Odesa Oblast: Lagoons and Fortress

For a trip to Odesa Oblast, Tuzlovski Lymany National Nature Park and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Fortress offer two distinct points of interest. In the national park, lagoons, coastline and birdlife define the natural setting; at the fortress, the focus is on architectural history and a protected architectural monument.

Tuzlovski Lymany National Nature Park: Lagoons and Coastline

Tuzlovski Lymany National Nature Park is a protected area in the basin of the lagoons of the Tuzlovski group, in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Raion of Odesa Oblast. Its scale can be understood through three figures: 27,865 hectares, 13 sea lagoons and 44 kilometres of sea coast. Together, these figures convey a sense of the area’s extent and landscape setting.

Its natural features include diverse floodplain landscapes as well as distinctive flora and fauna. Plant and animal species in the park are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, the Red Data Book of the Black Sea, the Red List of Odesa Oblast and the European Red List. This adds a species-conservation dimension to the landscape, spanning several lists and levels of reference. For nature enthusiasts, the park offers more than views of lagoons and coastline: the species included on these lists are also part of its natural story.

Birdlife and Seasonal Nature

The wildlife includes nearly 300 bird species, around 60 fish species in local waters and 37 mammal species. The seasonal role of the lagoons for birds is especially striking: some use them as a stopover on their migration to Asia and Africa; others breed or overwinter right at the lagoons. Tuzlovski Lymany is also a birdwatching destination. Migration, breeding and overwintering each offer a different nature experience. If you are interested in birdwatching, you can consider which of these seasonal phenomena you would like to focus on when planning your trip.

Akkerman Fortress in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi

Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Fortress, also known as Akkerman Fortress, is located in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in Odesa Oblast. It is a nationally significant architectural and urban-planning monument dating from the 13th to the 18th century, protected by the state. This broad time span offers a historical framework for travellers interested in architectural history across several centuries.

The fortress grounds are also home to a museum-reserve. In Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, both the protected structure and the museum-reserve on the fortress grounds are noteworthy cultural features.

Ukraine in a Broader Cultural Context

In the broader context of Ukraine, travellers will encounter other cultural themes that extend beyond Odesa Oblast. Four of the original survey points of the Struve Geodetic Arc in Ukraine were established between 1816 and 1851. In Chernivtsi, the Residence of the Metropolitans of Bukovina and Dalmatia was built from 1864 to 1882 to designs by the Czech architect Josef Hlavka; it is an example of 19th-century historicist architecture. The historic centre of Lviv includes well-preserved urban buildings with an Eastern European character, including numerous monasteries and Renaissance and Baroque houses. These examples broaden the perspective on historic architecture and the history of surveying across the wider travel destination of Ukraine.

Discover more destinations: Dal'nyk, Odesa, Burlacha Balka, Illitschiwsk, Karolino-Buhas, Satoka, Khlibodars'ke, Mayaky, Nova Dofinivka, Prymors'ke, Rosdilna, Tarutyne, Novopetrivka, Sanzhiika, Bolharka, Baraboi, Yuzhne, Mizikevycha, Svitlohirs'ke, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Izmail, Stara Nekrasivka, Arzis, Nerubais'ke, Pidhirne, Biliaivka, Reni, Serhiivka, Kiliya, Ovidiopol's'kyi Raion, Satoka, Ivanivs'kyi Raion, Berezivka, Savran, Fontanka, Kryzhanivka, Vylkove.

Go to the main travel overview: Ukraine.