Usually, the holiday season for Ukrainians begins in May. It is already July, but there is no question of a full-fledged start of the holiday season in Ukraine. This year, because of the war, many people decided to postpone resting and travel after the victory. But where to go for those who have the opportunity and desire to arrange a vacation?

Where is it prohibited to go?

- To the de-occupied territories, due to the threat of mines

- To occupied territories and territories close to the hostilities zone: southern and eastern Ukraine. In particular, you cannot swim on the beaches of the Mykolaiv region and Odesa due to the threat of shelling and coastal mines.

- To large festivals and concerts - due to the martial law, the holding of mass events in Ukraine is prohibited.

-  Walking, hiking, excursions near strategic objects of critical or military infrastructure.

- To forests: due to the danger of fires and to prevent acts of sabotage, visiting forests is prohibited in many regions. Somewhere this ban is complete, and somewhere the restrictions are partial - relevant decisions are made by local military administrations. For example, it is completely forbidden to visit forests in the Kyiv region, in Transcarpathia, such a ban was canceled, in Volyn, it is allowed to visit forests only in some areas, and in the Carpathians, only some tourist routes are prohibited. Therefore, before planning a vacation, you should familiarize yourself with the prohibitions or restrictions in the specific region.

- As for going out into the water and swimming, prohibitions and restrictions in different regions also differ. You should also check them. For example, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, civil shipping is prohibited, swimming is not prohibited, but only two beaches in the region are officially open. In Odesa and the region, the beaches are mined and swimming there is banned, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs is considering the possibility of partial opening. There are no specific dates when this may happen.

You can find out about prohibitions and restrictions on the official resources of the military administrations, the police and the State Emergency Service of your region.

Local tourism

Visits to museums, galleries, master classes, city tours are currently available in many regions of Ukraine where there are no active hostilities. Of course, with certain limitations: some museums have completely or partially evacuated their collections. Parks and green areas within the settlements are also accessible. They also offer one-day tours outside the city: to eco-farms, safe beaches, places of interest, etc. For detailed information, you can contact local travel agencies and centers.

Where to go?

There are currently no completely safe regions in Ukraine - there are threats of missile strikes everywhere. Western Ukraine is considered a relatively safe region due to its remoteness from hostilities. In the western regions, several tourism destinations are available, but also with certain restrictions, due to the wartime.

Gastro-tourism is available in almost all relatively calm regions of Ukraine from Dnipro to Uzhhorod. These are cafes and restaurants in cities, as well as wineries, cheese factories, and farms in the region.

Relatively safe tourist cities this year: Lviv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Uzhgorod, Lutsk. Here you can explore fortresses, manor museums, and architectural monuments. In particular, the famous Lutsk castle.

As for outdoor recreation, the Lviv Regional Administration has prepared a list of popular mountain routes in the region. In general, there are currently many available routes in the Carpathians, including climbing Hoverla, trips to Synevir Lake.

Allowed for visiting are forests and mountains in Transcarpathia. There you can travel to the Shipit waterfall, go to the Borzhava meadow and admire the nature.

In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, the Bukovel resort operates, where they even opened a children's camp. You can visit Nesamovyte lake, Dovbusha rocks, and the only wild animal rehabilitation center in Ukraine, where bears live.

One of the recreation options is also a visit to the caves of Ternopil region, including Mlynky and Optimistichna. Caves can be visited with responsible persons who know the routes and can conduct tours of the objects. Tourists are also offered to visit the Dniester Canyon, the Kremenets Mountains and the "Castles of Ternopil", located in Zbarazh and Vyshnivka.

The season is opened at the Shatsky Lakes in Volyn. Here you can relax on the water bodies and walk along eco-trails.

In general, recreation on the water is represented in all western regions. In Transcarpathia, bathing in vats and thermal waters is traditionally offered, in Bukovyna - cottages with swimming pools.

As for extreme tourism, if there are no prohibitions, tourist centers offer, in particular, rafting on kayaks.

Security

Currently, the State Agency for Tourism Development is still in the process of developing rules for safe tourism during the war. But vacationers should pay attention to the general rules of wartime: observing a curfew, avoiding large crowds of people, and following prohibitions and restrictions established by local authorities. It is better to go to the mountains with a professional instructor, and in the case of an independent hike, you need to register at the local Department of Emergency Services.

"We have always recommended Ukrainians to travel through Ukraine, as it supports our business. Buy Ukrainian products, clothes, and food produced by Ukrainian producers. But here you need to mind the security issues: rocket attacks, minefields. You need to choose safe places for yourself," says head of the agency Maryana Oleskiv.