Gorky Park is the largest public park in Kharkiv, stretching along the ridge above the Lopan River with views across the city. It is a proper Soviet-era urban park — broad alleys, a Ferris wheel, food stalls, a small lake, and the kind of slightly faded grandeur that feels more honest than a manicured European city garden. Kharkiv residents use it intensively: joggers in the morning, families on weekends, couples in the evening.
The park connects to a network of smaller green spaces along the Lopan, and a walk down to the river and along the bank gives a view of Kharkiv's skyline that photographs well. The park's southern edge meets Sumska Street, the city's main pedestrian avenue, making it easy to combine with a walk through the centre.