Uman offers two distinct themes for a stay: the landscaped grounds of the Sofiyivka National Dendrological Park near the city, and the cultural heritage and history of remembrance in Uman itself.
Sofiyivka Park: Landscape and Botany
The 180-hectare landscape park brings water, earth, rocks and plants together with architectural structures and sculptures. The grounds are defined not only by their size, but also by the interplay of these different elements. Botanically, Sofiyivka is considered the largest centre for the introduction and acclimatisation of plants in the forest-steppe zone on the right bank of the Dnieper in Ukraine.
Rides and Activities in the Park
The park offers a range of activities. On Verkhniy stavok, visitors can take rides in boats, pedalos and the Sofiya ship. Another water excursion takes visitors by boat along the underground Akheront River: the route starts at Amsterdamskyi shliuz and ends at Akherontiyske ozero. The names of the starting and ending points identify this as a distinct park route.
Other activities include carriage rides and horseback rides accompanied by a riding instructor. In the Zvirynets area, visitors can observe animals from a viewing platform. Visitors with young children, as well as those who find it difficult to walk long distances, can travel through the park in an electric vehicle; a guided tour is also available. The options offer different ways to experience the landscape: from the water, on horseback or by carriage, while observing animals, or with assistance for longer distances.
Cultural Heritage and History in Uman
The Stara Uman State Historical and Architectural Reserve covers 82 hectares in the historic part of the city and includes 68 cultural heritage sites. These include the nationally significant architectural monuments of Torhovi riady (ratusha) and the Church of the Assumption. The church brings together several historical connections: its construction began in 1780 on the site of an old Polish cemetery. Since March 1974, it has housed the city art gallery, which is the art department of the Uman Museum of Local History.
The building of the State Museum of Local History also has its own history. Until 1924, it housed a private hospital built between 1900 and 1902. For a different perspective on the city's history, the Stara Uman Reserve invites visitors on a staged tour through the underground passageways of the former Basilian Monastery. The past is brought to life through sight, sound, smell and touch. Advance booking is requested for this tour.
The Jewish pilgrimage tradition is particularly associated with the tomb of Tzadik Nachman: every year at Rosh Hashanah, it draws thousands of pilgrims from more than 20 countries. A historical and cultural centre was established at the tomb in 1994 by Presidential Decree No. 283/94 of 7 June. Another city monument commemorates the leaders of the Koliivshchyna uprising of 1768–1769, Ivan Gonta and Maksym Zalizniak; it is the only monument in Ukraine to these two leaders.
Discover more destinations: Verkhnyachka, Khrystynivka, Horodets'ke, Medvedivka, Man'kivka, Mel'nyky, Dumantsi, Rodnykivka.
Return to the regional travel overview: Cherkasy Oblast.
