An almost four-kilometer-long, regularly shaped arch formed by the branches of trees on both sides of a railway track creates the “Tunnel of Love”—a striking landscape feature of Rivne Oblast. But the region showcases nature and history on very different scales: from extensive protected areas and distinctive rock formations to a narrow-gauge railway through forests and sand dunes, as well as castles and collections with varied historical focuses.
Polesia and geological contrasts
The Rivne Nature Reserve protects natural complexes of Ukrainian Polesia. It covers more than 42,000 hectares in the north of the oblast and lies in Varash and Sarny raions. On a much smaller scale, a four-hectare natural monument is located on an island in the floodplain of the Plyashivka River, between the villages of Kozyn and Zarichne. Rare tree and plant species are protected there. The comparison highlights two different perspectives: protecting extensive natural complexes and protecting a designated site with rare species.
At the basalt columns near Basaltove, the focus is on their shape and height. The polygonal columns stand in orderly rows and are three to 30 meters high. There is also a sculpture shaped like a basalt fan. Alongside the scale of a protected area, the patterns and forms of individual natural monuments thus emerge as distinctive subjects for exploration.
A narrow-gauge railway through forests and dunes
The Antonivka–Zarichne narrow-gauge railway runs for around 104 kilometers through forests and pine-covered sand dunes. Passengers can ride in small carriages and take in the landscapes of Polesia. Stories are also told during the journey: diamonds were supposedly transported along the route, and the railway is also said to have disappeared from maps for 20 years. These are stories, not verified historical events. If the journey is a key part of your plans, check the railway’s current operations in advance.
Castles and historical collections
In Dubno, members of the princely Ostroh family founded Dubno Castle. At the beginning of the 17th century, they made it the main residence of their estates. Ostroh Castle offers a different focus: it dates from the 14th century and houses an exhibition on local traditions and art. The two castles thus differ not only in their dates, but also in the themes noted here: dynastic history in Dubno, and local traditions and art in Ostroh.
Tarakaniv Fort, also known as Dubno Fort or the New Dubno Fortress, is a 19th-century architectural monument. It lies near the village of Tarakaniv in Dubno Raion, in a landscape above the Ikva River. Its name, location, and period give it a distinct place alongside the castles: here the focus is on 19th-century architecture, while Dubno and Ostroh are associated with princely history and an exhibition on local traditions.
In Peresopnytsia, the museum exhibition includes more than 1,000 archaeological artifacts from the region’s princely era. The Peresopnytsia Gospel also speaks to the town’s cultural history: it was created more than 450 years ago in old Peresopnytsia. The Rivne Oblast Museum of Local Lore in Rivne offers another measure of collection size. It holds more than 297,000 collection items, of which over 20,000 are on display in permanent and temporary exhibitions. Peresopnytsia thus represents an exhibition of artifacts from a particular era and a historical written document, while the museum in Rivne has a larger overall collection.
For the main travel overview: Ukraine.
More destinations in Rivne Oblast
More places to help plan your trip:
