Attractions of Ivano-Frankivsk district

The historical and local lore museum in the urban-type village of Solotvyn was founded in 1958 by the famous Carpathian local historian Oleksandr Fedanko.

In 1964, the museum received official status. Now the exposition is located in a two-floor building in the center of the village.

The basis of the museum collection is the exhibits collected by Oleksandr Fedanko during his local history expeditions in the Carpathians. In particular, ancient things from the Maniava hermitage and a model of the entrance gate of the Krasnopillia Castle are presented. There are also many archaeological finds in the exposition.

The ethnographic selection includes towels, embroidered shirts, household items, work tools, and agricultural implements.

A memorial plaque to Oleksandr Fedanko by sculptor Volodymyr Dovbenyuk has been installed on the facade of the museum.

A fragment of a defensive wall with a bastion is all that remains of the ancient city fortifications of the Stanislaviv Fortress in modern Ivano-Frankivsk.

The fortress was founded in 1662 by the Kyiv voivode Andriy Potocki according to the project of Fransua Korassini. The first fortifications were wooden, but in 1672 they helped the city withstand the Turkish siege. In 1679-1682, the Stanislaviv fortress was significantly strengthened under the guidance of the architect Sharl Benua. The city was surrounded on all sides by defensive moats, ramparts with eight bastions and stone fortress walls up to 10 meters high. The fortifications were almost completely dismantled in the 19th century at the request of the Austrian authorities.

Currently, the "Bastion" gallery is located in the casemates of the restored bastion - a shopping and entertainment complex with a terrace for walks, souvenir shops, boutiques, a cafe and a restaurant. There is a permanent exhibition of sculptures, paintings and photographs.

Residents of Ivano-Frankivsk call the pedestrian part of Nezalezhnosti Street, from Vicheva Square to Ivan Franko Street, "Stometrivka" ("One-hundred meter) or simply "Sotka".

Its real length is about half a kilometer. In the 16th century, it was called the Tysmenytsia road, as it connected Stanislaviv (former name Ivano-Frankivsk) with Tysmenytsia. In 1869, it was renamed Sapezhynska in honor of Leon Sapeha. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was the main and busiest street of the city. The most expensive houses were built here, the best hotels and shops were opened.

Now it is the most popular walking area of the city. There are many street cafes and restaurants, bookstores and boutiques. Every year, new forged sculptures appear on "Stometrivka" and nearby streets, which are opened during the "Feast of Blacksmiths" festival.

The synagogue in Bilshivtsi was built in the 18th century in the style of classicism, in the 19th century it was slightly expanded.

According to legend, it had not only men's, but also women's quarters.

Between the First and Second World Wars, the Jewish population in Bilshivtsi reached about 2 thousand people, the town had three synagogues, one of which survived. However, it did not retain its original appearance - the Soviet occupiers rebuilt it somewhat and turned it into the House of Culture, which is still valid today.

In 2014, restoration began at the expense of the village council.

The Reform Synagogue Tempel was built in Ivano-Frankivsk on the initiative of members of the "Public Progress" society.

The first stone was laid in 1895, the construction lasted four years under the direction of the architect Vilhelm Shtyasny. The building is made in the Moorish style with elements of the Renaissance. At first, there were four towers decorated with stars of David at the corners.

During the two world wars, the building was damaged, but was restored. In the 1990s, part of the premises was returned to the city's Jewish community.

Nearby, in 2003, a monument was erected at the place of execution of 27 Ukrainian patriots, members of the OUN, shot by the Germans in 1943.

Tarasa Shevchenko Park of Culture and Recreation in Ivano-Frankivsk was opened in 1946 on the territory of Baron Romashkan's estate.

Around the estate, on an area of 22 hectares, there was a forest in which the Potocki once liked to hunt. At the end of the 19th century, the territory began to be cultivated, alleys were laid, and later a number of cascading ponds were dug. During Soviet times, the territory was redeveloped several times. A small bust of Shevchenko was installed here, which is still the only monument to Kobzar in Ivano-Frankivsk.

Two ponds have been preserved. On one of them, called "Swan Lake", an island has been created with a house for swans and ducks (local residents come to feed them on weekends).

There is also an amusement park here.

In 2010, the "Stone of Love" brought from Cana, a small town in Galilee, where Jesus blessed the newlyweds, was installed on the day of the city. According to legend, this place is considered lucky for lovers: here they make dates, declare their love and take pictures on their wedding day.

The constructivist building of the town hall on Rynok Square is the most famous symbol of Ivano-Frankivsk. At the time of construction in 1932, it was the tallest building in the city (49.5 m).

The first wooden town hall on this site was built shortly after the founding of the city in the XVII century, but then it was repeatedly rebuilt. The most interesting from an architectural point of view was the town hall of Austrian times, which existed in 1871-1915.

In its current form, the town hall was built in the interwar period. Monolithic reinforced concrete walls could not be blown up by the German occupiers before the retreat in 1944.

In April 1990, the national Ukrainian flag was raised for the first time over the building of Ivano-Frankivsk Town Hall.

The building houses several exhibits of the Museum of Local Lore: nature, history, folk art, archeology. There are rich collections of weapons and books, as well as antique furniture. In total – 120 thousand subjects. An interesting exhibit is a model of the old Stanislaviv of the Potocki era.

Branches of the Ivano-Frankivsk Museum of Local Lore are the Prykarpattya Literary Museum in Ivano-Frankivsk, the Hutsulshchyna Historical and Local Lore Museum in Verkhovyna, the Ivan Franko Literary Memorial Museum in Kryvorivnia, the Mykhaylo Hrushevsky Historical and Local Lore Museum Museum in Kryvorivnia, and the Khata-Grazhda Museum in Kryvorivnia, the Les Martovych Literary Memorial Museum in Torhovytsia, the  Oleksa Dovbush Historical and Local Lore Museum in Pechenizhyn.

Numismatist meetings are held in the lobby every Sunday.

Aquapark "Tsunami" in Ivano-Frankivsk is considered one of the largest in Ukraine.

Its area is 6 thousand square meters. It can accommodate up to 500 people at a time.

In total, there are 6 swimming pools and 12 slides in the "Tsunami" water park, as well as a jacuzzi, solarium, sauna, massage room, fitness center. One of the pools with a depth of 12.5 meters is intended for diving. From the central indoor pool, you can swim outside to a 30-meter, four-lane, heated, year-round outdoor pool.

In addition to the water park, the Tsunami sports and entertainment complex also includes an ice arena, a restaurant, and a hotel.

The Tysmenytsia City History Museum named after Stepan Havrylyuk is housed in a historic two-story building from 1902 near the city center.

The first hall presents archaeological findings from the Tysmenytsia hillfort and a model of the old Tysmenytsia. The second hall is the fur industry, to which the city owes its fame. Here you can see fur products of different eras, tools. The third hall is used for temporary exhibitions.

The interactive museum and entertainment complex "Underhill Earth History Park" is located in the open air on the outskirts of the village of Pidhirya near Bohorodchany.

The park was created in 2021 by entrepreneurs Taras and Peter Belz for the organization of active, scientific family recreation. 15 sculptures of prehistoric animals, mostly from the Cenozoic era, are presented on the territory of the complex: mammoths, elasmoterium, gomphotherium and others. The "Museum of the Earth" in the dome-shaped room introduces the formation and development of the planets of the solar system. Opened in 2023, the "Museum of Civilization" tells about the history of mankind from the Neolithic to modern times and even offers a glimpse into the future. Its main exhibit is a copy of a hairy rhinoceros, which was found by scientists in 1929 in the village of Starunia in Prykarpattia.

Part of the complex is a mini-zoo where lions, tigers and ostriches are kept. The park has many themed locations and photo zones, sports and playgrounds, a food court and a souvenir shop.

Scientific and educational excursions of various topics are held.

The Mariiampil castle on the high left bank of the Dniester was built in 1691 by the famous Polish commander, the great crown hetman Stanisłav Yablonovsky.

In the 12th-15th centuries, there was an ancient Rus settlement of Chortopil on this place, and later - a wooden castle of Bozhiy Vydok. Yablonovsky Castle was named Mariiampil in honor of the icon of the Virgin Mary "the Victorious", who accompanied the hetman in all his military campaigns. The fortress had four defensive towers, two entrance gates, a residential building and garrison barracks, a siege well.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, part of the defensive structures were dismantled for the construction of a new palace, which has survived to this day (now a hospital). A 600-year-old oak tree grows in front of the palace, and an ancient park is located behind the house.

There is a healing spring at the foot of Castle Hill (Zamkova Hora).