Active tourism in the Carpathians

“Bright rest is far and long.” Impressions, new knowledge, unusual experience – all this is on the doorstep, and you do not have to spend time and money on visas and overpay tour operators. Go-To.Rest has collected locations of the Ukrainian Carpathians, which are definitely worth a visit.
“Active tourism – entertainment only for the rich.” So say inexperienced travelers who did not delve into the topic. We have explored many options to show you the best.
The selection includes inexpensive and vip offers, trips for two or alone, for a whole vacation and for one weekend. We are not sofa theorists, but travelers with experience. We were in the places we recommend, so all the tips are tested in practice.
Holidays in the Carpathians 2021 can be different, it is not only for professional climbers. In addition to mountain ranges, there are ancient towns for excursions, lakes and other cozy attractions. We tell you what to visit.

Where to rest in the Carpathians

Spend your vacation or weekend full in the historical places of the Carpathians. In every city there are monuments, architectural monuments that breathe mysterious antiquity.

Where to go to rest in the Carpathians?

For connoisseurs of history, a trip to Mukachevo founded in the 8th century would be an ideal option. People come here to look at the architecture:

• Palanok Castle;
• Schönborn Palace;
• Cathedral of St. Martin;
• Assumption Cathedral.

If you are a fan of a quiet holiday, then walk through the local central streets. Admire the buildings and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of antiquity. Along the way you will meet a monument to the chimney sweep – a cozy meeting place. By the way, this same sootblower – Bertalon Tovt, he lives in Mukachevo and recently celebrated his 71st birthday.

Continuing to travel to major cities, it is worth visiting Ivano-Frankivsk. Its atmosphere is considered European rather than Ukrainian. Here are preserved buildings of 17-19 centuries, houses resembling gingerbread. A walk through the local streets will definitely be charming.
Here is the attraction of fans of green tourism. This is the Carpathian National Park with an area of ​​503 square kilometers – the largest in the country. It is visited not so much for the sake of rare animals, but for forest walks. The local flora is diverse, and the landscapes are hills and spaces.

Not only big cities and well-trodden routes deserve attention. A small and very old city – Uzhgorod, founded in 893. People come here mainly to look at Uzhhorod Castle of the 10th century of construction. The local lore museum of Transcarpathia is located on the territory of the castle.
But there are other attractions. For example, the longest lime alley in Europe, a pedestrian bridge across the Uzh, numerous parks and the Old Town. Architecture in Uzhgorod is mostly European: over the long history of the city often moved from one state to another.
The Uzhhorod Botanical Garden, which appeared in 1945, is also open for visitors. Here you can see Transcarpathian endemics, also, in the botanical garden there is a mountain flora, more than 400 of them are collected, it is edelweiss, Carpathian cornflowers and Hungarian lilac. It is much easier to look at them here than on a hike.

We told where to rest in the Carpathians at any time. Some types of tourism are exclusively seasonal. It is much more comfortable to go to the mountains with a tent in the summer, and ski resorts are a winter Eastern European exotic. In the spring, rare local plants bloom, and to catch the golden autumn will be available only in September-October. We will talk in more detail about each season now.

Active rest in the Carpathians in summer

Summer Carpathians are first of all climbing mountains. At other times, this is hindered by weather and temperature. Many peaks are available to tourists without mountaineering training and equipment, so the climbs are quite budget.
Here are the most popular ones:

• Hoverla – the highest point of Ukraine, the absolute height of 2061 m. Tourists have been coming here since 1880. In clear weather from the top you can see Ivano-Frankivsk in the north, Romanian Sighetu Marmatiei in the south.
• Pop-Ivan, height 1936 meters. Of interest is the abandoned White Elephant Observatory, built in 1938. The mountain is located on the border with Romania, there is a tourist route to the top. Therefore, to drive on it, you must first obtain a permit in the village of Business.
• Brebenskul – height 2035 meters. The mountain is covered with alpine meadows, where rare flowers are found. At the top is a glacial lake with relatively warm (15 degrees) water. On warm days you can spend the night in a tent.

Winter tours in Transcarpathia

In winter, the Carpathians attract sports fans: downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling. And if you are not an athlete, just admire the snow-capped peaks and ancient towns with a Christmas atmosphere.
The most popular ski resort is Bukovel, in 2012 recognized as the fastest growing in the world. It is located at an altitude of 920 meters. You can ride here from November to April. Available sports:

• downhill skiing;
• snowmobiles;
• dog sleds;
• snowboards and others.

If you are not familiar with them, you should not cancel the trip. Ski schools, including children’s schools, are open here. According to athletes, getting on a snowboard is a matter of half an hour.
62 trails of different levels of difficulty with a length of 60 km have been opened. Bukovel is suitable not only for sports weekends, but also for health and recreation in the mountains. Sources of mineral waters allowed to open a medical balneological center here.
Another famous ski resort – Dragobrat, the highest mountain (1300-1700 meters). The local trails are covered with snow for almost six months: from November to May. In addition to 9 standard tracks, there are platforms for freeride and springboards for freestyle. The local places are also attractive with views of the Svydovets ridge.
There are more than 10 resorts here, and there will be a suitable one. Many of them offer family tours in the Carpathians with excursions and departures. You will not be bored!

The Carpathians are popular not only for mountains and ski resorts. The earth is rich in mineral waters, almost all of them have healing properties. Practice heating water followed by bathing, which has a beneficial effect on the body. The most popular is Lumshory, where water is heated in huge cast iron vats on an open fire and you just actually cook in it. And on the border with Hungary there is a real thermal spring-Kosino.

Other mineral springs are intended for drinking, as well as for the prevention and treatment of various diseases.

Traveling in the Carpathians autumn

Autumn trips to the foothills and Transcarpathia are authentic and unusual. At this time it is worth traveling to small villages. Usually the most interesting thing is hidden there, not in cities and famous resorts. This is a good season to explore castles, ancient buildings, museums and to attend tastings and festivals, and we try to mention this in every area, if relevant. 

Autumn is a low season, which is why it is also a cheap time to relax in the Carpathians, in addition, they are complemented by orange and yellow forests, and the mountains become even more beautiful. We have compiled a list of recommendations, ie it is not necessary to buy tours – explore everything yourself, moving between cities by shuttle bus or using the transfer. For independent travelers, we have prepared an interesting selection of routes individually for each location, see the section “Routes”.

What to see in the Carpathians in the spring?

In addition to the spring flowering of sakura in Uzhgorod, another Carpathian attraction is the Valley of Daffodils. It is located near the city of Khust, in the tract of Kireshi. The best time to travel here is the first decade of May. At this time, daffodils, yarrow, irises, foxglove bloom here, the field is covered with a flower carpet.
This is an opportunity to see plants that we used to consider garden, in such large numbers in the wild. In the twentieth century, this place was going to dig up and grow something “more useful for agriculture.” Fortunately, this never happened.
The tract is now protected by UNESCO. Although it is located in the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, the existence of the Valley is under threat. Due to changes in soil water regime, plants lack moisture, the area is constantly reduced. But now there are still rare flowers that occupy 257 hectares. Visit this place as soon as the opportunity arises.

We have listed only the main attractions of the Carpathians. There are other, no less interesting places and activities. What is worth gastrotourism with local dishes of Ukrainian and European cuisine. There is also extreme tourism, which should be written about separately. Look for suitable offers on the Go-To.Rest website and go on a journey along new routes.