Askania-Nova is one of the most important nature reserves in Europe — an 11,000-hectare island of virgin feather-grass steppe that has never been ploughed, the largest such area remaining on the continent. The reserve protects a complete steppe ecosystem that once stretched from Hungary to Mongolia and now survives only in fragments. Over 600 plant species and dozens of bird species have been recorded here, and in spring the wildflower display across the open grassland is extraordinary.
The reserve was founded in 1828 by Friedrich Falz-Fein, a German landowner who set aside part of his estate as a sanctuary for the steppe wildlife being rapidly displaced by agricultural expansion. His descendants expanded it dramatically in the early 20th century, importing exotic animals from around the world. Zebras, bison, antelope, and ostriches still roam the grounds alongside native steppe species, and the reserve's semi-wild herds are part of what makes a visit feel like nowhere else in Ukraine.
Beyond the protected steppe, Askania-Nova includes an arboretum of more than 200 hectares planted in the 19th century — a green oasis painstakingly irrigated on a plain that is otherwise treeless — and a zoological park holding animals from steppe and savanna ecosystems worldwide. Together they form one of the oldest and best-known conservation landscapes in the former Soviet space.
The reserve lies about 180 km northeast of Kherson, out across the flat farmland of the lower Dnipro. In peacetime, day trips were possible by car or organised tour, usually as a long single day or an overnight stay in the nearby village. Askania-Nova sits in a conflict-affected region; its current status and access should be verified carefully before any attempt to visit.