Kamiane Selo
A field of granite boulders in the Zhytomyr Polissia forest, called the Stone Village and wrapped in a local legend.
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In pine and birch forest in the northern Zhytomyr region lies a field of rounded granite boulders, some of them several metres across, left by weathering of the Ukrainian shield and by ice. Local tradition tells that a village stood here and was turned to stone as a punishment, and hollows on some of the rocks are pointed out as footprints. The site is a geological reserve, reached on a boardwalk through the trees.
What you actually see
- The boulder field - rounded granite blocks scattered through the forest.
- The hollows - weathering pits on the rock surfaces, read locally as footprints.
- The Polissia forest - pine and birch woodland covering the whole area.
- The boardwalk - a raised path through the site.
When to go
May to October is the comfortable season. The forest is wet and buggy in high summer. Autumn is the best for the light through the trees.
Honest expectations
The boulders are impressive but the site is small and takes an hour. Roads in are poor. Mosquitoes in the Polissia forest are severe from May onwards.
Nearby
Olevsk is south, and the Polissia forest runs north.
What to pack for Kamiane Selo
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.