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Pictures of the Dnister River Valley: a Rafting Trip

The Dnister River is a scenic and largely unspoiled river that flows from the Ukrainian-Polish border to the Black Sea, passing in the vicinity of Ivano-Frankivsk, Kamyanets-Podilskyy, Mohilevsk-Podilskyy, and Odessa. Some stretches of the river are very beautiful, with cliffs and forests lining the riverbank. As such, it is a favorite for rafters (motorboats are prohibited because the river is in an environmental protection zone).

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Tasty picnic lunch before our departure from a spot near the town of Horodenka.	We have inflated the raft and are ready to go.	The water is calm, and soon we see the remains of a fortress ahead.	This was part of a line of fortifications to defend against Turkish invadors.
Built by Polish rulers in the 18th century, the fortifications were largely destroyed during the Soviet era (the stones were used for construction).	Nearby is a stone hut, built and abandoned later. Quite interesting stonemasonry.	Along the Dnister the Nazis and Soviets also battled. Most of the woods were cut for construction purposes but have since recovered.	Local villagers come down to the river to wash clothing.
The white fluff or frothy substance on the water surface is not pollution but comes from microorganisms and shows that the river is self-cleaning.	The Dnister River is a protected zone, with no industrial production nearby for hundreds of miles. However, cattle are everywhere.	Here we stop on an island to set up camp. Time for some evening pictures.	Many of the villages along the Dnister are nearly cut off from civilization, with long washed-out gravel roads connecting them to larger settlements.
During spring floods the water level often rises another meter or two, making rafting a bit more exciting.	Evening view down the river	These islands are in a constant process of evolution and can appear or disappear over just a few years.	Our guide Serhiy gets dinner ready after the tents are set up.
We enjoy a very nice sunset from our island camp.	The next day we make a stop to hike up this hill with a great view of a bend in the river.	Our raft is just a speck on the water on the middle right.	View downstream
Across the river is a rare flat spot were people cultivate grain.	Flowers	Red cliffs line the river bank.	Some 'rapids.' The current was never more than about 8 km/hr.
This gas line brings Russian natural gas to Austria and the Czech Republic.	As we finish our lunch it begins to shower.	On another short walk we visit this small waterfall which has cut through the riverside cliffs.	Heading back to civilization in Serhiy's UAZ (Ulyanovskiy Avtomobilnyy Zavod), a sturdy all-purpose Soviet truck with a motor that is accessible from the inside (very practical for Siberian winters!).

All photos are the original work of Rick DeLong. To learn about purchasing originals, go here. Please contact me at before using my pictures for any purpose.