Foreign Ukraine
We went for 3 days with our own car to see all the beauties of the Carpathians and Transcarpathia, which we successfully managed to do.
I often drive along the Lviv-Striy-Uzhgorod highway through the Carpathians, so we didn’t stop anywhere on this highway, and there’s not much to see there. Although there is a beautiful pass (Latorsky) 8 km long and not very steep, and another (Abransky), 3 km long, but steep. I must say right away that the roads there, starting from Lviv, are just a fairy tale, compared to those that we have. Further there is Svalyava and Polyana, where you can get mineral water, but there is nothing interesting there. By the way, near the highway itself in the village. Kozova, on the right is a mineral spring, where everyone draws water, but again, nothing special, just water from the mountain flows from somewhere and that's it, the water is also ordinary.
Chinadievo. 20 km to Mukachevo. There are 2 recreation centers and a ski lift 6 km from them, where you can go skiing in winter. The sanatorium "Sinyak" is a little expensive, and 1 km deep into the village on the left there is a recreation center "Vodogray". There is not very expensive and very beautiful nature. There is a bus in winter to the ski lifts and equipment rental. Further near Mukachevo itself, on the road, you can buy local wine, but, as the locals themselves say, it is good only until June, and then there is simply not enough good wine and they sell various burda until the New Year.
Mukachevo. A beautiful old city. Palanok Castle, which stands on a high mountain, is impressive. You just need to go with a tour, then everything is clear. Entrance ticket costs 8 UAH per person, with a tour 20 UAH. Up the river there is a monastery where I was amazed by the glass church, very beautiful.
Beregovo. There is a sports base in the center of the city, on the territory of which there is a swimming pool, into which hot water is pumped from thermal springs up to 1000 meters deep and you can swim even in winter, the temperature is about 40 degrees. In addition, the water is very healthy, rich in various minerals. Also there, closer to the center, there is a wine cellar, although it is not alone there, you can ask around and find it. But the wine, again, is good only for tasting, and after June it is not very good (again, according to the locals).
Vinogradovo. Grape country. There are grapes everywhere. Sometimes it's even delicious.
Khust. A city where little Ukrainian is spoken. I don't know the language, probably Hungarian or Romanian. There is a very old castle, which unfortunately is barely standing. The access is difficult, high and dangerous. We only reached the cemetery by car, we were afraid to go further. I was struck by the fact that there are a lot of new graves with basalt monuments in the cemetery, but 95% of the inscriptions are in a foreign language. It feels like I'm abroad.
Further, our journey did not at all resemble Ukraine.
Shayan. Upon arrival in this village, my jaw dropped to the ground. I have never seen such rich buildings. Very nice design, well thought out. There is also a source of mineral water. The water is really mineral, slightly carbonated, flows directly from the tap and people stand in line to get it, because. many people come not with one bottle, but with a whole minibus of bottles. We were skipped a line with one bottle, otherwise we would not have tried it.
Tyachiv. A beautiful city, many expensive designer buildings, but the most interesting thing there is that there is a bridge that only reaches half of the river (the other part is ruined). This is the border with Romania. There are no posts, border guards and control. You can just go down to the river, cross it and you are in Romania, no problem. By the way, such a border stretches very far, 70 kilometers. You approach the river, there is not enough water now, on the other side there is a Romanians and he catches fish. We said hello, he answered, showed the catch. Cool. No control.
Solotvino. It doesn't look like Ukraine at all. Everything is in some kind of Romanian style, the language too. The buildings are simply awesome, everything is very rich and beautiful. You can't call it a tree. There are salt mines there, which are very helpful for asthma and other upper respiratory ailments. But this year they were all flooded with water. There is only one 8th mine left and it is very difficult to get there. As the locals told us, everyone is waiting for it to collapse, so that later they can buy it all for a penny, rebuild it and earn millions. In general, like everything else in Ukraine.
Business. The village is nothing special, but behind it is the geographical center of Europe at an altitude of 400 m above sea level, as my navigator showed. There is also nothing special, but the fact itself is interesting. There is a Hutsul-style restaurant where you can dine and a market with souvenirs.
Yasinya. Just cool mountains and we spent the night there. It is very beautiful to ride through the mountains from this side. The road is not as wide as the road Stry - Mukachevo and steeper. Rise up to 900 m above sea level. An interesting way of life, buildings at a great height (it is not clear how building materials were brought there), where there are no roads at all. Suspension bridges across the river are very cool, we walked one at a time, swaying. Adrenaline rises. Not bad.
Bukovel. Building on a grand scale. The battle in the Crimea, everything is in smoke - nothing is visible, as they say. When everything is built, it will be wonderful, while it is only construction, although a lot of things are already ready. A bunch of lifts, slopes for skiing of varying difficulty. As the administrator of the Bukovel hotel told us, in winter a double room will cost 900 UAH per day without meals. 1 lift is planned for 80 UAH per person. Now, however, there is a promotion and you can buy a subscription for 15 UAH per 1 lift, and use it in winter. We rode for 20 UAH per person, just to see the beauty of Bukovel from a height. In short, we figured that if you relax like, for example, skiing in Turkey, then in Bukovel you need about 3000 dollars. for two for a week. Turkey is cheaper and probably better quality. In general, like everything else in Ukraine: no service, the price is space. Although everything is done there soundly, but I know the Ukrainians. . .
Vorokhta. It hurts to look at the base that I saw as a child. There were ski jumping competitions in the summer!! ! Now everything is just dead. One disappointment and anger at our politicians. Everyone thinks only about the bubble.
Yaremche. Here the mountains end and you return to your native Ukraine, tired, but having received a lot of pleasure from the mountains, having seen everything, and on the way home you vividly discuss what struck your eyes and consciousness during the whole trip. The road home is not noticeable.
And at home, only pictures and memories and an irresistible desire to drive again along this route, where everything is so different, beautiful and not familiar.
P. S. The journey was carried out with the help of a Volkswagen Passat B6 car without jeeps, which are not needed there, the roads are very good.
