Storozhynets Arboretum and Orenstein Estate

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The Storozhynets Arboretum is the largest park in the Chernivtsi region, included in the list of natural monuments of national importance. The complex consists of the park and the Orenstein estate. It is a real pride for the whole Storozhynets and a vivid example of landscape art for the whole region. The park was laid by representatives of the richest Flonder family at the end of the 19th century. The manor appeared a little later, in 1880 and was a two-story palace, decorated with an originally equipped watchtower and a balcony on the second floor of the house.

However, the family did not live here for long, already in the early 20th century the estate was sold to the philanthropist and landowner Orenstein. It was during this period that the park began to flourish. Orenstein transforms the existing forest into a charming park area. It was founded in 1912 and covered an area of about 17.5 hectares. The park was planted with rare and unique tree species and shrubs. The park contains more than a thousand species of trees and shrubs from all over the world, most of them exotic.

In 1945, another fateful event took place in the history of the park, when an educational institution, the Forestry College, began operating here . The administration is located in the estate, and students begin to undergo practical training at the arboretum.

The arboretum's collection is based on more than a thousand exotic trees and shrubs from different parts of the world (old 100-200-year-old giants of one meter diameter: oak, linden, ash, maple, spruce; slender thorny fir trees from North America, their countrymen - pyramidal thuja, and Japanese quince). Each plant has a plate with the name of the species in Ukrainian and Latin. The Storozhynets arboretum has two ponds, a botanical playground, an artificially recreated Carpathian landscape, and open enclosures with roes, peacocks, pheasants, guinea fowls, and wild ducks.

In the park, you can see the Amur cork tree, Chinese lemongrass, edible chestnuts, Virginia junipers, broom hydrangea, two-lobed ginkgo, Banks pine from North America, red oaks from North America, Lombard hazel, Pissard plum, viburnum budnik, weeping hornbeams, and barberry.

A linden alley leads up from the old to the new part of the park. In the new part, the most noteworthy is a group of Manchurian aralia. This plant has received many names: "devil's tree", "thorn tree", "Far Eastern palm". Aralia leaves and fruits, which reach almost a meter in length and are collected at the very top of the trunks, are densely covered with wide sharp thorns. The tree really resembles a palm tree. Manchurian aralia, the sister of ginseng, is of great medicinal value.

The most romantic place in the park is a Chinese-style gazebo . It is located near the pond.

Flowers can be seen in the park at any time of the year. Hibiscus with purple and white flowers are especially interesting. They are also called "Syrian roses" for their beauty. Alpine asters bloom in long rows. In October and November, when the rains turn into the first snowfalls, witch hazels, visitors from North America, bloom. These plants are also called "magic nuts".

There is a cotoneaster collection near the rose garden. It is recognized as one of the largest and most complete in Ukraine. Almost 100 species and forms of cotoneaster grow here: deciduous and evergreen, black and red-fruited. Many interesting plant species can be seen in the greenhouse built by students. There is also a "Carpathian hill" in the park - on the stone dwarf "rocks" there are mountain cornflowers, goosefoot, fern and, of course, the legendary Carpathian flower - edelweiss (modest rosettes of bluish leaves). The park has 980 different species and forms of chagaras trees. More than 70% of them are exotic. Today, the park is constantly being renewed and rejuvenated. Seeds are exchanged at 170 addresses in different parts of the world.

The great poet, who was exiled by the tsarists to the endless Kazakh steppes, grew a tree from a simple poke. This willow reminded Shevchenko of his native, distant Ukraine. Under its cozy crown, the poet wrote many poems. In 1964, Kazakh guests brought cuttings of Taras's willow to Lviv, and from there, in 1968, the famous willow was brought to the Storozhynets Arboretum.

Guides from the Forestry College will be happy to show you several varieties of beech, Lombardy hazel, Pissard plum, whose crown is covered with bouquets of pink flowers in spring, and a large collection of exotic flowers: hibiscus, Austrian asters, and witch hazel, whose bare branches are covered with numerous golden flowers in winter.

At the highest point of the arboretum, its relics grow - three Shevchenko willows. When he was an exile in Kazakhstan, the great Ukrainian genius grew a willow from a simple poke that reminded him of his homeland. In 1964, the cuttings of this willow were brought to Lviv by Kazakh guests, and four years later they were transported to the Storozhynets Arboretum.

In the botanical section of the park, we will see the two-lobed ginkgo, which we are already familiar with from the Berehomet arboretum, and in the greenhouse built by the students, we will see many species of heat-loving plants. The tour of the park ends at the "Carpathian hill" - an artificially created landscape that allows you to immerse yourself in the nature of the Ukrainian Carpathians. In this picturesque corner of the park, real Carpathian plants grow on small rocks: the legendary edelweiss, mountain cornflowers, fern, and gooseberry.

Storozhynets is a town in the Chernivtsi region. It is located 25 km southwest of the regional center. It is not difficult for tourists to get here. There are rail and bus services from Chernivtsi, as well as taxis and private cars.