Have you had a free weekend and are you planning to spend it in an ecologically clean region of Ukraine, in the Ukrainian Carpathians? Do you want to get acquainted with the traditions and life of the local people, breathe in the heady mountain air and just have a great rest? And you are going on a trip by car? Then this article is for you.
The Ukrainian Carpathians joyfully welcome their tourists at any time of the year. Arriving in the Carpathians, you will be captivated by the beauty of the local landscapes, as if you were in a fairy tale - high mountains, fast mountain rivers, "smerekovye" forests and beautiful waterfalls... Once, having come to this land, you will love it forever and will come back here again and again.
So, you have arrived in the Carpathians. It is best to stay in Yaremche, there is a large selection of accommodation for affordable prices, and in the evening there is where to take a walk, in contrast to other settlements. After all, Yaremche is a city tourist centre Ivano-Frankivsk region. Having rented an accommodation in Yaremche, relax as you should, ahead of you there are three days of a rich excursion program!
Day 1. The route called " Golden ring Hutsulshchiny "Yaremche - Kolomyia - Kosov - Sheshory - Pistyn - Krivorivnya - Verkhovyna - Vorokhta.
This excursion route will acquaint you with the life, traditions and rituals of such ethnographic groups as "Hutsuls", will give you the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the high mountainous regions of the Carpathians and even plunge into childhood, visiting St. Nicholas.
The first stop is Kolomyia. An ancient small town in the Austro-Hungarian style, the first mention of it appears in 1241. There are two very interesting museums that should be posted to every tourist who comes here. The Pysanka Museum is built in the shape of an egg and contains a collection of 10 thousand exhibits of painted Easter eggs from different parts of Ukraine.
"Museum of Folk Art of Hutsul and Pokutya" - it contains a collection of exhibits telling about the life of the inhabitants of the Carpathian region - household items, clothing, jewelry, weapons, the folk art of the inhabitants of the Hutsul region is widely represented - weaving, forging, wood carving. Another place that you need to visit while in Kolomyia is the Іmpreza tsukernyu. It is located not far from the Pysanka Museum, along Teatralnaya Street, 40. You have never seen so many baked goods, all kinds of cakes, strudel and pies. And the taste of these sweets is impossible to convey!
We call in Sheshory. This is a picturesque village along the Pistynka mountain river, but Sheshory is not famous for this. The main attraction is the Silvery Falls. Nice, cascading ones to swim in (so don't forget to bring your swimsuit if you come here in summer).
Further on our way appears a small village called Pistyn. In the center of this village there is a real estate of St. Nicholas, the Ukrainian grandfather Frost, whom children love so much. A neat Carpathian house, which houses the study of St. Nicholas, his post office (all letters received from children are stored here), a bedroom, a museum room and much more interesting things. Various fairy-tale heroes made of wood by folk craftsmen. Be sure to visit Nikolaychik and you will have great pleasure! Even adults here rejoice like children and involuntarily begin to believe in a miracle.
The next small stop is in Kryvorivna. There is a memorial museum of Ivan Franko.
Verkhovyna is a beautiful alpine village in the Carpathians. The main attraction of Verkhovyna is the museum in memory of Roman Kumlyk. This museum was opened in 2000 in the Kumlykov family house. The owner of the house, Roman Kumlyk, has been collecting household items, ancient Hutsul clothes for more than thirty years, but his pride was a collection of musical instruments. For everyone musical instruments he knew how to play. After his death, his daughter Natalya continues his work, who during the excursion talks about the life of the Hutsuls, about rituals, sings songs and plays different instruments. Be sure to visit!
And the very last stop is Vorokhta, which is considered the center of alpine skiing. There are four ski jumps with artificial turf, where you can train all year round. It is here that the teams for alpine skiing, ski jumping and biotlon. Stop, take a couple of photos and relax - there are 2 more busy days ahead!
Day 2. Route: Guk waterfall - Bukovel
Not far from Yaremche, along the Rakhiv - Ivano-Frankivsk highway, between the villages of Mikulichin and Tatariv there is a valley of the Zhenets River, there is one of the most high waterfalls Carpathians - Zhenetskiy Guk. The height of the water drop is 15 meters. It's very spectacular!
Further transfer to the village of Palyanitsa, where ski resort Bukovel. There is plenty to do there at any time of the year. Climb the chairlift to the top of Mount Bukovel, enjoy the panoramic view of the Carpathian Mountains, take a look at the "Kolyba", try the local cuisine, take a walk around the resort. If you come here during the hot season, you can soak up the sun and swim in one of the Bukovel lakes.
Day 3. Route Yaremche - Manyava
The last day of my stay in the Carpathians, I advise you to explore Yaremche. Walk around the souvenir market, buy souvenirs to remember this wonderful land. Take a photo near the breakdown waterfall. If you are full of strength to walk further, walk along the Dovbush trail, created in memory of the legendary rebel leader Oleks Dovbush.
Moving to Manyava. There is one spiritual place that you can visit - Manyavsky Skete. This is an ancient men's monastery, which is also called "Carpathian Athos". On the territory of the monastery there is a complex of wooden and stone architectural structures... A path leads from the monastery to the mountain - this is the exit to the "Blessed Stone", which is a place of prayer and cleans up various negativity and impurity. A spring gushes out from under the stone, the water in this spring is considered sacred. Walked, gained strength and on the road! Time to go home!
This is the route of a three-day trip to the Carpathians. We hope it helps you get to know this beautiful land.
And now the main attraction of Mukachevo is Palanok Castle.
The castle is located on a hill 80 meters high. The origin of the hill, as the guide told us, has two versions. According to one - it is bulk, on the other - of volcanic origin.
The road to the castle:
There is a bridge over the dry moat:
On the right is our guide:
According to legends, once the castle was like this:
The thickness of the walls is impressive:
An analogue of a modern intercom between floors - you need to shout into this hole and they will hear you on the next floor:
In the courtyard:
The oldest well:
Let me remind you that the castle is located on a hill, which is 80 meters high. So it was so difficult to get to the water. But nevertheless, they dug a well of the required depth, and water appeared in the castle.
On the observation deck:
Mukachevo at a glance:
Inspection of Mukachevo is over and you can go further to Uzhgorod.
Uzhgorod is the capital of the Transcarpathian region. Uzhgorod is a city located on the Uzh River. Here is the river itself:
In the place where we left the car, some kind of rally was taking place (in the background):
Several shots of the city center:
Monument to the Lamplighter:
The castle (eh, I had to look for a guide, they themselves saw almost nothing, but from what they saw, they understood little):
Moat around the castle:
Courtyard:
From the fortress wall:
At this point, the story about a visit to Uzhgorod could have been completed, if not for one institution. Having been in Uzhgorod, one cannot but go to have lunch at the "Detsa at the Notary's" tavern. A cult place. Literally translated means - 100 grams at a notary. The place where the Transcarpathian humor is collected and embodied.
Before having lunch, you need to go around and inspect the entire territory.
Guess for yourself who or what we are talking about))):
The fresh topic of Euro 2012 is also not left aside:
Along the path to the WC:
Outstanding Beans:
Before leaving))) :
For all the merriment, the food in the inn is serious and tasty. National dishes of Transcarpathian cuisine.
In the tavern we laughed and had lunch, then we left Uzhgorod and headed for Lvov (the M06 - Chop - Uzhgorod - Lvov road). We drove past Mukachevo, after which we stopped at Chinadievo - there are two more castles here.
The first castle looks more like a big house:
And the second castle is real palace... Former hunting lodge of the Earls of Schönborn (such a large hunting lodge seemed to them in the order of things). Now there is a sanatorium:
And they went out to inspect the surroundings from the height of the pass:
Somewhere not far from Skole, near the village of Nizhnee Sinevidnoe, we liked a motel for spending the night:
Decent, clean, tidy, inexpensive and almost empty. The motel immediately endeared him. Polite and pleasant staff, good numbers... The motel is called "Viking Carpathians". There is a gas station next to the motel, as well as the Dikanka cafe, where delicious dumplings with a variety of fillings are prepared. We had dinner and breakfast at Dikanka.
And on the other side of the motel, there is a playground on which we immediately played football:
It got dark, and we go to the room to sleep. And when we wake up, we see this view from the window:
This motel, by the way, turned out to be the most comfortable in our entire trip of all the hotels we met. And the Wi-Fi was free in the rooms, and the Internet worked. And I slept very well. 320 hryvnia for a 3-bed suite for our family (we were given an extra bed, so all four of us fit).
We will have breakfast and leave for Lviv, about 100 km to it.
And finally, a few shots from the streets of Lviv:
The city is very beautiful:
Any journey ends someday. Goodbye, Lviv, goodbye, Transcarpathia, see you, Ukraine, and it's time for us to return home.
Practical information
Road conditions and traffic in Western Ukraine
As of the summer of 2012, the H09 road, along which we drove from Yaremche through Rakhiv, Khust to Mukachevo, was of quite decent quality. Not wide, but there are a minimum of holes and potholes, the quality of the coating is quite normal. The asphalt was practically everywhere without cracks, no potholes were observed. The M19 / E85 road on the Ratno - Kovel - Lutsk - Dubno section is much worse, at night it is better not to go there at all - there are many pits, potholes, and in some places a real track has formed from trucks in the asphalt - you can even damage the bottom. Drive normally during the day, you can see everything, you can go around all the obstacles if you are not in a hurry. The same M19 / E85 road on the Dubno - Kremenets - Ternopil section is a little better, but only slightly.
After the roads described above, the quality of the M06 / (E40, E50) road on the Rovno - Dubno - Lvov - Uzhgorod section is beyond praise. It is no wonder - this is the best track in Ukraine. There is a dividing strip and two lanes in each direction, the asphalt is not bad. Speed limit - where 90, and where 130. Locals rush faster than these restrictions :).
There are traffic policemen, they usually sit at a table with a laptop in a tent on the side of the road. Somewhere installed radars with video recording (then on the laptop screen you will be shown a video where you are in the lead role :)), and somewhere ordinary old radars. I do not recommend violating, the fines are large - from 400 hryvnia ($ 50) and more. Traffic policemen work mainly for their own pocket, immediately halving the fine for the client. Bargaining is possible and necessary!
The most frequent and "expensive" violations are speeding and crossing a double line (where it is, of course). As long as you have not violated anything, no one will "just" stop you, even in spite of your "foreign" numbers, do not worry. Our crew was stopped the only time for going into the oncoming lane on a very "tricky" circle for Mukachevo, how to go from Mukachevo towards Uzhgorod. There, three roads join in a circle, more precisely, the P54 road adjoins the M06 road through a circle. We left Mukachevo along P54 and had to turn in a circle onto M06 towards Uzhgorod, but it turned out that this circle is not completely one-way, and one of its sectors has two-way traffic (where M06 is)! And so I drove along a smaller radius, and this was the oncoming one! Well, it didn't come to an accident, and I sensed something was wrong, moved to a larger radius, already inevitably breaking the markings and double solid lines. The traffic policeman saw these maneuvers, stopped, took me to the booth, showed the video, asked if I recognized my car ... from 850 hryvnia). Harsh, but there will be a lesson. And the circle there is really very tricky and whoever passes it for the first time, almost everything automatically falls into this trap.
Local drivers are mostly adequate, of course there are reckless drivers and boors, but there are not many of them.
Generally, road traffic does not carry difficulties in itself.
Where to spend the night in Transcarpathia (Mukachevo and Uzhgorod)?
In Mukachevo, we spent one night at the Weekend hotel - 400 hryvnia for a four-bed room. The decor in the room where we spent the night is quite on the level, there is a satellite TV, refrigerator, air conditioning, a nice full bathroom. Breakfast is not included, the rooms have free Wi-Fi, through which it was really impossible to get online. There is a bar and a restaurant with food and drinks delivery to the rooms. Ordered mojitos to room two - cocktails were made well and delivered quickly. All in all, nothing like this hotel.
The hotel "Palanok" is also recommended (next to the castle of the same name, very convenient for exploring it). A cozy double room will cost 290 hryvnia. There is a TV, refrigerator and air conditioning.
And one more hotel. "Mom's Cloister" is a private boarding house of the European type Bad & Breakfast, located on General Petrov Street. Quite a cozy hotel.
We recommend a hotel in Uzhgorod " Golden mountain". In fact, this is a villa, located 2 km from Uzhgorod. Address: Uzhgorod district, village Barvinok. And another good hotel -" Duet Plus "Double room from 400 to 500 hryvnia. Air conditioning, satellite TV, wi-fi. Located on the street Koshytska, 6.
Where to eat in Uzhgorod?
If you want to laugh, taste the Transcarpathian humor, while having a good meal - visit the tavern
Where to eat in Lviv?
You can sit, drink beer in a pleasant and interesting place, and eat, at the same time, inexpensively in the Kryevka cafe. It is located on the Market Square. A very unusual and creative cafe, you even need to know the password :). No password - "Gasova Lyampa" cafe (20, Armyanskaya st.)
To sit and drink coffee and a lot of other things instead of coffee and coffee - "Golden Ducat" coffee shop. I. Fedorova street, 20. Or go to Tsukernya (Staroevreyskaya street, 3)
Tasty, satisfying and expensive to eat with beautiful view to the city - the restaurant of the Garmat hotel "Citadel", st. Grabovskogo, 11. Or the restaurant of the Opera hotel at 45 Svobody ave.
P.S. Go to Transcarpathia!
Good luck!
If you are going to go to the Ukrainian Carpathians by car from Moscow, then, in my opinion, the best route is as follows: Moscow - Kiev - Lvov - Stryi - Karpaty (destination).
I will not tell you how best to travel from Moscow to the border with Ukraine, since I myself have not traveled personally. According to Yandex maps, the Kievskoe highway from Moscow turns into the M-3 highway and leads directly to the border with Ukraine.
But on the other hand, I can say for sure that on the territory of Ukraine the section of the Glukhov-Kopti highway as of the summer of 2011 has a very good quality of coverage. Although this section has only 2 lanes (one - there and one - back), driving along it is easy and pleasant, since there are not many cars and settlements along the way. This route is designated as M-02 and E-101.
On the way, you can stop in Baturyn, the patrimony of that very Ivan Mazepa, inspect the reconstructed citadel of those times and the rebuilt castle of his later heir, the last hetman of Ukraine - Kirill Razumovsky.
And in general, if you are traveling slowly, then pay attention to the road signs to the sights along the E-101.
Having passed "all the way" along the E-101 highway, in the area with. Kopti we find ourselves on the famous E-95 highway, but not for long, since it is only 70-75 kilometers from here to Kiev. This track is wide, 4 lanes, and, shall we say, normal. It leads directly to Kiev. Unless I advise Brovary to go around the district, if you do not need to go to some supermarket or Aquapark or spend the night in a hotel is not as expensive as in Kiev.
Fans of fast driving in Kiev will have to strain a little. “Traffic jams in Kiev are already almost like in Moscow” - with some, I would say, pride some Kievites declare.
I won't write much about Kiev, we're going to the Carpathians, right? We choose the easiest way to explain and repeat. In short, you need to drive through Kiev like this (if you go on weekdays): drive straight along the E-95, cross the bridge over the Dnieper River and turn right. We drive along the embankment to McDonald's (it will be on the left) and turn left immediately behind it. And almost immediately - again to the left, we go up the hill. This cobbled road leads us to the square, from which Khreshchatyk begins. Only from the square do not go up again, but choose the direction to a wide, flat street, to the right. On Khreshchatyk we reach the right turn, onto Pobedy Avenue. Landmark: on the left - the Besarabian market, on the right in the alley in the middle of Pobdey Avenue - a monument to Lenin. We turn right and now all the time we go straight to Lviv.
On weekends, Khreshchatyk is partially blocked for vehicles. But that's not a big problem. Before the closed section, we turn to the right, the road leads up. At the top, we turn left and go to the same Victory Avenue. Only we will not get to it at the very beginning, as described, but a little higher.
The most big cities on the way to the Carpathians - Zhitomir, Rivne and Lviv. I go around them all on the circuit roads. Zhitomir - to the right, Exactly and Lviv - to the left.
The section of the road from Kiev to Chop itself on the western border of Ukraine was recently repaired, and it is generally good to drive along it. But it still takes several hours, from 5 to 7 hours, on the road from Kiev to Lviv.
In Stryi you need to decide exactly where in the Carpathians you need to go next. For example, to the rocks of Dovbush in Bolekhiv - to the left. And in Slavske or Svalyava in the Carpathians themselves - right along the E-50 highway.
Of course, this option of travel from Moscow to the Carpathians is far from the only one. And it depends on the destination. I advised this particular road solely because the E-50 highway is freshly repaired. The path is not close, theoretically it is possible to “cut off”, even, somewhere, maybe 100 kilometers, on the roads it is worse, but I do not advise not to get too tired.
Bon Voyage!
This is the direction of movement without exact reference to settlements, hotels and attractions. We are going on a short trip through the Carpathians by car to find interesting places for future travel.
Our dream is to thoroughly explore the Ukrainian Carpathians. The proposed route makes it possible to see the Carpathian sights as much as possible in one week and understand what is interesting to us and what is not. For a road trip, the main thing is quality roads, and there won't be any, so we don't know what awaits us, but we are not afraid of difficulties.
A tourist route in the Carpathians by car - while in dreams!
First time in the Carpathians - where to go, what to see?
We will start our trip to the Carpathians by car in Lviv, and it will end there. This wonderful city has been chosen as a starting point for the convenience of all of you, so that you can realistically assess your capabilities. So, a trip through the Ukrainian Carpathians will be approximately 840 km + round trip from your home to Lviv. It must be understood that in reality completely different numbers may turn out.
The acquaintance with the Ukrainian Carpathians can, of course, be very short. Any car can drive 840 km per day, but we don't have a rally. We will not enjoy nature through the windshield, we will make as many stops as possible for hiking in the cities and villages of Transcarpathia and the Carpathian region.
Most likely, we will not go to the mountains, since we have neither equipment nor special footwear for this. But this is temporary! We will definitely return to conquer the famous Carpathian peaks.
Approximate route of auto tour in the Carpathians
Lviv - Mukachevo - Khust - Mizhgirya - Kolochava - Rakhov - Bukovel - Yaremche - Sheshory - Kolomyia - Ivano-Frankivsk - Lviv: such a car rest can be safely called "Gallop in the Carpathians". That's right, there is a goal - to see as much as possible in the shortest possible time. Many tourists do this, but we do not want to see the Carpathian natural attractions for show.
This is a test drive, what will happen in reality?
We need our first time in the Carpathians by car to make the next Carpathian autotrips really rich and interesting. It seems to us that after visiting the first or second castle, we will not want to go to any museum, but who knows! We are sure that you can only feel the real Carpathian spirit alone with nature, high in the mountains, but are we and our car ready for extreme roads? Surely, that you have similar or similar thoughts?
How will our first time in the Carpathians turn out? You need to take risks, how could it be otherwise, if travel is in the blood. You can take our auto rest in the Carpathians as a basis, or you yourself can think of which part of Western Ukraine is better to go to.
About the route in the Carpathians by car:
- From Lviv to Mukachevo - 227 km. You can immediately go there, as an option on the way to get to know Skole, Svalyava, Chinadievo well. Our dream is to take a walk in the old Mukachevo, taste the local cuisine and find a good but budget accommodation.
- From Mukachevo you can go towards Beregovo, Vinogradov, Khust, but if you have a lot of time, it will be interesting to see first the smallest regional center of Ukraine - Uzhgorod, and only then go towards the mountains. Mukachevo-Uzhgorod - 40 km, Mukachevo-Khust - 64 km.
- Further, about 350 km of healing mountain air and ringing silence. The picturesque corners of Transcarpathia, where high mountains alternate with deep cliffs, turbulent rivers, streams and waterfalls, are beautiful if you can drive along difficult roads without rain.
- We hope to spend the night in Mizhgirya, so that in the morning, having a good rest, go to the famous Synevyr and Kolochava lakes with unique museums. For us, these are the main stages of the journey, then there will be an impromptu.
- Visiting Bukovel - great idea both for a summer car tour, and for winter adventures, but for many motorists to drive to it from the Kolochava side through Rakhiv seems like a stupid idea. Yes, I don't want to ditch the car off-road, so we hope to talk with local drivers to understand how difficult it is and which road is the safest.
- Sheshory, Kolomyia, Ivano-Frankivsk - still a mysterious section of the road for us, but an enchanting world Carpathian mountains, rivers, waterfalls beckons. We'll have a nice big tent, a decent supply of food, so we hope we don't go to waste.
What could be better than mountains? Any traveler - either a beginner or already with good experience- will say that there is almost nothing more impressive, more exciting and exciting. They find themselves in the mountains, here you can clearly see those who are ready to lend their shoulders, they come here to escape, take a break from the hustle and bustle of modern everyday life and feel the breath of nature. A hike to the Carpathians, even if you step on a mountain trail for the first time, will definitely become something unforgettable for you. The main thing is to choose the right route!
The best routes in the Carpathians
It is worth choosing a direction and a route through the Carpathians with an eye on the season, on your physical strength and, of course, taking into account the time frame in which you need to squeeze your trip. The statement that "hiking in the mountains is not for everyone, because it is too difficult" is a hackneyed stereotype. Hiking in the Carpathians can be of different levels of difficulty and duration, and your guide or you yourself can choose the option that best suits your wishes. It is not necessary to conquer the two-thousanders the first time (although beginners can do this too), you can start with light trekking with a slight difference in altitude. It is very important just before the ascent to register at the checkpoint and inform the day and approximate time the return of the group. Remember: safety comes first.
We offer 12 best routes native Ukrainian Carpathians: here and Hoverla with Petros, and Marmaros, and Eastern Beskydy, and Svidovets, and picturesque Borzhava. Went!
Hoverla. Height 2061 m
TO highest peak Ukraine can be reached by several routes. However, the most popular ones are from the Kozmeshchik and Zaroslyak tracts. The first is a little more difficult, but, according to many travelers, more beautiful. The second is shorter and simpler.
Kozmeschik
Route: Verkhnee Sinevidnoe village - Korchin village - Gurkalo waterfall - Dil mountain - Parashka mountain.
Mount Parashka. Photo source: stezhkamu.com.
How to get there: from Kiev by trains No. 81, 13 Kiev - Uzhgorod to Skole station, from Lvov by electric train to Verkhnee Sinevidnoe station or the city of Skole (from Skole - by bus or passing transport, distance - about 9 km), from Uzhgorod, Mukachev - by electric train to the city of Skole.
Advice: you can stay in hotels in the city and in rural estates in the village. Be sure to include the Gurkalo Falls in your itinerary. If you do not have enough time or feel a lack of energy, do not conquer the top, limit yourself only to a waterfall.
Polonyna Runa. Height 1482 m
Polonyna Runa (Rovnaya) is the largest valley of the Carpathians, located within the boundaries and districts of the Transcarpathian region. This is the western part of the Poloninsky ridge, between the upper reaches of the Lyutaya, Shipot and Turitsa rivers. Not too tall, but very picturesque and seems to be shrouded in velvet. A trip to Polonyna Runa will be a great addition to the recreation program for tourists who come to Transcarpathia: it is convenient to get here from Uzhgorod, Mukachev, and other cities. It is also convenient to travel by train from Lviv. In addition, a road was laid to one of the peaks of the Poloninsky ridge, which is quite suitable for cars. However, when planning such trips, it is worth considering the weather: if you get stuck, it will be tight.
View from the mountain Polonina Runa. Photo source: outdoorukraine.com.
Route: Lumshory village (Perechinsky district, Transcarpathian region) - Komsomolskoye lake - Polonina Runa mountain.
How to get there: from Kiev by train # 99, 81, 13 Kiev - Uzhgorod, from Lvov - by train # 829 Lvov - Uzhgorod (or any one that goes in the direction of Uzhgorod), from Uzhgorod by bus to the village of Lumshory (about 42 kilometers, 1 hour on the way).
Advice:- a real pearl of Transcarpathia. Try the vats here and truly relax. There are many options for hotels and rural estates in Lumshory. If you are on vacation in
