Where the swift Dniester River flows past high hills, where the majestic Church of St. Panteleimon stands as a witness to the glorious past of the Halych-Volhynian Principality, where the river prepares to enter a deep canyon, where feather grass steppes rustle on Kasova Hill, where sharp-eyed eagles soar above ancient oak and beech forests, where the melodies of wild nature echo—there lies the vast Halych National Nature Park. It is the only nature reserve institution in the lowland part of the Ivano-Frankivsk region.

The park is situated at the junction of two physiographic regions: the Ukrainian Carpathians (Precarpathian region) and the East European Plain (Rostotsko-Opillya hilly region of the Western Ukrainian Forest-Steppe Province of the Forest-Steppe Zone). The natural boundary between them is marked by the Dniester River, which flows from the northwest to the southeast, playing a crucial role in shaping the region’s biodiversity, landscape variety, recreational and conservation potential, and overall ecological situation.

Here, forests and steppes merge, mountain rivers meet tranquil plains and grand rock-cave complexes contrast with vast lowlands—an outcome of nature’s continuous creation.

The desire to preserve and protect the unique nature of this region for future generations while enriching its natural wealth was realized in the Presidential Decree of Ukraine No. 877/2004 on August 9, 2004, establishing the Halych National Nature Park. Covering a significant area of 14,684.8 hectares of the former Halych administrative district of the Ivano-Frankivsk region, the national park encompasses a strikingly diverse terrain. The rolling hills of Opillya, the rocky steep slopes of the Precarpathians, and the expansive river valleys create a landscape of extraordinary beauty.

The geological structure of the park includes deposits of various lithological compositions. The oldest surface deposits belong to the Cretaceous system, represented by the Nezvyska, Dubivets, and Lukvyn formations. These deposits are visible on watershed slopes and in the Dubivets quarry. Along the Limnytsia and Lukva rivers, marl, argillites, and siltstones are found. The park’s location at the intersection of two physiographic regions has led to its significant biological diversity.

One of the park’s true treasures is its grand beech forests, growing on gypsum rocks in the Lozу, Blyudnyky, and Pom’yarky tracts. These forests are unique, forming a vast open-air laboratory where nature experiments by blending seemingly incompatible elements. Along the Limnytsia River, in the Sokol area, ancient oak-linden groves have been preserved—pristine forests that once covered the entire Precarpathian region. The Hlynnnyy Lis tract is home to flora and fauna characteristic of the mountainous regions of the Ukrainian Carpathians.

The park’s southern slopes in the Opillya region feature valuable meadow-steppe plant communities. Unique natural areas such as Kasova Hill, Kamin, Burcheva, Skala, Nad Stavkamy, and Shkarby are known for their high species diversity, hosting numerous rare and endangered plant species.

Ongoing research into the region’s flora continues to uncover new botanical secrets. Currently, the list of vascular plants in Halych National Nature Park includes 1,050 species. Of these, 75 species are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, 7 in the European Red List, and 7 in the Bern Convention’s list of protected species.

Approximately 12,000 hectares of the park are covered in forests, supporting a wide variety of fungal species. To date, nearly 700 species of macromycetes fungi have been identified, 15 of which are included in the Red Book of Ukraine.

The park is home to an astonishing diversity of insects—the most numerous group of organisms. A total of 1,466 insect species have been recorded, with 18 species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

Among vertebrates, 362 species have been documented: 45 species of bony fish, 16 species of amphibians, 7 species of reptiles, 232 species of birds, and 62 species of mammals (including 18 bat species). In total, 82 animal species are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine (60 vertebrates and 22 invertebrates), 323 species are protected under the Bern Convention, 127 under the second list of the Bonn Convention, 29 in the IUCN Red List, and 31 in the European Red List.

Since 2019, the Dniester River within the park and the Burshtyn Reservoir have been designated as Ramsar sites due to their importance as wetland ecosystems for biodiversity conservation. Every year, up to 22,000 birds overwinter in these areas, including 3,000 individuals of the goldeneye duck, a species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

In recent years, beavers, a species protected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), have successfully established populations on the Dniester’s islands. On the sandy islets of Halych, up to 20 pairs of the rare little tern nest. The park’s rivers, particularly the Limnytsia, play a critical role in the reproduction of rare fish species such as the sterlet, European grayling, Ukrainian dace, common barbel, rudd, European chub, and common bullhead.

To rehabilitate and eventually return injured or orphaned native wildlife to their natural habitat, the Halych National Nature Park has operated the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center since 2007. This facility is part of the park’s Еcological  and educational and tourism complex.

We warmly invite you to visit!