Attractions of Nyrkiv

Two round Gothic crenellated towers at the bottom of the giant crater are the remains of the ancient Chervonohorod Castle, the history of which dates back to the 9th century, when there was an ancient Rus settlement called Chorlene Mistechko (later it was called Chervonohorod, Chervonohrud, Chervonohrad).

In 1351, the Rus-Lithuanian princes Koriatovychi (Koryatovychi) built a wooden castle in Chervonohorod for protection from the Tatars. At the beginning of the 17th century, the royal elder Mykola Danylovych built a new stone castle at the bend of the Dzhuryn River, which was later destroyed by the Turks. The picturesque ruins served as the basis for Prince Karol Poninsky to build a magnificent Gothic palace in 1870 (architect Yulian Zakharevych).

The estate in Chervonohorod was considered one of the most elegant tycoon residences in Poland. Until 1939, Princess Lyubomyrska lived in the Chervonohorod castle.

By the middle of the 20th century, the estate fell into disrepair, during the Soviet rule, most of the buildings were dismantled for building materials. Nearby you can see the ruins of the Peter and Paul Church of the XVII-XVIII centuries, the abandoned cemetery with the Poninsky tomb, as well as the remains of the hydroelectric station near the Dzhuryn waterfall.

Descent into the canyon to Chervonohorod - 2.5 kilometers of rather steep ground, which in bad weather can be difficult for cars to pass. Lately, there is an entrance fee, walking is free.

Dzhurynskyi (Chervonohorodskyi, Chervonogradskyi) waterfall near the village of Nyrkiv is the largest plain waterfall in Ukraine (height - 16 meters).

It is located in the Chervone tract, next to the picturesque ruins of Chervonohorodskyi (Chervonohradskyi) castle.

According to legend, the waterfall is of artificial origin. In 1620, Turks and Tatars, breaking through to an impregnable castle surrounded by water, destroyed a stone ridge and changed the course of the river so that it passed by the castle.

According to another version, the channel was changed during the construction of the Poninsky Palace in the 18th century.

On the rocky shores of Dzhurynskyi Waterfall, you can see the ruins of a water mill that existed in the past. This is a popular place of recreation for residents of Ternopil.

The complex nature monument of local importance "Pustelnia Tract" with the waterfall "Maiden's Tears" and the grotto "Hermit's Cave" is located 1.5 kilometers south of Chervonohorod. This is one of the objects of the National Nature Park "Dniester Canyon".

A small grotto is carved out of the travertine rock above the Dzhuryn River. Before the Second World War (according to other sources, at the end of the 19th century), a hermit monk lived in the cave, who was engaged in stone carving. A statue of Saint Onuphrius, carved by a hermit, has been partially preserved.

Part of the cave was destroyed by a landslide.

Three statues of the Mother of God are installed above the spring at the approach to the hermit's cave. The waters of the spring flow down from the rock in thin streams of the "Maiden's Tears" waterfall, around which a special microclimate with unusual vegetation has formed. In 2024, the waterfall suffered from a travertine rock collapse.

The ascent to the "Pustelnia Tract" from Dzhurynskyi Waterfall takes about half an hour. Car access is possible from the side of Ustechko village.