Travel Route · Ostroh Region · Rivne Oblast
In the Footsteps of the
Princes
Ostrozky
Thirteen stops across five centuries - from the castle towers of Ostroh to the forest lines of the UPA
What the route includes
In the Footsteps of the Ostrozky Princes
Architectural Heritage
Castles, monasteries and churches - monuments of national significance that survived several eras.
Natural Sites
A living corridor between Volhynia and Podolia - the Ostroh valley, ridges and forests.
UPA Memory
Hamlet Podovbanka, Illiashivka, Batkivtsi, Hurby - sites of the liberation struggle of the 1940s.
Historical Notes
Each of the 13 stops is a separate chapter with facts, archival and modern photographs.
An Invitation to the Road
Imagine, for a second, a road that tells stories. They break off, they tangle, and then they come together anyway into one great narrative. You do not know for certain what waits beyond the next hill – the ruins of a castle, a village church, or a forest clearing where the fate of a country was once decided. You walk to learn the history of the land you were born on. Or the land you came to, as a guest, a chance observer, or a member of a travelling camp.
And so you set out. You touch walls that have stood here longer than we can grasp. You drink from a spring that soldiers drank from, believing they would never break out of the encirclement. You light a candle in a church where people prayed dozens of times for their own to win, in every next cruel war. You walk the natural corridors that merchants took for centuries.
And suddenly you realise how wide your land is. How extraordinary your people are. And you see yourself in their reflection. And you see them in yourself.
And you walk on. Because life, right now, is the road between the first point and the thirteenth. And this small life will make you feel a little pain, a little happiness, a little vertigo at the beauty, a little love for your own, a little faith in returning. To here, and to yourself.
There are no accidental places here.
No accidental people.
No accidental events.
The land speaks to you: through the stone of defensive walls, the silence of the forest, a name on a memorial.
All that remains is to set out – and listen to what it tells you
Choose a Location
Click on a point in the list to go to the detailed page.
Route Points
Practical information
A short brief on what is worth knowing before you set out.
May to September. The best time is the second half of September, when the heat drops and the woods turn gold. In spring and autumn bring a windbreaker - the open sections of the route are windy.
Comfortable shoes, 1.5–2 litres of water, a snack, a hat and sunscreen, a power bank for the phone you navigate with, a small first-aid kit and tick repellent - the route is long (~50 km) and mostly away from settlements.
About 50 km: two to three days. Allow 20–40 minutes per point, and longer for Castle Hill and Mezhyrich. Note that walkers usually spend the first day getting to Batkivtsi and camp there for the night. You can also stay overnight at an eco-homestead in Illiashivka.
Coverage is solid in Ostroh itself but drops out here and there on the forest and field sections. Download the map for offline use in advance and carry a power bank - navigation drains a battery fast.
Install an air-raid alert app and do not ignore the siren: in town head for a shelter, in a village for the nearest solid building or basement. Do not photograph military sites, checkpoints or strike damage. Flying drones is prohibited under martial law.
At the monastery and churches: modest clothing with shoulders and knees covered, quiet, and photographs only with permission and never with flash during a service. Hurby and the Cossack and military graves are places of remembrance - no picnics, no loud music.
A good part of the route follows dirt and field roads. They are easy walking in dry weather and harder going after rain. Wear comfortable shoes and check the forecast the day before.
Cafés, shops and pharmacies are in Ostroh; between the points there are mostly village shops. Fill up your water before setting off. You can stay overnight in Rivne, Ostroh or Illiashivka. There are no hotels along the route, so we recommend bringing a tent. You can also top up your water at springs: in Bushcha and at the Rynva spring point.
112 is the single emergency number; 101 fire, 102 police, 103 ambulance. The nearest hospital and pharmacies are in Ostroh. If you set out alone, tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.
Take your rubbish with you. Light fires only in places set aside for them (never in the forest!). If you are walking the route with a dog, put it on a lead near pasture. Pick nothing in the protected groves.
Practical information
Getting to Ostroh
Ostroh is a district centre in the Rivne region. Below are the main ways to get here from the larger cities. Follow a link to check current departures.
The route starts at Castle Hill, Ostroh
The route sets out from the castle of the Ostrozky princes - the state historical and cultural reserve in the centre of Ostroh.
Open in Google Maps →Frequently asked
Camp participants usually walk from Ostroh to Batkivtsi in one day and camp there. If you set out a little earlier, you can carry on to the next point, Illiashivka, and spend the night at the eco-homestead there. All in all, the route takes two to three days.
The points within Ostroh itself (castle, monastery) are family-friendly. The more remote forest and memorial points are harder and further - judge younger walkers' stamina.
Strong within Ostroh itself, occasionally weak in the more remote forest and village sections. Download the map offline in advance.
By bike, yes. By car it is harder. In theory it can be done, but you would have to leave the official route, and some points would be out of reach, because the only way to them is a narrow path through the forest.
Yes, it does not have to be done in one piece. With half a day, take the points in Ostroh itself plus Mezhyrich - the stretch densest in history. If you are drawn to landscape and places of memory, head instead toward Hurby, Bushcha and the groves around them.
The points along the route are open air and free to visit. The museum in Ostroh Castle and the monastery exhibitions keep their own hours and charge admission - check before you go, especially on Mondays and holidays.
No. The route is built to be walked on your own: every point carries a historical note, coordinates, photographs and, where it has been filmed, a 360° panorama. That said, a guided tour at the castle or the monastery will add detail no text can.
Install an air-raid alert app and do not ignore the siren. Do not photograph military sites or checkpoints, and do not fly a drone - that is prohibited under martial law. The rest of the practical advice is gathered in the "Practical information" section.
You can stay in a hotel in Ostroh, pitch a tent in the open at the nature points, or spend the night at the eco-homestead in Illiashivka. There are no hotels at the other points on the route.
On a point's page press "Open the 360° view", then drag the image with a mouse or a finger. Where several vantage points were filmed, switch between them with the buttons under the panorama. They are heavy files, so give them a moment to load on mobile data.
Created and delivered with the support of
Український культурний фонд
МХП — Громаді
ГО Центр громадських перетворень
Стежками князів Острозьких