Vyshnivets Palace

Michał Serwacy Wiśniowiecki, last of the princely line, built a palace on the ruins of the family castle at Vyshnivets, finished in 1720, and it reached its full splendour under the Mniszech heirs: a long two-storey building with a central block and wings, set above the Horyn on terraces that once carried formal gardens running down to the water. It held one of the great libraries and picture collections of the Commonwealth, dispersed long ago. The building survived, was restored in stages, and now works as a museum with some rooms furnished.

What to look for

• The palace front - a long eighteenth-century facade above the river terraces.
• The terraced gardens - the ground falling in stages from the palace to the Horyn.
• The restored rooms - a handful of interiors furnished in period.
• The gate and outbuildings - the surviving service ranges of the estate.

When to go

April to October is the comfortable season. The museum keeps set hours and closes on some weekdays. The gardens are best in late spring.

What to expect

Only part of the building is restored and open; the rest is bare. The gardens are a shadow of what they were. Labelling is in Ukrainian.

Nearby

Kremenets is north, and Pochaiv is northwest.

Key facts