Dniester Canyon

Between the Carpathian foothills and Podillia the Dniester has cut down into limestone and left a canyon of enormous meanders, 100 to 200 metres deep, running for some 250 kilometres from the mouth of the Zolota Lypa near Nyzhniv to the Dniester hydroelectric station at Novodnistrovsk, with cliffs, terraces and side valleys dropping in as waterfalls. The town of Zalishchyky sits inside one loop so tightly that the river almost encircles it. Rafting and kayaking trips run the river in sections, and villages along the rim give the viewpoints; since 3 February 2010 the canyon has been a national nature park.

What's there

• The meanders - the river looping back on itself in enormous bends.
• The limestone cliffs - walls up to two hundred metres above the water.
• Zalishchyky - a town almost encircled by a single river loop.
• The side waterfalls - streams dropping into the canyon from the plateau.

When to go

May to October is the season for boats and walking. Water is highest in spring. Autumn colour along the cliffs is the best of the year.

Good to know

The canyon is long and there is no single viewpoint that shows it; seeing it properly means a boat or several stops. Road access to the rim is poor in places. Facilities along the river are minimal.

Nearby

Bakota is downstream, and Khotyn is southeast.

Key facts