Tour routes in the Carpathians by car. Traveling by car in Transcarpathia (2016). The condition of roads and traffic in Western Ukraine

Early in the morning we left Kiev. On the road we were accompanied by drizzling rain, gray landscapes were changing outside the window ... We flew to Rivne in one breath, but then the track was only four-lane in places, and often had to reach for a train of wagons.

Oddly enough, the cultural capital met us with the sun! Regarding this as a good sign, we set off towards the mountains. The destination was the village Volosyanka of the Lviv region - next to the famous ski resort Slavske.

As soon as the flat terrain began to be replaced by hilly, the window immediately became more beautiful, and on the highway - more dangerous. Indeed, in the mountains there was already a slight frost and the asphalt was covered with a crust of ice. Fortunately, the ContiViking Contact 6 winter tires cope well with these conditions. But the speed is still worth keeping lower, slowing down in advance, and turning the steering wheel smoother.

And here we are! The journey took about 13 hours. In the summer season, we would spend about 9, but winter requires accuracy and lower speeds. Around the mountains and snow, and a ski lift is already operating nearby. The skiing and snowboarding season is open! The next day, we rode around a bit and decided to have a picnic for ourselves - we fried the barbecue on the grill. In the hotel where we stayed there was a specially designated place with a supply of firewood, and in the nearest store there was excellent meat.

The second day in the Carpathians was the hardest and the coolest at the same time. We decided to test ourselves, our car and tires in an adult way, and set off on a snowy mountain road. The main goal is to drive short but frankly bad roads to Lake Synevyr.

The locals looked at us with shocked looks and almost twisted a finger at the temple. According to them, “UAZ is driven here in the summer” and our Suzuki Vitara has nothing to do here. We, too, were ready for the fact that at any moment we would have to run to the village to get a tractor or a "shishiga", but the machine was driving. I rode on winter highway tires, but all-wheel drive, connected by a multi-plate clutch!

Of course, several times still had to stop and wait for the transmission to cool. But I didn’t have to use outside help! Only twice did we use the trucks and the sapper shovel.

We arrived at Synevyr when it was already evening — daylight is now short. When we stopped in front of the barrier that opens the last kilometer of the road to the lake, we were faced with an off-road car prepared for off-road traffic. The reserve’s guards said that it’s impossible to go upstairs, the guys on the “rogue” turned around, but we still took a chance! As a result, to the amazement of all employees, our team overcame the climb and Vitara became the first car in a week to get there!

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We reached the overnight place already along the tracks. But I had to spend the same 7 hours on the road. Heavy snowfall did not allow trucks to overcome the passes, almost all roads were blocked. Having stood in traffic jams for many hours, we still drove to the hotel. And the next day went on the return trip.

I did not want to leave the Carpathians. As soon as the mountain landscape was replaced by a plain, we were all a little sad. After all, as you know, only mountains can be better than mountains! But we managed to bring winter and snow with us to Kiev. Let this create difficulties for traffic, but the fabulous New Year’s atmosphere finally reached Kiev.

And in order to fully experience all the emotions that we received during our trip, watch the video from the First Automotive:

What you need to take if you go to the mountains

When you go to the mountains, you need to be prepared for the fact that the movement there, especially in winter, is much more complicated than in the flat terrain. Do not even try to go on such a winter journey on bad tires!

If they are already pretty worn out - they should be replaced. We installed the brand new Continental Conti VikingContact6 winter tires long ago and they met, and even exceeded our expectations, when we showed excellent results not only on the winter track, but also not on the terrain for which they were not intended.

If you are going to drive on roads that are “not quite expensive”, be sure to grab the snow chains. Find a place in the trunk for the sapper blade - this simple device can be indispensable in snowy weather. Trucks help to get out of loose snow.

At the same time, the main thing is not to save - ours, which, according to the packaging are designed for 12.5 tons, broke under 10 times less weight of the Vitara. However, they nevertheless completed their work.

Driving Features

First of all, do not rush! Even if you have a great all-wheel drive car and great winter tires - keep your speed a lot slower than in summer. After all, if not yours, then another car can be sharply brought in, deployed, brought out into the oncoming traffic.

Think over all your movements in advance, perform all maneuvers smoothly. If, like us, you drive off-road, a new, very important rule is added - do not stop! While you can continue to move - it must continue.

After all, stopping, you can no longer get under way without outside help. It is very important to find and keep the line between the speed, which is enough not to get stuck, and the speed safe.

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Travel to the Carpathians_June-July 2015

To help the tourist

Where to go on vacation this year - to the Crimea or the Carpathians - we could not decide for quite some time. The decisive factor was that I no longer want to melt in the heat, so the choice fell in favor of the Carpathians. A year ago, my daughter and I visited Skole, this time we chose the tourist capital of the Carpathians - Yaremche district. But not the city itself, but the village of Mikulichin behind it along the highway - I wanted less fuss. The road was planned with a stop at several interesting points, the existence of which a year ago I either did not know at all, or knew little.

Day One (Brest - Kremenets)

Before leaving, I collected the information primarily on these sites: get directions , road , carpathians.info , yaremche and surroundings, city forums of Dnepropetrovsk.

We left Brest on Friday at about 4 pm, before leaving we stopped at Belkelm to buy a second pair of sneakers — it often rains in the mountains, and it’s better to ride with two. The border passed very quickly - 15 minutes at 2 customs, in one turn they were first, in another - second. In Ratno - the first exchange of money, the rate of 21.68. Directly at the bus station they change who it is not difficult to find.

About 7 pm we were in Lutsk, but both of the planned overnight stays were busy, so we had dinner in Varenichnaya and drove on to Kremenets, having made a preliminary call and booked a room at the Kremen Hotel. The price tag there is lower than in other hotels in the city, and the comfort is the same, but it is far from the center. Junior Suite - 210 UAH for three. The condition is excellent. Wi-fi is.

Day Two (Kremenets - source of St. Anne - Zalishchyky)

In the morning - to the source of St. Anne, a place where people come from all over Ukraine and even from Belarus. Water, even in the heat of all +4, more.

Then - to Zalishchyky, but there are castles along the road. We missed Vishnevetsky, we drove into Zbarazh - a small hook from the highway. It’s a normal castle, it’s worth a visit once. The main difference from the others is a magnificent exhibition of carvings made of wood by a local craftsman, I have not seen this before. .

Zalishchyky is a colorful place, it’s also worth a visit once. The main attraction is the view of the city from the side of the neighboring village: the Dniester River here makes a bend and goes around the city from three sides:

To get to the viewpoint, you must cross the bridge that once connected Poland and Austria, and call in the neighboring village of Khreshchatyk. Tip: it is better to turn left into the village from the highway not at the first, but at the second turn - the road is better.

We spent the night in the mini-hotel "In the Park" - 200 UAH per suite. Original attic type room with pluses and minuses. The hotel is located on the top floor of the restaurant. To get into the room, we passed through 3 rooms. It was interesting to hear, "And what time are you leaving tomorrow? We just have a restaurant at 11, we’ll come at what time you need, we’ll open for you. Just a little, call us."

Day Three (Zalishchyky - Manyava, waterfall and monastery)

The roads are directly shorter, but worse. We cherished the car. Looking ahead, I note that the roads where we drove are better than what they write about. Many places are undergoing repairs. Map of the state of roads of Ukraine - http://autostrada.info/ua/map. Forum - roads of Ukraine - http://www.doroga.ua/forum/chapter/17. On the way to Manyava we got the first fridge magnet - we constantly brought up voting Ukrainians for free, and it’s interesting to talk, the girls from Chernivtsi talked about their city and presented a magnet.

After the bypass of Ivano-Frankivsk we turn off on Yaremche, and in the distance mountains begin to be seen. Another right turn is on the Bogorodchany-Guta highway. In Guta, there is a luxurious residence of ex-President of Ukraine Kuchma "Sinegora" - 3 underground floors (), from which the road to Manyavsky Monastery is laid. According to clippings from the Internet, we found a cafe with the old name "Merry Monarch", which, as the hostess explained, was urgently asked to replace, now there is something not memorable. Dumplings with potatoes for 12 UAH, dumplings for 14 - then we did not have such low prices. Having a snack, we went to conquer the highest waterfall in the country - Manyavsky, 20 meters high. The car was left in the village, and 2 hours on foot. It was possible to leave further, but the road around the village was not pleasant, and there was nowhere to hurry - the next day in Ukraine was the last of three days off in honor of Constitution Day, so I wanted to come to the place of settlement just then - more places would be vacated, more a choice. On the way to the waterfall, you need to cross the river 5 times ford, someone passes by car, even a taxi was seen. The waterfall itself, of course, is gorgeous.

Then - a monastery, search for a place to sleep (there are no hotels there), and the most expensive price tag for the trip - 300 UAH for a simple room not far from the monastery. Not far from the monastery there is another attraction - the Blessed Stone, they write that the rise to it for 20 minutes is not so, for about 10 minutes. According to legend, healing water was found there in the 13th century.

Fourth days, etc. (Mykulychyn with trips in the vicinity)

Ukrainians have the last day off, and a crowd of cars is moving towards them - people leave home after a holiday. We drive through Yaremche, and there are fewer cars. For a long time I chose between the villages of Tatarov and Mikulichin. He stopped at the last part of Mykulychyn, marked in red. In general, Mikulichin is considered the longest village in Ukraine - 44 km. The mountain villages here are of this kind: the road, the railway and the river run nearby, now and then intertwined, from the road to the right - house-two, to the left - house-two, and behind them mountains, i.e. the village is in a gorge. In some places between the mountains there is more space, and side streets go off the track. Here is the segment of the village that interested me, in which we settled:

I don’t book advance housing either in the Crimea or in the Carpathians - there are enough places, it’s better to see on the spot so as not to take a cat in a poke. So here we looked a couple of places and stayed at the "Cheryomshin", junior suite 200 UAH per room. A separate entrance and a kitchen with a fridge, an electric kettle and a microwave for 2 rooms, TV, a bathroom with a shower in each room. And a nice porch on which we liked to drink tea, looking at the mountains (our first floor):

There was Wi-Fi, but I caught the signal only at the landlady’s house, she assured me that my son would come in the evening, figure it out, I decided that it was useful for me to treat computer addiction, and paid for 3 days, explaining that if Ineta wouldn’t, we would move out. The next day, the landlord's son informed me of the password from the Wi-Fi of the neighbors across the road, and the Internet was in order. They explained that they had a router, but lightning hit it. The first 5 days there was nobody besides us, then the people pulled themselves up. Even a family from Brest came for 2 nights, talked, although we saw very few cars with Belarusian numbers. Sellers of berries on the highway said that Belarusians travel mainly to Bukovel. Price list for berries (liter): sweet cherry - 20-25, strawberries - 60, raspberries - 30, blueberries - 30-40. Cherry is rarely seen. We ate at the hostess - 35 UAH for breakfast, 65 late lunch for me, 40 - for my wife and daughter. It still remained to warm up for dinner - the portions there are large. Sometimes they ate in other places. The price tags and quality in the huts (cafes) are about the same. At the end, we went to the Kufar restaurant of Ukrainian cuisine at the exit from Mikulichin in the direction of Tatarov - 300 hryvnias (without alcohol), for a strong four. I can’t recommend the estate: on the whole, there were good, but there were also unpleasant moments, for example, lunch a couple of days before departure, after which we stopped ordering food from the owners. In general, I advise you not to pay much in advance - the hosts are relaxing - this is still a Crimean experience. Better parts, both for accommodation and for food.

Now about where they went and went. Not far from the house began the tract Zhenets with the dacha of the ex-president of Ukraine Yushchenko. Yushchenko, by the way, was in the host sauna, which we also visited (great - but it’s big, and the price tag is 300 UAH per hour, you can find it for 100), they showed us photos with him 4 years ago. From Yushchenko’s cottage, another 4 kilometers to the Zhenetskiy Guk waterfall You can drive a large part, but it’s more interesting to pass - the road is beautiful:

If at the entrance to the tract you don’t cross the barrier, but take it to the left, we’ll get on the road to the mountain Hamster (1542 m). The road to the mountain took us 3.45. The trail is marked, it is impossible to get lost, only at the very beginning of the trail (10 meters) a sharp turn to the left, there the mark is hidden. A steep climb only at the very top, when you have to wade through the thickets of alpine pine trees already over the stones. Before that - a simple serpentine path, where we cut off every now and then. From the Hamster you can see Yaremche, Tatars, Bukovel, and our part of Mykulychyn. Later it turned out that the peak is visible from our porch.

The rise was not easy for my daughter, so I signed up for a trip to Hoverla alone. For excursions you need to go to Yaremche - there I signed up, left the phone, and they picked me up at the house. 150 UAH, we are in a bus 19, all the seats are occupied, part of it was taken to Vorokhta. Goverla is the highest mountain in Ukraine, with an altitude of 2061 m. The climb starts from the Zaroslyak base - 1300 with something above sea level. The road to it is bad. Lucky with the weather - there was no rain. When I saw the composition of the group, I realized that, most likely, I was the oldest in it, there were still 5 people in 30, not counting the 60-year-old guide. The guide said that the journey up takes about 3 hours. Pretty soon it became hard for me, the group meanwhile held steady. Then it went easier, and I decided not to wait for the rest. Forward and upward, overtaking more and more new groups. In the end, on a decisive steep climb, when I took breaks every 50 meters, I was overtaken by a guy from Dnepropetrovsk, but to become the second from the group is not bad. I remembered the story that I was telling the students every now and then, when a young stallion ran halfway and died, and the old mare slowly and slowly reached the goal.

The way up - 1 hour 54 minutes. Upstairs is a crowd of people, everyone is happy and taking pictures. Here, tea and coffee at the same prices as on the Hamster - 10 UAH - tea, 12 - coffee. 10 hryvnias is less than 7 thousand for ours, in our cafes it is more expensive, but here people still dragged water and gas burners up! The way down - 54 minutes instead of the two hours declared by the guide, here I am already the first. From our group 4 did not reach and turned back. People with poor health are better off not going. On the other hand, children can master the ascent. In normal sneakers, of course. In general, before going uphill, it is better to find trekking poles or a simple one. If there are enough simple ones on the Hamster, then there are almost none on Hoverla. I found only on the rise. The guide said that the earliest groups are taking them apart. The stick helps both on the rise and on the descent. But, according to the recommendations of the guide, it should be above the shoulder, so that if you slip or stumble, it does not get into your eye, stomach, etc. At the bottom of Goverla is a platform where they sell a variety of things from magnets to the refrigerator. Despite the height, the price tag is the same as at other points. First I took kvass. Then a glass of mulled wine. What I took in the third turn - you can guess (answer at the bottom of the page).

Another story about the ascent to Goverla - http://www.svirsky.ru/photo/album.php?thema\u003d50.

We went to the Yablunetsky pass and to Bukovel. The pass is nothing special - the border of the Ivano-Frankivsk and Transcarpathian regions, souvenir tents. A new road has been laid in Bukovel for a couple of years, if you go from Yaremche, you need to go to Yablunitsa and turn there. Old - in the pits and through the village. By my mistake, we turned off the wrong place and drove the old way. Tip: do not turn on the first sign of Bukovel, the second will be further.

Bukovel is like Yalta in Crimea. Beautiful, solid. The lift brought us to the top of the mountain, from where you can enjoy the views. Price tag - 45 UAH. The rope town did not pass by the attention of the daughter, who does not miss the chance to climb on it, despite the restriction on height of 140 cm, which she does not reach.

I followed her (reluctance, but it was useful to harness myself), but help was not needed. It is interesting that the price tag is lower than in Yalta 2 years ago - 60 UAH against 90, despite the fall of the hryvnia. Another impression of Bukovel was a polite riot police officer, who, seeing that we were at a loss on the turn, came up and suggested how to get to the parking, adding that the parking is free.

In Yaremche, we traveled twice. First time - on probi Waterfall and markets where you can’t find anything:

Usually people buy and take home a variety of teas, mugs, skiers (local woolen blankets - 600 UAH), the same woolen socks, slippers, embroidered shirts. If you need an embroidered shirt and there is an opportunity to go to Kosovo - there it is much cheaper. But the road there killed in the trash. Dry porcini mushrooms by weight - 80 UAH per 100 grams. The price tags in different markets are about the same. In Yaremche, it is believed that the price tag on the market at the waterfall is slightly lower than on the souvenir one.

The second is on dovbush stitch  , a simple and enjoyable walk, which, if desired, can be continued by climbing Mount Makovitsya (984 m). We desired. Entrance to the stitch 20 UAH, child 5. The same is in the tract Zhenets.

We tried apitherapy - this is a dream on a bee hive. A house is built on the hive, you lie down on the boards on which the blanket is laid - and under you is a bee swarm. Medicinal properties - soothes nerves, relieves stress, etc. It is believed that a person lying on a hive soon falls asleep. I could not. The price tag is 50 UAH per hour, we took for 2 hours. It’s worth a try. On the website Karpaty.info there are estates in which this service is available. In Mykulychyn - “Solomyia” and “Hunter's hut”, between them 300 meters. My wife and daughter in one, I in the other, because in each house there is only one place on the hive. In the same area of \u200b\u200bthe village is the famous Mikulichin brewery, in which we always had a turn. A branded tag is hung on each bottle. I recommend "Honey". In addition, kvass is also sold there. Beer - 20 UAH liter, kvass - 12.

For the first couple of days the weather was cool, but then it turned out to be about +25, while in Belarus there was a heat of about +35. A couple of minutes from our estate we found a small beach on which we sunbathed and bathed in the mountain river Prut. They didn’t go into deep places (4 meters, according to the owners), and to lie among stones, where it is not deep, and the rough mountain current creates an analogy for a jacuzzi - a great pleasure.

On July 8th, we decided that everyone looked, tomorrow they promised rain, so we should go. But back we went the other way - we wanted to call in Skole, the place of last year’s deployment:

Before Skole on the highway Kiev - Chop in the village of Lower Sinevidnoe excellent motel "Viking Carpathians", 3-bed suite for 350 UAH. This is with breakfast for three. At night, there were no guests except us at the motel. In the evening, a motel sauna with a beautiful pool for 150 hours. Except us, nobody. Nearby is the Dikanka cafe, where we had lunch and dinner. My 40s celebrated in advance, as if feeling that tomorrow would not work.

And before checking into the motel, we visited Skole - half an hour away. They wanted to show his wife the place where they were a year ago, and go into the local secant. The old one closed, but there was one more. Half an hour of choice - and we made the mistress happy, perhaps making her a week's revenue. Made in USA, Switzerland, etc. Out of 10 things, about 1 is normal. For example, an American jacket of excellent quality for 26 UAH. After Skole - arrival at Kamenka waterfall. It is lower than those that we have already visited on this trip - 8 meters. But it’s more suitable for swimming, and it’s nice to stand under a small waterfall 3 meters high.

In the morning we left for Belarus in the direction of Luninets - we wanted to call home. I didn’t guess which border crossing to go to, and we were stuck at the border for 4 hours.

Results: we had a great rest, looked at new unsealed places, climbed the mountains. For everything, everything except clothes, it took $ 560.

The answer to the riddle above is another mulled wine.

They have never seen snakes. Advice from the hostess: before going out, grease the shoes with garlic, snakes scatter for a kilometer.

I note that a trip to Yaremche is realistic for those who do not have a car.

From Brest: bus Brest - Kovel, then train 668 Kovel - Chernivtsi 17.15 - at 4.17 in Ivano-Frankivsk or at 5.49 to Kolomyia - by even buses - to Kolomyia 167 UAH, 108 courier. From IF bus, you are leaving drivers will find trains, or diesel Kolomiya - Rakhiv 8.17 ch Yaremche, Mikulichin, Tatarov, Vorokhta.

Additionally: Diesel: IF 9.22 - Yaremche 11.23; back: train Chernivtsi - Kovel 22.13 Kolomyia - 9.25 Kovel, a bus to Brest, to Kolomyya from Yaremche a bunch of buses and minibuses.

Or train 606 Yaremche 3.06 - 8.10 Lviv 76 UAH reserved seat / 110 compartment, bags to the left-luggage office, walk around the city, train 814 Lviv - Lutsk 02/17/19.57 - 75 gr, night in Lutsk (inexpensive in the rest rooms at the railway station), in the morning bus to Brest.

I throw off the clippings from the forums:

I reveal a secret. We went out to the road, waved a hand, and drove where necessary. Locals willingly take fellow travelers, for a nominal fee or even free of charge. We travel around the Carpathians so often, and not necessarily over short distances ... We traveled like this - by train to Ternopol (arrival 10-24), then directly from the railway station in a private microbus to Ivano-Frankivsk (price from 70 to 100 UAH ) is the advantage of such a transport - it flies in 2 hours and is very comfortable. And from Ivano-Frankivsk there is already no problem getting to Tatarov, about every half an hour buses go to the Nadvirniansky direction (most often to Bukovel), the price of such a bus is about 30 hryvnias and about 2 hours ... I arrive Ternopol to the railway station and there are a lot of private traders who will bring to Yaremche.

... because the students chose the cheapest way to get there. By the Truskavets train to Ternopol (reserved seat 100 UAH, for students 50), then they took a commuter diesel to Zaleshchyky (7.56-12.17, 11 UAH). By the way, Zalishchyky is a very beautiful and picturesque place on the banks of the Dniester. From Zalishchyky to Kolomyia there is also a diesel train (12.45 - 15.43, 11 UAH,) and from Kolomyia to Vorokhta (20.20 - 22.37 hours Yaremche, 9 UAH). From Vorokhta we went on excursions to Rakhiv, Yasinya, Yaremche, Ivano-Frankivsk by diesel trains.

... Right now they throw me slippers, but I always go through Lviv. And I will never exchange this route for anything ... Dnepr-Lviv. Next, change Lviv-Rakhiv. In Lviv, I drop my luggage into the left-luggage office and go to my favorite places! In the evening already in Yaremche. Go to sleep right away. In the morning like a cucumber! ...

Why do people go to the mountains? In the mountains, everyone finds his excuse, someone wants to run away from his wife, someone from the bustle of the city and people, and someone on the contrary, in search of loneliness and peace. At any time of the year, the mountains are beautiful and attractive, they are mysterious and photogenic.

Lake Brebeneskul.

Delicious lingonberry berry (without GMO).

Blueberry berry, in our region it is even dedicated to the festival and a monument has been erected.

Just some 300 million years ago, the waves of the Tethys Ocean splashed here.

Waterfall Shipot. Annual meeting place hippies (our local woodstock ).

Pyramids on tops made by those who culminated.

Slow, grueling climb.

And this is a photo from my first trip to the mountains.

Schopenhauer said: “The most common form of pride is national pride. Every person living on the planet feels a sense of pride in their homeland. ” I would replace the word “Motherland” with “Carpathians”.

Gorgan stones, which are millions, millions of years old.

Gorgan peaks are famous for their steep ascents and descents, slippery stones and a skull.

Crystal clear mountain lake Synevyr.

Due to the high humidity in the Carpathians, the peaks are often foggy and it seems that you are walking above the clouds.

Paragliders have chosen the Carpathian peaks. Every year there is a competition " Carpathian Cup "On paragliding.

Sunset over the Bear Gorge.

Tourists on the Borzhavsky ridge.

Lake Brebeneskul is a lake of glacial origin, located at an altitude of 1801m above sea level (the Montenegro Range).

Exit to the Marmarosh Range.

Part of the Borzhavsky Range to the top of Stoy.

Traverse path.

The classic peak of the Gorgan ridge is stones and a skull (thorny bush, mountain pine).

Pine cone. It is widely used for the preparation of medical preparations.

Gorgan ridge. The height of these mountains ranges from 1400 meters to 1800 meters, the highest point of Gorgan is Mount Bolshaya Syvulya (1836 m).

Spider web on flowers.

Early morning. View from the Ozernaya mountain.

The highest point of the Ukrainian Carpathians is Mount Goverla, 2061 meters above sea level.

View from the Great Top mountain (Borzhavsky ridge).

View of Mount Stoy (Borzhavsky Range).

Svidovets ridge is considered the heart of Europe.

Gorgan landscapes.

High in the mountains, a boy asks a Georgian grandfather:
   - Grandfather, how old are you?
   - One hundred people re…
   - A drink, smoke ?!
   - Of course !!! And then, I'll never die like that.

57

Every time I go the entire route and leave the Carpathian mountains, I know that I will come back here again and again, including the following lives. Friends, in front of you is still waiting for a photo story about the winter Carpathians.

Have a free weekend and plan 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 are you going on a car trip? Then this article is for you.

Ukrainian Carpathians joyfully welcome their tourists at any time of the year. Arriving in the Carpathians, you will be fascinated by the beauty of the local landscapes, as if you were in a fairy tale - high mountains, fast mountain rivers, “swirling” forests and beautiful waterfalls. Once, once in this region, you will forever love it and will come back here again and again.

So, you have come to the Carpathians. It is best to stay in Yaremche, there is a large selection of housing at affordable prices, and in the evening there is where to take a walk, unlike other settlements. After all, Yaremche is a city, a tourist center of the Ivano-Frankivsk region. After renting a house in Yaremche, relax, as it should, ahead of you there will be three days of a rich excursion program!

Day 1. A route called the “Golden Ring of the Hutsul Region” Yaremche - Kolomyia - Kosiv - Sheshory - Pistyn - Krivorivnya - Verkhovyna - Vorokhta.

This excursion route will introduce you to the life, traditions and rituals of such ethnographic groups as “Hutsuls”, give you the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the high mountains of the Carpathians and even plunge into your childhood by visiting St. Nicholas.

The first stop is Kolomyia. An old small town in the Austro-Hungarian style, the first mention of it appeared in 1241. In Kolomyia there are two very interesting museums that need to be visited by every tourist who comes here. The Pysanka Museum is built in the shape of an egg and it contains a collection of 10 thousand exhibits of painted Easter eggs from different parts of Ukraine.

"Museum of folk art of the Hutsul region and Pokuttya" - it contains a collection of exhibits telling about the life of the inhabitants of Carpathian region - household items, clothes, jewelry, weapons, folk art of the residents of the Hutsul region - weaving, forging, wood carving is widely represented. Another place that you need to visit when you are in Kolomyia is the "IMPRESA Cucumber". It is located not far from the Pysanka Museum, at 40 Teatralnaya Street. You have definitely not seen such a number of pastries, 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 mountain river Pistynka, but not for this Sheshory is famous. The main attraction is the Silver Waterfalls. Beautiful, cascading, where you can swim (so do not forget to bring a swimsuit with you if you came here in the summer).

Further on our way a small village called Pistyn appears. In the center of this village is the real estate of St. Nicholas, the Ukrainian Grandfather Frost, whom the children love so much. A neat Carpathian house, in which the office of St. Nicholas is located, his mail (all letters received from the children are stored here), a bedroom, a museum room and much more. Various fabulous heroes made of wood by folk craftsmen guard the estate. Be sure to call on Nikolaychik to visit and you will get great pleasure! Even adults here rejoice like children and unwittingly begin to believe in a miracle.

The next small stop in Krivorivna. Here is the Ivan Franko Memorial Museum.

Verkhovyna is a beautiful mountain village in the Carpathians. The main attraction of Verkhovyna is the museum of memory of Roman Kumlyk. This museum was opened in 2000 in the Kumlykov family house. The owner of the house, Roman Kumlyk, collected household items, ancient Hutsul clothes for more than thirty years, but his pride was a collection of musical instruments. He knew how to play all musical instruments. After his death, his work is continued by the daughter Natalya, who during the tour tells about the life of the Hutsuls, about rituals, sings songs and plays various instruments. Be sure to visit!

And the last stop is Vorokhta, it is considered the center of skiing. There are four ski jumps with artificial cover, on which you can train all year round. It is here that teams prepare for skiing, ski jumping and biathlon. Stop, take a couple of photos and relax - there are 2 more busy days ahead!

2 day. Route: Guk waterfall - Bukovel

Not far from Yaremche, along the Rakhiv-Ivano-Frankivsk highway, between the villages of Mikulichin and Tatars there is a valley of the Zhenets river, there is one of the highest waterfalls in the Carpathians - Zhenetsky Guk. The height of the water fall is 15 meters. It is very spectacular!

Then transfer to the village of Palyanitsa, where the Bukovel ski resort is located. At any time of the year there is something to do. Climb the chairlift to the top of Bukovel Mountain, enjoy the opened panorama of the Carpathian Mountains, take a look at Kolyba, try the local cuisine, take a walk around the resort. If you come here in the hot season, you can soak up the sun and take a swim in one of the Bukovel lakes.

3 day. Route Yaremche - Manyava

The last day of my stay in the Carpathians, I advise you to explore Yaremche. Take a walk around the souvenir market, buy souvenirs in memory of this wonderful land. Take a picture 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 Oleksa Dovbush.

We are moving to Manyava. There is one spiritual place that you can visit - Manyavsky Skit. This is an ancient male monastery, which is also called the "Carpathian Athos". On the territory of the monastery is a complex of wooden and stone architectural structures. A path leads from the monastery to the mountain - this is an exit to the "Blessed Stone", which is a place of prayer and it cleanses various negatives and filth. A spring beats from under a stone; water in this spring is considered sacred. We 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 that it will help you get acquainted with this beautiful land.

The joint project of the site and the Bolshoi magazine is aired for the last time: in the fourth part we will talk about whether it is worth traveling to Western Ukraine in the winter, namely the Carpathians. Behind more than 2600 km of run, the crew returned home, parses travel notes. We offer motorists a small useful guide - what you should keep in mind if you are going to the Carpathians by car.

The first reason. It is safe in Western Ukraine

If someone is too fond of television, we are in a hurry to disappoint: no one has ever reproached us for the Russian language. We have never been stopped by a traffic cop demanding a bribe. At our place, no one has ever checked documents for no reason. There were checks: several times we drove into the border zone, stumbled upon the posts of border guards. Extremely politely and correctly they requested documents, studied them - and passed on.

Therefore, you can safely go on a trip: all those met on the road with one voice claimed that in recent years there have been much more Russian-speakers since refugees arrived. Therefore, you can communicate in Russian boldly, in Lviv it is spoken by 50% of the population, in Hutsul villages no more than 10%, but everyone understands it.

After talking with the authorities - the police, border guards, foresters, it seemed that they had become much more polite. They always present themselves and communicate as if with dear guests: the locals say this is the trend right now. And no one asked for a bribe, which was impossible to imagine even 3 years ago.

The second reason. Cheap in Western Ukraine

In the photo - a cottage in the village of Verkhovyna, we rented it for three for a day for 17 dollars. Overnight stays were different, but even in Bukovel you can find a four-star hotel for $ 35 per day.

But this is not in the holiday season: on New Year's, of course, everything will be more expensive. On the dates December 31 - January 1, almost everything is sold everywhere: in Bukovel, and in Lviv, and in the Carpathians as a whole.

The farther into the forest, the greater the chance of finding available rooms. But the general trend is this: for $ 15 for two in Lviv, in the Carpathians, you can spend the night with minimal comfort. And for 30 you will already have an acceptable level. For the average market price in Minsk of $ 100 per room in Ukraine, you will be carried on your hands and tickled with a peacock feather: the cost of spending the night in Ukraine is much lower than in all our neighboring countries. If you are not traveling on the night of December 31 to January 1, you do not have to worry about overnight stays in advance: even in a remote village, booking.com will always find a place to spend the night. The hotel business is very developed in the Carpathians, so booking for six months in advance does not need anything.

Everyone who wants to save money can safely consider Western Ukraine: expensive is only gasoline, a dollar per liter. Everything else, food, accommodation, tourism services is much cheaper not only compared to prices in Europe, but also compared to prices in Belarus.

A budget trip to Lviv for a weekend in monetary terms looks like this: about $ 70 with a supply of gasoline, $ 40 a day for food, without denying anything to ourselves, $ 25 is a good hotel. In total, for $ 200 you can make good presents, evening entertainment and an overnight stay. If you travel in an organized way, it will be much cheaper: $ 65−80 is worth a weekend tour from Minsk with travel and accommodation. Ski tours to Bukovel cost from $ 150. Given the lack of visas and an understanding of the Russian language, an excellent anti-crisis offer is obtained.

The third reason. Western Ukraine is delicious

The level of Ukrainian catering does not compare with the Belarusian one: everything is better many times over. It is almost impossible to make a mistake with the cafe: go into any place, it will be delicious almost everywhere. And you can not especially stand on ceremony with the level of the institution: even in decent restaurants in Lviv, the price level will be, as in serious Minsk canteens. Bukovel is the most expensive: there, in a good restaurant, count on $ 20-25 for a dinner for two. Other things being equal, the same order in Minsk will cost $ 40-45. It's just that you can eat cheaper in roadside cafes, for $ 10 per person you will have a mountain feast.

There are gastronomic differences: closer to Romania and Hungary, the zone of goulash and other Hungarian-Romanian dishes begins. In Lviv, you will hardly find this; the kitchen is as close to ours as possible. In the mountains they prefer banosh, porridge made from cornmeal. Of course, fat is presented in all its manifestations. But the most important thing: everyone can choose the kitchen to their taste. Business in Ukraine has almost complete freedom, therefore, “eco”, “tai”, and Indian cafes - in large cities there are options for every taste.

The fourth reason. Western Ukraine is beautiful

Let's not forget that the Carpathians are low mountains. Moreover, almost around each peak there are many highways. Therefore, if you do not like skiing, do not like bars and restaurants - you can just get a large dose of beauty. To do this, you need to get into a car and drive through the Carpathians. Well, if the car will be four-wheel drive: it often snows in the mountains, so the 4 drive wheels of our Hyundai Creta were very handy. As our expedition showed, if you drive wisely, you can even climb Mount Dragobrat.

We assure you that only mountains can be better than the Carpathian mountains - those that you have not visited before. The expedition with the aim of “just seeing” is very relevant in the Carpathians, you can just enjoy nature, and beautiful views will not end.

Reason five: various types of recreation

Who said that the Carpathians are only ski holidays. There are plenty of options for how to relax. ATV rides are popular: the mountains are old, low, so almost everywhere you can ride on four-wheeled vehicles. Approximately $ 150 costs a two-day ATV tour of the mountains with food and overnight. Off-road adventures are the Carpathians. Moreover, even difficult routes should be tried to overcome on a crossover. An example of this is our "ascent" to Mount Dragobrat, on the standard Hyundai Creta we got to a place where, as they say, only trained SUVs "go".

Almost all the Carpathian mountains are dotted with hiking trails: you can choose a hike for every taste, from just walking for an hour to a difficult expedition for several days. Western Carpathians and Ukraine are brewing traditions and several dozens of beers in almost every bar. Therefore, beer lovers can safely consider this region for tasting tours. Special attention should be paid to Carpathian liquors and tinctures. “Kalganivka”, “gorikhivka” - these words constantly accompanied our expedition. And Transcarpathia, Mukachevo and Uzhgorod can be considered for a wine-tasting tour. There are many varieties of local wine, the quality is not bad.

Transcarpathia is a place where a huge number of hot springs is located. Therefore, if traveling to Iceland is expensive, you can swim in a geyser in the Carpathians. It is also worth a try "bathing in a tub." This is also a local feature: instead of the bath, locals offer a steam bath in a hot tub. In the fresh air, overlooking the mountains - this thing is sometimes stronger than Chopin's nocturnes.

The friendliness of people is especially noticeable and remarkable in these parts: they are contact and are ready to help with advice. It’s also easy to breathe in the mountains, the air differs from ours, we also write down the ecology as a plus.

But the trip to the Carpathians has its drawbacks. You can not go to the Carpathians if you protect the suspension of the car. The road from Minsk to Lviv is beautiful. If you completely protect the suspension of the car, after crossing the border, head for Lutsk and Rivne to arrive at the M-06 highway. Then you can even ride a Ferrari without the risk of splashing a cup of water.

But most importantly, you can safely trust the navigator who will lead the "gardens". The roads have become better, so you can safely go directly to Lviv without fear of leaving the wheel in a huge pit. The route Minsk - Lviv for car suspension is safe.
  But further worse: the closer to the Carpathians, the worse the roads. If you go to Bukovel, there will be no problems. On an ordinary passenger car with a delicate aluminum suspension, I probably would not have risked it. In the provinces, in the villages, the roads still look like directions

You can’t go to the Carpathians if you want to refuel cheaper. Fuel is more expensive than in Belarus, and this must be taken into account. On average, a dollar per liter. Perhaps for some it will become a stumbling block. In Russia, fuel is cheaper, but there are other distances. In any case, we recommend that you fill up a full tank before crossing the border with Ukraine.

You can not go to the Carpathians at night. Remembering the minuses of a car trip to the Carpathians, the entire expedition crew recalled the night pedestrians in unison.

In Ukraine, it is not necessary to wear flickers at night, while many pedestrians feel like terminators: they roam the road along an arbitrary trajectory without fear. You can notice them only at the very last moment. Therefore, if you do not want problems, it is better to move only during the day.

You can’t go to the Carpathians if you are obsessed with politics. If someone decides to go to Western Ukraine, this person is unlikely to pay attention to political strife. But you still need to warn that the symbolism of the OUN / UPA is everywhere. Stepan Bandera is a national hero, and you need to be prepared for this. We have never seen fanatics with flags and shouts, but there are a lot of symbolism, it will hurt the opponents of Ukrainian independence. And it’s not worth proving to the Western Ukrainians the opposite political point of view: they consider everything that is happening as a war, many people died, so it’s better not to start these conversations. Not because there will be consequences - but because you will hurt people.

To summarize all that has been said: you can go on a car trip to Western Ukraine. The arguments for were counted more than the arguments against. The main drawback of such a trip is the poor roads in the province: if you decide to explore the remote villages, get ready for directions, not roads. The main routes have become much better, therefore Lviv is ideal as a weekend city. A trip directly to the Carpathians can be a great adventure: the mountains are beautiful in winter, so we promise you the luggage of photos and emotions. You can understand what awaits the car traveler from the links to the previous parts of the project.

Read, study: we have traveled the route Minsk - Lviv - Verkhovyna - Bukovel - Mukachevo - Minsk and were very pleased. Recommended for everyone.

And finally, a video about how it was.

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