In the steppes of the Black Sea. Kherson - Nikolaev - Askania Nova

            Departure from Kharkov to Kherson by train number 375 in 20-04

1 day Arrival in Kherson in 13-38, meeting the group at the railway station. Hotel accommodation.

Sightseeing bus tour of Kherson... Kherson is famous for its historical and architectural complex "Kherson Fortress", the Catherine's Cathedral, the grave and monument to G.A. Potemkin - Tavrichesky, the embankment of the Dnieper. Kherson Fortress - the place where the city was founded. To this day, from the architectural ensemble of the Kherson fortress, only the Ochakovsky and Moscow gates with adjacent bastions, the fortress well, the Arsenal building, a powder magazine, the Catherine's Cathedral with a bell tower have survived. Other sights of the city: Greek suburb, Pokrovskaya square, Assumption Cathedral, Privoz, Treasury chambers, Necropolis, old town. Dnieper floodplains, which the Greeks called Gilea, the Goths - the Myurkvid forest, the Slavs - Oleshy, the Zaporozhye Cossacks - the Great Meadow.

Optional excursion "Dnieper-Bug estuary" *.  Departure to the Kherson mountains on the banks of the Dnieper-Bug estuary. We will learn to make wishes so that they come true, admire the gorgeous scenery, drink Kherson herbal tea with local sweets, and learn a lot of interesting things about Kherson lands.

Dinner. Free time. A walk along the Dnipro embankment ...

2 day Breakfast. Free day.

Optional:

 - excursion to the reserve Askania-Nova *. Biosphere reserve "Askania-Nova" is one of the 7 natural wonders of Ukraine, the oldest steppe biosphere reserve of the planet and the largest among European steppe reserves. It was created more than 100 years ago by Friedrich Eduardovich Faltz-Fein - a descendant of the German colonists and the owner of these lands. In 1985, the Askania-Nova reserve was included in the list of reference territories of the planet by the UNESCO decision and is a biosphere reserve.

 Its current area, including the protected steppe, is 33,3 thousand hectares. Biological diversity includes more than 500 species of higher plants and more than 3000 species of animals. Many species that have disappeared over the last centuries on the vast expanses of the former steppes of Eurasia continue to exist here.

Departure to the protected steppe, safari in the historical places of the reserve.

Эa tour of the zoo and arboretum. How did this natural oasis appear in the steppe? You will see many indigenous inhabitants of Africa, America and India, feeling great in the steppes of the Black Sea.

Free time. The territory of the reserve is well-groomed and designed for leisurely walks. Enjoy nature, take a walk to the lake and take beautiful photos as a keepsake!

- departure to the village of Veseloe in the winery of Prince P.Trubetskoy *. The true history of the country's only historical chateau and the special atmosphere of the winery make it perhaps the most attractive wine tourism destination in Ukraine.

The first vineyards were laid here, in the estate of Cossack, in 1896 year. The choice of lands for plantings and varieties of vines was carried out by the chief winemaker of the Russian Empire, Prince Lev Golitsyn. Already in 1900 at the World Exhibition in Paris, Riesling wine-making was awarded the Grand Prix.

You can take a journey into history by going down to wine cellars, strolling through intricate galleries and tasting 6 varieties of wine under the guidance of an experienced sommelier. Here you will literally take a sip of history, because 8 wine cellars store more than 10 bottles, among which 000 are rare specimens.

Well, on the way to the chateau of Trubetskoy no less surprising objects are waiting for you: the only steppe waterfall in the Kherson region, the only medieval tower in the south of Ukraine - the rest of the fortress of the Lithuanian prince Vitovt.

  - Kinburn Spit *:
  Stocking up lunch boxes, we leave for Kinburn Spit. Arrival in a. Heroic. Peninsula safari tour: visit to the lakes, Yagorlitsky Gulf, Svyatoslav Belobrezhye National Park. Field lunch with Kinburn yushka at the stake, potatoes, sliced ​​vegetables, tasting local alcohol. Free time by the sea.

- saline crafts and pink lakes *:

- Kinburskie lakes. A few kilometers from the village of Geroyskoe are located the famous Kinburn salt-making industries. They stand out bright pink and sometimes orange. Here, salt is mined in an open way, like many centuries ago. Pink Lakes is a favorite tourist destination. Photos on the background of the lakes are impressive and fascinating.

 

- Lemurian Lake. Not far from Chaplinka and Grigorievka, next to the lake Sivash is the Lemurian (it’s also Dead, Pink) lake. According to legend, on the site of the present lake there used to be the Lemurian Sea. The salt concentration here is greater than on the famous Israeli Dead Sea. The lake has optimal conditions for treatment and swimming.

- “Green farms of Tavria” * - This is an unusual complex consisting of 45 island-farms with a total area of ​​100 ha, surrounded by water channels. This complex is located in the Northern Black Sea region of Kherson region - the historical Northern Tavria, directly in the region adjacent to the lower reaches of the Dnieper. The healing geyser, the former manor of Falz-Fein - the founder of the Askania-Nova reserve, Zelenye Khutor: a museum of national life, a pottery workshop, a weaving house, a fishing museum, a honey house.

- Migian thresholds *. Here the Southern Bug River has made its way, creating a narrow valley-canyon. The steep cliffs surrounding it sometimes reach 40. You will see Migian rapids, waterfalls, islands and steep cliffs. Thresholds "Mill", Integral, Protik tract, rafting on the Southern Bug is possible.

- "Tavria" is the home of Ukrainian vintage cognacs *. You will learn the history of winemaking in the Tauride region, and then the cellars, in which the highest quality cognac spirits are kept for decades, will reveal their secrets. The gallery with 6,5 thousand oak butts and barrels is amazing. After the excursion, those who wish will be able to taste ordinary, vintage and collection cognacs, as well as wine.

- National Park "Buzky Guard" *. First, we will explore the Small Aktovsky Canyon "Devil's Valley", also known as the Arbuzinsky Canyon. This is one of the oldest canyons in Ukraine. It is considered pride and one of the main attractions of the Nikolaev region. There are quite high rocks here, and the fast-moving river makes its way through the boulders. Walk to the Blue Quarry Lake.

 

Next we will have to go to the Aktovsky canyon. This is a unique complex of forest and aquatic ecosystems with an ensemble of rocks and granite boulders, the only one in Europe that in its geological and landscape indicators in miniature with a huge accuracy in time of formation resembles the famous canyons of North America. The Deadtwater River divides the Nikolaev canyon in half, the rocks on its banks sometimes reach 30-50 meters in height.

Return to Kherson. Dinner.

3 day Breakfast. Check-out from the hotel.

One of the excursion routes to choose from:

- Oleshkovsky sands - Ukrainian Sahara. Tour of the largest sandy massif in Europe. Sand dunes, which in summer can heat up to 70-75 degrees, reach 8-12 m, and in the depths there are real oases and small lakes. The place of the historical Oleshkovskaya Sich of the Zaporozhye Cossacks.

- Excursion to Nikolaev "The City of Shipbuilders". The city of Nikolaev, named after St. Nicholas, is located at the confluence of the Southern Bug to the Black Sea. The city by Ukrainian standards is young, it is slightly more than 200 years. Historical and architectural sights, the old necropolis, the Admiralty, the embankment - the Fleet boulevard, monuments to the founders of the city - M. Faleeva and G. Potemkin, the monument to St. Nicholas, the monument to the native of Nikolayev - Admiral S. Makarov, the Cathedral of the Kasperovskaya Mother of God, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. It is possible to visit the best in Ukraine zoo, a children's town of fairy tales, a museum of shipbuilding and fleet, an excursion to the oldest shipyard in the country.

Lunch.

Departure by train number 375 from Kherson to 16-04 or from Nikolaev to 16-57.

             Return to Kharkov in 10-12

2 day tour (without a second free day):

3 day tour:

railway pass (reserved seat), ticket booking, group supervision by tour operator representative, excursion service, transport service according to the program, hotel accommodation, meals according to the program, insurance.