Shveytsariya Park (literally "Switzerland" Park) is a forest park with amusement rides, located along the Oka bluff in the Prioksky District of Nizhny Novgorod.

In common usage, "Shveytsariya" refers to the entire expanse of forest growing along the steep slope of the right bank of the Oka, which today begins at the university campus of UNN and Molitovsky Descent. In the official sense, it is a landscaped (though now largely neglected) fenced-off area running from the "Tobolskiye Kazarmy" stop to the tram loop at Myza.

The park's grounds contain underground passages, remnants of the Kazan railway branch (see Kazan Railway Station in Nizhny Novgorod), and a Finno-Ugric hillfort.

The central entrance is located at the public transport stop "Meditsinskaya Street" and takes the form of a large white colonnade in Stalinist pseudo-Empire style. A large number of amusement rides are located at the entrance near the "Surikov Street" stop.

Shveytsariya Park is one of the few places in the city where a whole family can relax and have fun at the same time.

History of the park

Founded in 1903 in a dacha suburb of Nizhny Novgorod by gymnasium students, their parents, and teachers.

In 1958, plantings along the Arzamas Highway (now Gagarin Avenue) were continued by Komsomol student youth. At that time the park was renamed "Leninsky Komsomol Park."

The historic name "Shveytsariya" was restored to the park in 1992.

Plantings

Pine, oak, Manchurian walnut, Amur cork tree, chestnut, red oak, larch, birch, aspen. The trees are up to 150 years old.

Rare plants

The lady's slipper orchid and perennial honesty growing on Sluda are listed in the International Red Data Book.

Culture

  • Mishutka Zoo at the "Meditsinskaya Street" stop. Its residents include deer, lynx, wolves, a camel, tigers, raccoons and others, as well as birds of prey and domestic birds.
  • Amusement rides at the "ul. Meditsinskaya" stop (including a 40-metre Ferris wheel) and the "ul. Surikova" stop (carousel, zorbing, bumper cars).

Features of the park's land

The park's territory lies on a bluff-edge plateau, a riverside terrace, and steep slopes cut by several large ravines — the Bolshoy and Maly Tobolsky, the Kholodny, and the Mezhevoy. Their slopes are partly terraced and wooded; tree and shrub plantings were widely used to stabilise them, and in the Bolshoy and Maly Tobolsky ravines stepped terraces were built to accommodate them.

The park's territory is prone to landslides. Its stability is maintained through a set of anti-landslide measures — retaining walls, drainage adits, storm drains running along the thalwegs of the ravines, catchment structures, and shallow pipe drains.

Despite the complex vertical relief of the park's territory, large areas of the ravine slopes have been left in a practically natural state. The only exception is the right slope of the Kholodny ravine, where terracing has created three berms with paths and catchment channels.

Contacts

  • Phone/fax: (831) 422 25 90
  • Reception: (831) 422 25 90
  • Mishutka Zoo phone: (831) 465-03-89

Interesting facts

  • "Shveytsariya" has colonnade exits at all stops except Batumskaya Street (a gap in the fence).

See also