Forests, lakes and wetlands define a distinctive nature-focused area in Novousmanskiy District: the grounds of the Venevitinovo Biological Center form the southwestern part of the Usmansky Forest. The center introduces students and the wider public to the forest’s typical and unique natural environments—at the natural history museum and in the natural surroundings along the ecological educational trail.
Educational trail through lakes and wetlands
The Venevitinovo ecological educational trail passes through several lakes and wetlands. These include the unique Klyukvennoye-1 Sphagnum raised bog. Check the current visitor arrangements before your visit.
The Usmansky Forest Natural History Museum offers another perspective, with a collection of around 1,500 objects. These include displays of taxonomic groups of invertebrates, cases featuring their natural nests, and botanical objects from mycology, bryology and higher plants. The collection thus ranges from animal groups and nests to different areas of botany. Excursions must be arranged in advance.
Local history in Novaya Usman
The Novousmanskiy District Local History Museum offers another way to explore the region. It is located in the village of Novaya Usman, in a building dating from 1917.
If you are looking for a holiday rental for a stay in Novousmanskiy District, you can plan around these interests: forest and wetland landscapes with nature interpretation, or local history in Novaya Usman.
A broader look at Voronezh Oblast
The wider destination of Voronezh Oblast also offers further nature and culture experiences. The territory of the Khopyor Nature Reserve extends across the administrative districts of Novokhopersky, Povorinsky and Gribanovsky. Two routes described there differ both in how you travel and in the time required: the five-kilometre Legendy Khopra walking excursion takes three hours and is closed during spring floods. The 26-kilometre Tur de Khopyor cycling tour takes four hours. The seasonal closure is therefore an important part of planning the walking route.
The natural history museum in the Khopyor Reserve presents the reserve’s wildlife and habitats in two halls. The exhibits cover, among other things, beavers, Russian desmans, aquatic and predatory birds, as well as wild boar, elk, fallow deer and red deer. There is also a large relief map of the reserve. Check the visitor arrangements before travelling.
The Divnogorye Museum-Reserve is also located in Voronezh Oblast and is known for its chalk landscapes, steep slopes and large, ridge-like chalk ravines. Divnogorskiy Canyon is about one kilometre long and up to 200 metres wide. The reserve’s cultural and historical features include Stone Age settlements, the ruins of the medieval Mayatskaya Fortress, and six ritual caves and cave complexes carved into the chalk massif. They lie on the right bank of the Tikhaya Sosna and Don rivers and extend for about 8.5 kilometres. At the Paleoliticheskiye masterskiye, the Stone Age is recreated, and workshops are held on making stone tools.
Discover more destinations: Podkletnoye, Orlovo, Ramonskiy District, Bobrovskiy District, Bogucharskiy District, Nizhnedevitskiy District, Novousmansky District, Kantemirovskiy District.
Back to the main travel overview: Voronezh Oblast.
