Unused Railway Track in Ukraine Forms Tunnel of Love

[John Ashworth]

Unused Railway Track in Ukraine Forms Tunnel of Love

By Sanskrity Sinha | May 15, 2012 02:13 PM EDT
International Business Times

An unused railway track in the small Ukrainian town of Kleven (which lies some 350km from Kiev) has naturally transformed itself into a romantic paradise for couples.

The track, which is known locally as The Tunnel of Love, is becoming an increasingly common spot for couples, particularly during spring, when a huge canopy of trees along the track grows over either side to form an arch. This arch stretches for up to three kilometers and looks like a green tunnel of trees and couples wishful of a few moments of romantic solitude are often seen strolling around.

However, the railway track is not completely out of use. According to a Daily Mail report, the tunnel is actually a part of a private railway serving a fibreboard factory in eastern Ukraine near Kleven. The train carrying logs chugs along the tunnel, or rather through it, thrice a day. That occasional activity is what, perhaps, prevents the trees from growing in the middle of the track, allowing the tunnel to remain as it has through the year.

The tunnel of trees is so dense it is difficult to see outside from within the structure and the natural light that penetrates the canopy from above makes the space soothingly dark.

However, there is not much attention given to the tunnel as a tourist attraction despite the obvious potential and the fact it is a naturally occurring space. So far, only locals really know of the place but a number of photographs surfacing in recent months suggest the tunnel could soon become a location synonymous with the idea of love, much as the Taj Mahal in India and the cities of Paris and Venice in France and Italy.

Check out these photographs of the Tunnel of Love and the next time you holiday in Ukraine and find yourself visiting the remains of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, do make a short detour to the small city of Kleven and pass through The Tunnel of Love...