Shevchenko Park is Poltava's main public green space, running along the high western bluff above the Vorskla River. The views from the bluff edge across the river valley are among the best in the city. A large monument to Taras Shevchenko — Ukraine's national poet — stands in the park. The park is well-shaded and popular with families, and connects to a network of paths leading down toward the river.