Dniester Canyon – the

Dniester River The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and t ...

canyon A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to cu ...

, located at the territory of Dniester River Valley in

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...

. On February 3, 2010, the Regional landscape park "Dniester Canyon" was promoted to the status of the National Nature Park.

Overview

The Dniester River is the second largest and the most ecologically clean river in Ukraine . The canyon is partly flooded by reservoir waters. At its deepest it reaches around 50 meters. Dniester Canyon is a river segment from the mouth of Zolota Lypa River to the mouth of

Zbruch The Zbruch ( uk, Збруч, pl, Zbrucz) is a river in Western Ukraine, a left tributary of the Dniester.Збруч< ...

. Here the Dniester flows in a canyon valley with a depth of . The steep canyon slopes are of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

and it was chosen as one of the seven natural wonders of Ukraine. Within the canyon there are more than ten karst caves and grottoes. Small waterfalls of so-called "maiden's tears", run along copse thick

bryophyte The Bryophyta s.l. are a proposed taxonomic division containing three groups of non-vascular land plants (embryophytes): the liverworts, hornworts and mosses. Bryophyta s.s. consists of the mosses only. They are characteristically limited in s ...

rocks.

Landscape

The most valuable and picturesque part of the whole Dniester is the 250 km-stretch from the mouth of the river

Zolota Lypa Zolota Lypa ( uk, Золота Липа, pl, Złota Lipa) is a river in Western Ukraine. It flows through the Ternopil and Chortkiv Raions, forming the Berezhany Lake north of the city of Berezhany. It is a left tributary of Dniester, belonging ...

to the mouth of the river

Zbruch The Zbruch ( uk, Збруч, pl, Zbrucz) is a river in Western Ukraine, a left tributary of the Dniester.Збруч< ...

, which is called the ''Dnister Canyon''. The nature of the Dniester Canyon is specific and original. These are first of all picturesque landscapes and their versatility which impart contribute to the originality of these routes. The steep rocky or wooden banks with the heights to , unique travertine rocks and geological exfoliation, caves and grottoes with signs of human settlement upon them, waterfalls, picturesque islands, monuments of nature, history, architecture, ethnography – all these can be seen miles and miles. And all this is a wild and virginal nature which gives a perfect possibility to plunge into the world of silence and calmness.

Canyon segments

Dniester Canyon is a segment of Dniester River from the mouth of ''Zolota Lypa'' to the mouth of ''Zbruch''. * Dniestrovo-Beremyanskyi Canyon (situated between villages Hubyn – Beremiany – Khmeleva) is another canyon within. Its depth reaches , width – from , length – .

Protection

The '' Dniester Canyon National Nature Park'' was established along the Dniester River course by Presidential Decree 2010 and Decree of the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources on December 12, 2011.Хронологія подій

Tourism

The Dniester Canyon attracts thousands of water tourists each year. Alloy on the Dniester river is one of the most interesting trips in Ukraine. Picturesque landscapes include steep rocky or forest banks of 200 m high, unique travertine rocks and geological removed layers, caves and grottoes, waterfalls, islands, monuments of nature, history, architecture, and ethnography.

Skydiving

The villages of Isakiv and Odaiv that are located at the canyon attract skydivers not only from Ukraine, but also from

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

, and many other countries. Twice a year All-Ukrainian and International

skydiving Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the Atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachut ...

competition takes place here.

References

External links

Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine: Dniester Canyon

The Dnister Canyon (with photos)National Nature Park Dnister CanyonДністровський каньйон

Presidential Decree on creation of Dniester Canyon National Park
{{coord missing, Ukraine Canyons and gorges of Ukraine Geography of Ternopil Oblast Parks in Ukraine Protected areas of Ukraine Tourist attractions in Ternopil Oblast Natural heritage sites in Ternopil Oblast Dniester