Bakota. The “Ukrainian Atlantis” on the Dniester: a rock-cut monastery, White Mountain and views over the bay in Podilski Tovtry National Park

The Bakota bay of the Dniester seen from the hillside
The path to the rock monastery in Bakota
A panorama of the Bakota bay with its island
Sunset over the Dniester at Bakota
The cells of the rock monastery in Bakota
The Bakota bay of the Dniester seen from the hillsideThe path to the rock monastery in BakotaA panorama of the Bakota bay with its islandSunset over the Dniester at BakotaThe cells of the rock monastery in Bakota

Bakota is one of the most picturesque places in Podillia: a wide bay of the Dniester among green slopes, White Mountain and a monastery carved into its rock about a thousand years ago. An ancient town once stood here – the center of the Lower Dniester region – and in the 1980s the village was flooded by a reservoir, which is why Bakota is called the “Ukrainian Atlantis”. Today it is a recreation area of Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park, 50 km from Kamianets-Podilskyi.

Why visit

  • One of the most picturesque panoramas in Ukraine: a wide bay of the Dniester, islands and the slopes of White Mountain
  • The 11th-century Bakota Rock Monastery, with cells carved into the cliff above the bay
  • The “Ukrainian Atlantis”: an ancient town of the Lower Dniester flooded by the Novodnistrovsk Reservoir in the 1980s
  • A trail from the viewpoints of White Mountain down the green slopes to the monastery caves
  • Spots for tents, campfires and fishing on the shore – you can stay overnight
  • Part of Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park, 50 kilometers from Kamianets-Podilskyi – a great day trip

Good to know

Admission
Entry to the Ancient Bakota recreation area costs UAH 90 for adults and UAH 45 for children aged 6 to 14. Use of the trails and tourist routes costs UAH 50 for adults and UAH 25 for children.
Guided tours
A two-hour tour with a national park ranger costs UAH 600 for a group of up to 10 people and UAH 750 for a group of 11 to 25 people.
Overnight stays
The area has spots for tents, campfires and recreational fishing. Pitching a tent costs UAH 40 per night.
Best photo spots
The most famous views of the bay open from White Mountain – from up high you can see the island, the bend of the Dniester and the white slopes.
Good to know
Trails and stairs lead down steep slopes to the monastery, so you will need comfortable shoes and plenty of water.
Getting there
Bakota is 50 km from Kamianets-Podilskyi. The easiest way to get there is by car or on a tour.

In the 13th century, Bakota was a large town and the main administrative center of the Lower Dniester region, part of the Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia. Over time the town declined and became a village, and in 1981 the Novodnistrovsk Reservoir began to fill – the water swallowed the houses of Bakota. The reservoir reached its current level in 1987. On White Mountain above the bay stands the Bakota Rock Monastery, the region’s spiritual center since the 11th century. It was first mentioned in writing in 1362 as “long-established”. In 1996 part of the cliff collapsed, destroying most of the caves and a burial vault with 11th–13th-century frescoes, but the cells carved into the rock can still be seen. A trail leads to the monastery: it starts at the viewpoints on White Mountain and descends the green slopes to the caves. From the top opens Bakota’s most famous view – the blue surface of the Dniester, an island in the middle of the bay and the white slopes of the opposite bank. The Ancient Bakota recreation area has spots for tents and campfires, recreational fishing, toilets and trash points, so people come here both for the day and to stay overnight.