In 2023, I discovered one interesting location 30 km away from the Dnieper River by chance – it is Sokolovo Farm in the village behind Oleksandrivka, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine. As it turned out, here you can not only watch lavender blossom in early summer, but also relax on weekends and buy organic and unusual products.
The lavender field
I initially found out about Sokolovo EcoFarm in early June. There was a lavender blossom festival here, and guests were invited to watch the event. Lavender blooms in the middle of June, so there is not much time to get there. A little later I found out that you can rent huts, relax on the beach and buy a lot of interesting edibles that are produced here. For example, kambucha, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and even watermelons, which are yellow inside.
It wasn’t until the end of August that I got here in person and can tell you what kind of infrastructure Sokolovo Farm has.
What’s interesting at Sokolovo Farm
When we pull into the farm, we are greeted by a medium sized, modern style building, a plaque of who founded the farm and a front entrance with interesting sculptures, brochures and a cafe where you can buy groceries or just sit on an unusual designer bench.
Next we have to walk down to the lake at the site of the flowing Tatarka River. We follow a paved path past a disco pavilion, a volleyball field, a playground, a large gazebo for yoga and bells and ribbons, we come to a simple summer cafe and gazebos for relaxation, as well as a sector where cottages for farm guests stand. For vacationers, the beach has sunbeds, umbrellas and a large inflatable pier for paddling into the water.
In the summer cafe you can buy pies or ice cream, order specialty soft drinks. I’m not sure if there is a hot kitchen here (but I could be wrong). The place is spacious and there are seats “in nature” – on sofas made of pallets with tables made of large stumps.
There are gazebos near the beach where you can hide from the heat, sit on benches inside or grill meat.
Here they bathe in a dug pond along the course of the Tatarka River. I suspect that the lake was excavated specially along the riverbed for this purpose.
Next are the cottages where people live. There are not many cottages – just four single ones and one big long one (I never understood its purpose).
There are several playgrounds on the grounds. Starting with a large trampoline for children, a sports court with basketball (it is also used as a dance floor) and ending with a large yoga gazebo with nice bells and colored ribbons.
We made the assumption that it was the yoga gazebo, as there were a lot of trampolines and it is located at an altitude – I think to watch sunrises and sunsets.
And next to the gazebo, a lavender field begins. This is one of the highlights of Sokolovo EcoFarm. When lavender blooms, big festivals are organized here and many tourists come to see this beauty. In addition, lavender is used to make jam and many other interesting things:)
And, of course, it does not do without photos for girls on Instagram.
Greenhouses and zoo of Sokolovo eco-farm
Behind the yoga gazebo and the lavender field are the greenhouses. This is where vegetables are grown, machinery is parked, and outbuildings are located. It is not interesting for tourists, except to walk around the territory.
Another highlight of the organic farm is the zoo. In fact, I thought it was bigger. The zoo has video of unusual black roosters, goats, and two llamas. It was hot, and so the animals were sitting in pens and not very active. I am sure that goats, chickens, and even llamas are also beneficial for producing organic, tasty, and healthy products.
How to get to the organic farm
Sokolovo Farm is located in the village of the same name in the Dnipropetrovsk region. It is 26 km to the Dnipro city if you drive from the direction of Oleksandrivka. However, despite such close proximity to the regional center, there are no buses. Therefore, you can get here only by car. It is also possible to take a transfer from a travel agency that organizes weekend tours.
On the map, the farm can be found by marking Sokolovo EcoFarm or SokolovoFoodForest.