Vydubychi Monastery

Vydubychi was founded in 1070 by Vsevolod Yaroslavych on the riverbank below the hills, and the church of St Michael from that decade survives in part, though the slope has taken half of it into the Dnipro over the centuries. A Baroque bell tower, the Georgian cathedral of the 1690s and a walled yard of monastic buildings sit around it. It is a working monastery, far quieter than the Lavra, with the botanical garden's slopes rising behind.

What you actually see

• St Michael's church - the eleventh-century church, half lost to the river slope.
• The Georgian cathedral - the 1690s Baroque church in the yard.
• The bell tower - the eighteenth-century tower above the walls.
• The setting - wooded Dnipro slopes with the botanical garden above.

When to go

April to October is the comfortable season, and the lilacs in the garden above flower in May. The monastery is open through the day. Modest dress is expected.

Honest expectations

It is an active monastery and photography inside the churches is generally not allowed. The walk down from the botanical garden is steep. There is little interpretation.

Nearby

The Hryshko Botanical Garden is directly above, and the Lavra is north along the slopes.