Western Ukraine's lakeside city — a gateway to the Carpathians and the extraordinary Svirzh and Olesko castles
Ternopil is a mid-sized city in western Ukraine, sitting on a picturesque artificial lake created in the 16th century by a dam on the Seret River. Less visited than Lviv but with its own distinct architectural charm, it serves as a gateway to the spectacular castle circuit of western Podolia and is close to the Buchach, Zbarazh, and Olesko fortresses that dot the rolling Ukrainian landscape. The old town retains a pleasant mix of Polish Renaissance, Austrian, and Soviet-era architecture.
Ternopil was founded in 1540 by the Polish magnate Jan Tarnowski as a fortified city on the Seret River. The artificial lake was created as part of the city's defences. The city was part of Poland-Lithuania, then the Austrian Empire (Galicia), then briefly Ukrainian People's Republic, then Soviet Ukraine. It was severely damaged in World War II — the population was almost entirely replaced after the war — and was rebuilt in the Soviet style. Ternopil Oblast is one of the most nationally conscious regions of Ukraine, with strong Greek Catholic tradition and historical ties to the Ukrainian nat…