Attractions of Ternopil district

The Yaroslav and Slava Stetsko People's Historical and Memorial Museum was opened in 2002 in the village of Velykyi Hlybochok in the oldest (1773) building of the village - the former parish house, in which in 1912 the future ideologist of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, leader of the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Peoples, Prime Minister of the Ukrainian State Government Yaroslav Stetsko was born.

The organizer and founder of the museum is Myron Sahaidak, who became interested in Stetsko's biography after meeting his uncle Vasyl when he returned from Siberia, and after meeting Slava Stetsko in 1991, when she came to visit her husband's native village.

The museum's exposition reflects the life and struggle of Yaroslav Stetsko himself, as well as his wife and long-time associate - Slava Stetsko. The museum exhibits paint a detailed picture of Yaroslav Stetsko's childhood - photographs of the Stetsko family home, Yaroslav's father-priest and mother, his first nanny, brother and sister, and high school friends. The exhibition includes more than a hundred original exhibits related to the life and activities of the Stetskos, in particular - personal belongings of Mr. Yaroslav, which were transferred by Slava Stetsko from Munich, and those that Myron Sahaidak himself collected from everywhere, many interesting photographs, letters, and documents.

The main exhibit of the museum is Yaroslav Stetsko's embroidered shirt, which his wife Slava Stetsko embroidered for him in 1944 in Munich in order to support his wounded husband.

In 2018, the Yaroslav and Slava Stetsko People's Historical and Memorial Museum in the village of Velykyi Hlybochok became part of the museum complex "Museum of the National Liberation Struggle of the Ternopil Region".

Zaliztsi Museum of Local Lore was founded in 2020 at the initiative of local historians. The museum is located in the assembly hall and library of Zaliztsi polyclinic.

The exposition tells about the nature of the region and the history of the village from the earliest times. In particular, the exhibition presents a sculpture of Saint Francis of the XIX century from the ruins of the monastery of the Order of the Sisters of Mercy in Zaliztsi.

In 2023, the archaeological exposition of the Zaliztsi Museum of Local Lore was opened. Here you can see the fossilized remains of mollusks of the Sarmatian Sea, silicon products of the Mesolithic era, ceramics of the Vysotska culture, body crosses of the XII-XIII centuries, Cossack pipes and silver coins of the XVII century, and other finds from archaeological excavations on the territory of Zaliztsi.

An exposition in memory of the victims of political repressions is being set up in the former NKVD torture chamber.

In the museum, you can buy souvenirs, book an excursion, and get background information about tourist attractions in the area.

The architectural complex of Zbarazh Castle is one of the best-preserved ancient defensive structures of the Ternopil region, an architectural monument of national importance. For centuries, the castle in Zbarazh served as a residence for Lithuanian princes and Polish nobles, and is now the center of the National Reserve "Castles of Ternopil Region".

The construction of a new fortress instead of the fortress in Stary Zbarazh destroyed by the Tatars was started in 1620 by Princes Hristofor and Yuriy Zbarazkyi, who commissioned a project in Venice from the famous architect and engineer Vinchentso Skamotstsi. His work embodied the advanced achievements of the art of fortification of that time.

The castle consists of a Renaissance-style palace, casemate ramparts surrounding it, an entrance tower and a moat. In the courtyard there is a siege well 70 m deep, connected by underground passages with the Bernardine monastery at the other end of Zbarazh.

In the 17th century, the new owners of Zbarazh Castle, Princes Vyshnevetskyi, fortified it with four bastions. In 1649 the castle withstood a seven-week siege of Bohdan Khmelnytsky's Cossack army, and in 1734 it was captured by the Haydamaks.

Potocki magnates in the XVIII century turned the military fortress into an ordinary palace estate.

During the first half of the 20th century, the building was severely damaged during the wars, and restoration was completed only in 1985. On the basis of Zbarazh Castle, in 1994, the State Historical and Architectural Reserve was created, which later became the National Reserve "Castles of Ternopil Region".

Over the past decade, the White Fireplace Hall, the Arched Gallery, the Upper and Lower Vestibules, the Lord's Living Room and the Mirror Hall have been restored in Zbarazh Castle. The medieval interiors feature exhibitions of antiquities, paintings, icons, and antique furniture, as well as exhibitions of works of art by modern masters. An archaeological and ethnographic exhibition has been set up, a collection of weapons is exhibited in the casemates, unique works by woodcarver Viktor Lupiychuk are on display, and the creation of the diorama "Siege of 1649" is underway.

In one of the casemates there is a restaurant "Legend", in the manor house (XIX century) on the outskirts of the park opened the hotel "Hetman".

The Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary was built in Zaliztsi in 1889 as a chapel of the monastery of the Sisters of Saint Vincent de Paul.

During the Soviet rule, the church building was used as a warehouse.

Today it is an active Roman Catholic church.

Ternopil Castle was founded in 1540 by the Grand Crown Hetman Yan Tarnovskyi on the site of the ancient Rus settlement of Sopilche (Topilche) to defend the Polish borders from the Tatars.

In the 17th century, the Grand Crown Chancellor Tomash Zamoyskyi significantly expanded the fortifications, but in the following years they were repeatedly destroyed. In particular, the Ternopil castle was almost completely dismantled by the Turks after the capture of the city in 1672.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Count Frantsishek Korytovskyi built a palace in its place, for which the surviving fortifications, towers and gates were demolished, and the building was surrounded by an ordinary fence. Some castle elements have been preserved.

During the First World War, the palace was burned and was in ruins for a long time. Renovated in 1951, it houses exhibition halls and a training and sports center.

From the street the Ternopil castle building looks inconspicuous, but from the side of the lake its fortification character is well visible.

The "Museum of the City of Ternopil" was opened in the dungeons of the castle.

The castle in Zaliztsi was founded in 1516 by the crown hetman Martyn Kamyanetsky, who received these lands from the Polish king Syhizmund I.

It was from here in 1604 that Lzhedmytriy I, the husband of Maryna Mnishek and the son-in-law of Yuri Mnishek, who at that time owned Zaliztsi Castle, started his march to Moscow. After the overthrow of Lzhedmytriy, the castle passed into the hands of the Vyshnevetskys, who turned it into a magnate's residence.

The castle was quadrangular, with four corners and a gate tower. There was a two-story palace in the northern part.

In the 18th century, Zaliztsi Castle was converted into a cloth factory. It has reached our days in ruins. Fragments of the northern and western walls have been preserved, as well as a semi-basement floor with a narrow corridor.

The interactive museum of musical instruments "Camerton" was created in the village of Ishkiv by a local resident, hereditary musician Petro Katola, together with members of his family. In the premises of the former collective farm office, he collected about 250 musical instruments of various types: wind, percussion, bowed, etc.

The collection presents a variety of instruments from over 80 countries of the world - from the Ukrainian trembita to the Australian didgeridoo, from the Vietnamese drymba to the Zimbabwean kalimba. There is an ancient harpsichord, a 150-year-old Czech grand piano, an Indian harmonium, a Brazilian berembao, and a German bandoneon.

During the tours, the collector talks about the history of the origin of each exhibit, the role of music and musical instruments in different cultures of the world, and the legends associated with them.

All the instruments presented are working, and the owner can play a melody on each of them. Visitors are also offered to try playing some of the instruments.

Brewery "Mykulinetsky Brovar" in Mykulyntsi is considered one of the oldest breweries in Ukraine.

The date "1457" is indicated on the labels of the signature beer "Mykulyn", to which the first mention of the brewery in Mykulyntsi is attributed - in the description of the military campaign of the Polish king Yan Olbracht to the Moldavian principality, but in fact this campaign took place 40 years later.

The first documentary mention of Mykulyntsi beer is found in Austrian sources in 1698. Industrial production of beer was organized in Mykulyntsi by Count Mechyslav Rey in 1885, establishing the production of three varieties: "Lezhak", "Firmove" and "Bik".

In 1939, the plant was nationalized, during Soviet times they produced "Zhygulyvske", "Ukrainian" and "Ryzhke" beers, then "Double Golden" and "Berezneve" appeared.

In 1995, "Mykulinetsky Brovar" LLC was established on the basis of the plant. Currently, the assortment includes about a dozen varieties of live unpasteurized beer, including premium-class ones.

Excursions and tastings are held.

The first museum of retro cars "Retro-Cortege" in Western Ukraine was opened in Ternopil in 2016 on the initiative of entrepreneur Taras Demkur.

More than 20 vintage cars are presented, some of which have an interesting history. In particular, the collection includes a Jaguar car that belonged to US President Richard Nixon, as well as a Maybach from Hitler's Werewolf stake. The oldest car dates back to 1933.

Also presented are restored motorcycles, old radio equipment, a collection of mini cars from different parts of the world, military equipment.

The "Agroland" ethnopark opened in 2025 in the village of Velykyi Khodachkiv, 10 kilometers from Ternopil in the direction of Berezhany. This is an ethnographic and entertainment complex for recreation and acquaintance with the historical and cultural heritage of the Ternopil region.

The complex has recreated exact copies of several historical residential and farm buildings of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. Among them are typical village huts of residents of Volyn, Opillia and Podillia, as well as a Lemko living room. There is also a working sawmill (sawmill). Old agricultural machinery and tools of peasants are presented. A separate exhibition is dedicated to the events of the modern Russian-Ukrainian war.

In addition, the Agroland ethnopark houses the Press and Printing Museum. Here you can see newspapers from 1918 to the present, take photos at the editor-in-chief's workplace, and visit a working photo lab.

For visitors to "Agroland" there is a restaurant of modern Ukrainian cuisine "Velyka Myska", where you can not only eat deliciously, but also see about a thousand painted plates collected from all corners of Ukraine. For children there is a playground and a contact mini-zoo.

The area of the Aquapark "Alligator" at the hotel entertainment and health complex in Ternopil is 4.2 thousand square meters. It can accommodate 400 visitors at the same time.

The Aquapark has three pools with a depth of 150, 90 and 30 centimeters, 8 water slides for adults and children of different ages with a length of 3 to 33 meters and a height of 1.5 to 10.5 meters. In addition to the water slides, there is a hydromassage area, waterfalls and 2 exciting attractions: "Body Slay" (an intriguing journey through a closed water pipe 86 meters long from a height of 6.5 meters) and "Black Hole" (adrenaline descent through a closed water pipe from a height of 12.5 meters 160 meters long, accompanied by spectacular illuminations and exciting sounds). Other attractions: the "Kamikaze" slide (height 10.5 meters, length 33 meters), the slide "Truba" (height 6.5 meters), the slope "Family hill" (height 4.5 meters and length 20 meters).

The water park complex includes a SPA zone (infra-red sauna, professional massage therapists, Turkish bath hamam).

The hotel complex has a bowling alley, a disco club, a restaurant, billiards, and a fitness club.

The Orthodox Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a former Trinitarian church-monastery, built in Zbarazh in 1755-1758.

After the order of the Trinitarians ceased its activities in the city, the church was taken over by the Ukrainian community. At the beginning of the 20th century, a bell tower was added. In Soviet times, a local history museum was located here. In 1990, restoration was carried out.

The baroque Assumption church is part of the complex of the former Felician nunnery (XVIII century), which now houses the Theological Seminary named after Cyril and Methodius.

The defense church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Bishche is officially dated 1664, but there is an assumption that it could have been created much earlier - in the 16th or even the 14th century.

According to one of the versions, the church was built by Dominican monks, who were invited by the founder of the city of Bishche, nobleman Yan Boshch. The massive three-tier defensive tower of the church is an example of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic architecture. The portal of the church is made in the Renaissance style. Its defensive power was strengthened by stone walls and ramparts. Powerful buttresses were added during the reconstruction in 1730.

During the Second World War, the Church of the Assumption in Bishche was badly damaged and was in a dilapidated state for a long time. Restoration work has been ongoing since 2013. Currently, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been partially restored.

The Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary in Ternopil is a church of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

The first Church of the Assumption in the Ternopil suburb was built in 1636 from wood. Until 1744, the Basilian monastery operated under it. In 1837, a new stone temple in the Empire style was built.

The monastery and the Church of the Assumption were destroyed during the Soviet regime in 1962. Today, a new Assumption Church with a bell tower has been built in their place. Modern buildings are modernized and differ from the original construction.

The Berezhany City Book Museum is located on the first floor of Berezhany City Hall.

Founded in 1984, since 1994 it has been a department of the Ternopil Museum of Local Lore. It tells about the history of printing in Ukraine and about outstanding writers of the region.

The exhibition presents old prints of the XVII-XIX centuries, the first edition of Taras Shevchenko's "Kobzar", "Grammar of the Little Russian Language in Galicia, composed by Ivan Vahylevych" (1845), "Grammar of the Ruthenian (Ruthenian) language" by Yosyp Levytsky (1834).

Also on display are paintings by Lev Lepky, graphics by Olena Kulchytska and others.

A separate exposition is dedicated to the public and philanthropic activities of Roman Smyk.

In addition, the Berezhany City Hall houses the Berezhany Museum of Local Lore, the Museum of Sacred Art and Church History, and the Bohdan Lepky Museum.