached by metro. You will find here everything you need for outdoor recreation: beautiful shady alleys, a pond where you can rent a boat, playgrounds, comfortable benches.
The park boasts a rich flora, a lot of rare species of plants grow here; many trees are more than a hundred years old. As you can see, in Kyiv there are a huge number of parks where you can relax from the bustle of the city and enjoy nature.
