Pidhiria Landscape Park, Truskavets

Pidhiria Landscape Park is a well-kept arboretum on the grounds of the Karpaty sanatorium in Truskavets (2 Karpatska Street), open to everyone. Entry is free, so it is visited both by sanatorium guests and by people staying elsewhere in the resort. The park combines a collection of trees and flower beds, ponds with ducks, a decorative waterfall, a mini-zoo with birds and animals and a real open-air gallery of sculptures on themes from Ukrainian folklore, literature and history. It is a calm place for a walk with children between treatments and sips of Naftusia water.

What to see

• Open-air sculptures. Bronze and wooden compositions inspired by Ukrainian literature, mythology and history; next to the wooden figures are lines from poems by Ivan Franko, who was born in the neighbouring Drohobych area.
• The “Ukrainian Vertep” composition. One of the most moving in the park, dedicated to the nativity-play carollers from the village of Malchytsi (Yavoriv district) who were shot in 1948.
• Mini-zoo. The aviaries house peacocks, pheasants and other birds; visitors also mention deer and a lynx. The residents may change, so for children it is a pleasant bonus to the walk rather than a full zoo.
• Pond and waterfall. A stone-lined pond under weeping willows, ducks and a small cascade — a favourite photo spot.
• Alleys and gazebos. Cobbled paths under wisteria pergolas, benches, wooden gazebos and labels naming rare trees and shrubs.

For children and families

There is a playground and a football pitch, and short distances make it easy to walk round even with a pushchair or a toddler who tires quickly. Children enjoy looking for peacocks in the aviaries, counting ducks on the pond and spotting fairy-tale heroes among the sculptures; adults can read Franko's lines and the plaque by the “Ukrainian Vertep”. Visitors note that the park is clean and quiet even in high season.

When to come and how to behave

In spring wisteria and ornamental shrubs bloom over the paths, in summer the shade of willows and conifers keeps it cool even on hot days, and in autumn the park turns yellow and crimson — there is something to photograph in every season. Remember that this is the grounds of a working sanatorium where people rest and receive treatment: keep dogs on a lead, do not feed the birds and animals in the aviaries with your own food, take your litter with you and do not climb on the sculptures. That way the park will stay open to everyone.

What is changing

The park is gradually being developed: reviews mention repair works in some areas, and recently, signposted from the alleys, the “Truskavets Thermae” opened next to it — the first thermal pools with water of different salinity, with construction continuing around them. If you are coming with a particular aim, such as seeing the animals, it is best to check with the sanatorium beforehand.

Practical information

• Address: 2 Karpatska Street, Truskavets, grounds of the Karpaty sanatorium.
• Hours: daily 08:00–23:00 (per Google Maps).
• Entry: free; dogs allowed.
• Sanatorium phone: +380 67 826 20 00.

Getting there: the park lies in the south-eastern part of Truskavets, about 10–15 minutes' walk from the central pump room and the Adamivka Spa Park — easy to combine both parks in one walk. By car, follow Karpatska Street to the Karpaty sanatorium. Trains and buses run to Truskavets from Lviv (about 100 km), and minibuses from Drohobych and Boryslav.

Come in the morning or evening, when the light is soft and the alleys are almost empty — that is when Pidhiria shows itself as the resort's quiet garden.

At a glance

• Address: Truskavets
• Opening hours: Daily 08:00–23:00
• Season: All year; at its best April–October
• Prices: Free entry
• Phone: +380678262000

Website and social media: san-karpaty.com

Photos: lh3.googleusercontent.com.