Tourist Bucovina
Chernivtsi region is situated in southwestern Ukraine and lies in three natural geographic zones: wooded steppe, which occupies the Prut-Dniester interfluve, submontane, located between the Carpathians and the Prut River, and mountainous, covering the Bukovynian Carpathians. Surface area makes up 8.1 thousand square kilometres, which is 1.3% of the territory of Ukraine.
There is a state border of Ukraine with the length of 404 km in the region. It includes state border with Romania – 226 km, and with Moldova – 178 km. The region borders on Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Khmelnytsky, and Vinnytsya regions of Ukraine.
75 rivers flow in the region; their length makes up 10 thousand kilometres. The Dniester – 290 km, the Prut – 128 km, and the Siret – 113 km are the longest ones.
Climate of Chernivtsi region is favorable during all seasons: moderately continental, moist, genial in summer and mild in winter.
A Bit of History.
Chernivtsi region, or Bucovina, as this land is sometimes called, belongs to the ancient Ukrainian ethnic territory e.i. the land which formed the Ukrainian ethnos. A large density of Slavonic antiquities of the VIII-X-th centuries was discovered on the region’s territories. Bucovina appeared on the political orbit of Kyiv in the times of the first Ruriks; it was permanently attached to Kievan Rus in the time of Volodymyr (993). From that time until mid- XIV-th century lands of the region sequentially belonged to Kievan, Galician and Galician-Volyn Rus.
Later, future Bukovyna, which was called Shypynska Land at that time, came briefly under the rule of Hungarian kings, which were changed by Moldavian gospodars (masters). And in the first half of the XVI-th century Bukovyna, as well as all Moldovan Principality, came under Ottoman domination.
Bucovina was formed as a historical and administrative unit in 1775 as a part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The name of the new territorial acquisition of the Habsburg dynasty was originated from beech forests that covered this magnificent Carpathian land.
Bukovyna of that time included present Chernivtsi region of Ukraine and Suceava county of Romania. It was a part of Royal Romania from 1918 till 1940. After WWII the territory was divided and Chernivtsi region (Northern Bukovyna) became a part of the USSR; after the Soviet collapse it is a part of independent Ukraine.
Being one of the smallest in Ukraine, the region takes the fifth place in population density – 116 people per sq.km. Over 900 000 people of 70 nationalities (Ukrainians, Russians, Jews, Romanians, Moldovans, Poles, Belarusians, Armenians, Germans, Bulgarians and others) reside in the region. Their interaction is manifested in culture, folklore, architecture, crafts and business potential.
Location of Bukovyna at the intersection of the shortest and safest route between the South and the North of Eastern Europe, which avoids the Carpathians, resulted in a steady trend of transit through the territory of the land, became an impulse for its economic development.
And region's joining many countries affected the use of natural potential, local labor force, active entrepreneur activities, successful cooperation and communication with population of European countries and formation of the land as a multicultural region with tolerant and hospitable people. Different nationalities, religions, and political opinions have never prevented Bucovina and Chernivtsi citizens from living in harmony and mutual understanding.
Tourist Potential of Bucovina.
Chernivtsi region owns extremely rich natural and recreational resources for tourism development. Bucovina takes the 11th place in Ukraine according to the assessment of forestry potential, 18th – according to the assessment of the natural and recreational potential, 22nd - for mineral potential, and 23rd – for the land one. In the region there are 137 inventory objects of 17 kinds of minerals, out of which only 39 are mined.
Generally in Chernivtsi region there are 310 territories and objects of nature reserve fund, including 10 wildlife reserves, 9 natural monuments, botanical and dendrological parks of Chernivtsi National University, Vyzhnytsya National Natural Park and Storozhynets dendrological park, as well as 2 regional landscape parks, 136 natural monuments, 40 parks – memorials of landscape art and 39 stove reserves.
The most famous reserves are landscape "Tsetsyno", ornithological "Dranytsky", forest "Lunkivsky" and "Petrivetsky". Natural monuments of national importance include botanical "Bilka" monument, geological caves "Popelyushka," "Bukovynka" and "Balamutivska", and forests - "Shylivsky Lis" and "Tysovy Yar".
Bukovyna region is famous for its flora and fauna. In the region there are nearly 200 species of birds, and in rivers and lakes – more than 50 species of fish.
Mineralogical resources of the region are practically inexhaustible. On the region’s territory there are over 300 natural and artificial springs and nearly 60 mineral water springs, of which one third is explored and used for industrial bottling. Bucovinian, Brusnytske, Kelmenchanka, Khreshchatyk, Dolyna, Valya-Kuzminska are the most famous of them. Water from Brusnytsya springs has special demand. It contains sulfur-hydrogen and soda hydro-carbonate sodium chloride components.
Tourist opportunities of Bukovyna are also caused by the availability of a large number of monuments from different historical eras and ethnic cultures, a rich palette of local customs and traditions, traditional trades and crafts etc.
Infrastructure for recreational facilities is very rich in Chernivtsi region. In the well-developed tourist-entertainment and hotel complexes of Bukovyna tourists will get services of casino, bowling, billiards, disco, show programs, etc. Entertainment industry of Chernivtsi fully meets the needs of both residents and tourists.
Consequently, the recreational potential and tourist infrastructure of Chernivtsi region are extremely powerful for the further development of tourism industry.
We wish you to have an interesting acquaintance with Bucovinian land and a pleasant and unforgettable stay!
