Lyadova Rock Monastery

The monastery at Lyadova is cut into a limestone cliff above the Dniester, with chambers and small churches hollowed from the rock and later buildings clinging to the ledge outside them. Tradition dates the foundation to the eleventh century and to Antony of the Kyiv Caves, though the evidence is thin; what is certain is that it has been in and out of use for centuries and was reopened after standing empty in the Soviet period. The terrace looks straight down the valley.

What you actually see

• The rock-cut churches - chapels hollowed into the cliff face.
• The ledge buildings - later structures built onto the narrow terrace.
• The Dniester view - the river valley falling away below the monastery.
• The stairs - the long climb up the cliff from the village.

When to go

April to October is the comfortable season. The climb is best in the morning. Services fill the chapels on Sundays and feast days.

Honest expectations

The climb up is a long flight of steep steps. Modest dress is required and enforced. The eleventh-century founding tradition is not documented.

Nearby

Busha is north, and Mohyliv-Podilskyi is east on the Dniester.