The holiday of lovers, St. Valentine's Day, has already become closely intertwined with Ukrainian traditions. Every year on February 14, cities are filled with "valentines", cupids and hearts... and, of course, couples in love and a light touch of romance and the expectation of a miracle and love. We offer you romantic places for a romantic holiday (and who knows, maybe in one of them you will be blessed with happiness and St. Valentine's Day this year).
Lovers' Island. Ternopil
The island is located in the middle of Ternopil Lake (an artificial reservoir that is almost the same age as the city). It was created in the late 1940s. You can get to the island by bridge (or if the lake is "frozen", then by ice). There is a belief among the townspeople: if a guy makes an offer on the Island of Lovers, the family will be strong, and love will last forever! It is also a favorite place for photo shoots of newlyweds.
Monument to Lovers. Kharkiv
This sculptural composition consists of the figures of a boy and a girl, united in a passionate kiss (this is what all couples in love repeat). It was created according to a project by local students (probably this explains the feeling of "youth in love" that emanates from this couple).
Tunnel of Love. Rivne region, Klevan village
This place is equally romantic in its green spring robes and in its winter blanket of white snow – because for lovers, the change of seasons is just a trifle. The 4-kilometer journey will not only give you a lot of incredible photos, but also add romance to the journey together.
Italian courtyard. Lviv
Many native Lviv residents have never even heard of this place in the center of Lviv (Rynok Square, Kornyak Palace). However, it is never crowded here, and there are always a lot of couples in love, melting in kisses. So what attracts them here so much? Maybe it is the atmosphere of Italy (the courtyard is very similar in architecture to typical courtyards in Rome and Florence, and it was here that Shakespeare's plays were staged several centuries ago, including the story of unhappy love), or maybe they are attracted by the cozy atmosphere of the old city, where every corner is filled with stories (and love figured in every one - where would we be without it).
House with Chimeras. Kyiv
There is a legend that the daughter of Gorodetsky (whose brainchild is the building) took her own life due to unhappy love (she drowned in the Dnieper). And, honoring her memory, her father created a building that can enchant and captivate anyone. The house has a rather gloomy romantic-gothic atmosphere, which attracts couples in love with a sense of mystery "with an aftertaste of tragedy."
A heart in love. Odesa
The art installation in the shape of an "openwork" heart is located near the "Mother-in-law's Bridge", which, as the bridge of lovers in Kyiv, was completely covered with symbols of eternal love - locks (now they all "stick" to the heart, and it is no longer so dangerous to walk on the bridge). Every couple in love in Odesa considers it their "sacred duty" to declare their feelings with a symbolic sign: a lock with the date of their acquaintance/wedding (there may be other options), the key to which is thrown from the Mother-in-law's Bridge (so that no one "unlocks love").
Zebras in Love and Lanterns in Love. Kyiv
"Zebras" is one of the charms of the Landscape Alley and a place of pilgrimage for couples in love. The sculpture symbolizes that not only people are capable of feeling love. Another "manifestation of love in inanimate matter", the Love Lanterns, is located in the city center, on Independence Square. It is customary to make a date near this monument, and you can also make your most cherished wish (you need to touch the "head" of one of the lanterns and ask very, very sincerely). You can also just sit here, relax on a bench next to the lanterns and walk further through romantic places with your loved one.
Monument to the Bride. Nikolaev
The city is considered the "abode of brides", perhaps that is why there is a sculpture of a bride waiting for her love near the stove. It is believed that if a lonely person rubs the bride's veil, he will find his love. But couples in love go to a "ritual" so that no one can ever separate them (just like in the wedding vow "until death do you part").
Secret gazebo for lovers. Kyiv
You can find it near the monument to the Baptism of Rus (Vladimirskaya Hill). The Koroyevskaya gazebo (also known as the Lovers' Gazebo) offers a magnificent view of the Dnieper slopes. This is a real place of pilgrimage for those who seek solitude and want to spend quality time with their loved one against the backdrop of nature (and if you get cold, there is a place in the park where you can get a hot coffee).
Bridge of Lovers. Zaporizhia
This lovers' center is located on the Dnieper embankment and is the most popular place for couples in Zaporizhia to walk. The openwork bridge connecting the two banks of a small lake gives the walks a romantic atmosphere (and in warm weather, artificial geysers erupt in the lake, enveloping the bridge with a light breeze and numerous drops of "water diamonds").
400-year-old linden tree near the Tithe Church. Kyiv
According to one of the Kyiv legends, this tree fulfills wishes: it can not only help in love affairs, but also improve life and reconcile those who are in a quarrel (to do this, you need to greet the tree, walk around the tree 7 times clockwise - and the wish will definitely come true).
Sophia Park. Uman
This is a very romantic place for couples in love, which was created as a gift of love from the Polish magnate Potocki to his wife Sophia. Everything here breathes romance, mystery and love. The park has many places and corners for solitude, as well as mystical ones where you can make a wish.
Fountain "Cupid" on the Alley of Lovers. Dnipro
The Dnipro Alley of Lovers occupies a prominent place among other similar alleys in different cities of Ukraine. The "services" of lovers here include the bench of Exhausting Expectations, the alley of Pleasant Meetings, and the Towel (representing a wedding towel). And, of course, the Cupid fountain, which, even in the winter months, hits the hearts of those who are "ready" for love with its arrows.
Fountain of Wishes. Kyiv
It is located on the territory of St. Michael's Cathedral. There is a belief associated with this fountain: they say that it is able to fulfill wishes. A couple (you need to cast a spell together) should take coins, press them to the metal protrusions (they should look into each other's eyes and constantly dream in their minds) and, if the coins stick, the wish will come true (you should not wet the coin and hope for frost - happiness does not like scammers and sly people).
Bridge of Lovers and the monument "Love Story". Kyiv
And of course, one cannot ignore one of the most famous objects of "Kyiv in love", the Bridge of Lovers, the railings of which are "strewn" with "love" locks - every couple in love seeks to leave their own lock here to strengthen and immortalize their feelings. And a few years ago, a monument to Luigi and Mokryna was opened near the bridge (the couple met during the war, but could not be together, and they got a chance to meet only 60 years later - the moment of their meeting was immortalized in metal), which is considered the personification of the durability of love (to love for 60 (!) years is worthy of respect).
Of course, these are not all the romantic places that exist in Ukraine, and for many, a romantic place may be associated with some other "own" (even a bench in an old park (more like the Black Forest), where there seems to be nothing romantic) corner. And romance "wakes up" not once a year, on February 14, but lives constantly. So let your Valentine's Day last 365 days a year, and romantic places will be found!
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