Rest in Rakhiv

For those who want to go to Rakhiv, the vacation will seem even more beautiful, because it is located in the high mountain region of Ukraine. It is here that the most prominent peak of the Carpathians and the entire country is located, called Hoverla, the height of which is 2,061 m. Five more peaks surpass the 2,000-meter mark: Berbeneskul, Gutyn-Tomnatyk, Petros, Pip-Ivan and Rebra.

The highest road of Ukraine passes through the Rakhiv district, which runs along the Yablonetsky Pass highway.

In addition, the region made a significant contribution to the liberation struggle of Ukrainians for independence. In 1918, the Hutsul republic functioned here for several months, the capital of which was the village of Yasinya at that time.

The region is very rich in minerals. There are deposits of granite, dolomite, gold and marble. And in 2018, very large ore deposits were explored here.

But the main treasure of the region is the majestic mountains and clear air, wild forests and healing springs. Therefore, it is necessary to say without exaggeration that vacation in Rakhiv will be a real paradise for tourists. They will be hospitably welcomed by recreation centers and sanatoriums, coffee shops, convenient lifts and ski slopes.

Map of Rakhiv attractions

The highest mountain city of Ukraine

The city is located in the very center of the Carpathians and the whole of Europe. To the north of it is the confluence of the White and Black Tysa rivers.
When you arrive in Rakhiv, the sights greet you right away. The region is considered the highest point on the map of Ukraine. On average, its height exceeds 0.8 km. Here is the biggest height difference between the streets. The lowest is located at the 400 m mark, and the highest – at 1 km.

Life in the highlands is inextricably linked with thunderstorms, which rage in the city on average 43 days a year.

Rakhiv is connected by rail to Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv, and Uzhhorod is easily accessible by bus.

Today, more than 15,000 people live here.

According to legend, the name of the city comes from the verb “count”. Local aborigines say that in the old days, the area was chosen by opryshkas to count the loot. Other old-timers are sure that the bookkeeping in such a busy place was conducted by honest merchants.

In the chronicles, the first mention of Rakhiv dates back to 1447. At first, the city was inhabited by fugitives – peasants from Galicia and Transcarpathia, who settled here and engaged in logging, rafting and cattle breeding.

In the 16th century he was bound by bonds with the Velikobychkiv State Dominion.

By the middle of the 17th century, Rakhiv began to develop rapidly, turning into a center of trade. Its geographical location at the junction of the trade routes of Hungary, Galicia, Moldova and Transylvania contributed to such trends. Therefore, Rakhiv offers rich and interesting excursions.
In the 18th century the population of the district took part in the Opryshkiv movement under the leadership of Ivan Pyntya, Oleksa Dovbush and Fedor Boyko.

At the beginning of the 19th century, German colonists from the city of Zips came to the left bank of the Tisza, so its suburb was named Tzipserei.

In the second half of the century, Rakhiv becomes the district center.

During the First World War, fierce battles were fought here and it was twice occupied by the Russian army.

In the 20s and 30s. In the last century, the city became part of Czechoslovakia and quickly became a center of European tourism. Rich travelers even begin to call it Hutsul Paris. The question of travelers to Rakhiv, what to see, was not on the agenda.

During the Second World War, more than two and a half thousand residents were arrested, interned or shot here. And in mid-October 1944, the city was occupied by the Soviet army. By 1958, Rakhiv became the district center.

Tourist center of the Ukrainian Carpathians

Today, Rakhiv (Transcarpathian region) is a recognized center of tourism. Here, the main routes leading to the Hutsul Alps, Svydovets, and the Black Mountain range cross. Therefore, Rakhiv offers a variety of hotels, an information center, an equipment rental point, restaurants, souvenir shops, tourist bases, etc. to the guests’ service.

There are also several ski lifts with a height of 300-1200 meters.

Due to the central location of the city in Europe, since 2005 it has been decided to hold the ethnomusic festival “Europe Center” here.

Architectural sights of Rakhiv

The question of where to go in Rakhiv is not difficult to solve.

One of the oldest buildings in the city is the Roman Catholic Church of St. Yan Nepomuk. The history of the religious building begins at the end of the 18th century. since the founding of the Roman Catholic community that came from Upper Austria.
The temple is built of red brick, and its main decoration is the tower located above the main entrance. It was given a rectangular shape, extended into the courtyard.

The Catholic community in Rakhiv appeared as early as 1782-1787. Greek Catholics, who at that time had 2 churches of their own in the city, helped them organize services. They gave the Catholics a wooden chapel, which they converted into a church. In 1791, the Catholic community in Rakhiv received the status of a branch, and in 1810, thanks to Bishop P. Klobushytskyi, it became a parish. The modern church was built from 1822 to 1826. It is located in the very center of the city at Myru Street, 18.

In 1872, the cathedral was restored. The roof was raised and a belfry was erected, and in 1884 an organ was installed.
In Soviet times, the local authorities wanted to demolish the church in order to reconstruct the main square of the city, but the faithful managed to defend the shrine. From 2004 to 2005, a new renovation was carried out, giving the church a modern look. In 2006, a complete replacement of the church floor was carried out, and in 2014, the consecration of the renovated church by Bishop Antal Meinek took place.

The temple with a majestic main facade was built on the central square of the city in the period from 1991 to 1993. The author of the project was the architect Mykhailo Yaroslavovych Kravchuk. The works were headed by Ivan Vasyliovych Gerblich, and he was assisted by builders Grenyuk and Pukman.

The construction was supervised by the priest Mykhailo Krychfalushiy, who continues to serve in the church today.

The authorship of the iconostasis belongs to Peter Dubchuk. The exterior decoration was done by the local artist Mykhailo Vorokhta, and the wall murals (1996-1997) belong to the artist Ivan Andreshko.

The largest amount of donations was allocated by the district council, the Velikobychkivskiy cannery and Kondensator factories, the cardboard factory, and the city’s residents.

Rakhiv Museums

Any tourist first of all tries to visit museums. There are some wonderful treasures of local culture in the city and suburbs.

On the territory of the famous Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, a unique Museum of Mountain Ecology and History of Nature Management has been opened. It is the most complete informational, historical, cultural and educational ecological center.

The exposition of the state-of-the-art interactive museum in the Ukrainian Carpathians includes two components: the main building and the courtyard.

In the first part, visitors mark the places from which they came on special maps. After that, they move to the “shepherd flock”. There is a berfela with a drum, a cauldron and a putera. Here, tourists immerse themselves in the world of sheep cheese production on meadows. In order to improve the assimilation of a large volume of information, the exhibition is complemented by a viewing of the film “Hutsul Sheep Bryndza”.

Thanks to modern innovations, visitors to the museum have the chance to visit polony, which becomes accessible to them through viar glasses. The pleasure is complemented by virtual postcards accompanied by an audio guide.

With the aim of increasing interest in national traditional crafts, in November 2014, the museum of Hutsul carvings of Yury Pavlovich was opened on the first floor of the Hotel “Europa”. Here are exhibited his original bartki, plates, candlesticks, horns.

The craftsman works in the style of traditional and dry carving with inlays of bacunt, necklace, bone, brass nails and mother of pearl. All exhibits exist only in one copy, as they are produced not for sale, but to supplement the encyclopedia of the Hutsul region.

Skiing holiday in Rakhiv

The city is located in the bowl of mountains at the highest point of Ukraine. Nearby is the most prominent peak of the country – Hoverla.

Naturally, the place gained fame as a popular ski resort. The tracks are equipped on Mount Menchul, located in the southeast of the Black Mountain massif with coordinates E: 24.21257, N: 48.05480. They correspond to the initial and intermediate level of difficulty. Tourists like the frequent change in slope of the slopes.

The length of 3 slopes is equal to 1400 m, 1000 m and 300 m with a height difference of 230 m. For the convenience of skiers, there is a ski lift and a multi-lift.

The short length of the tracks in Rakhiv and their flat surface are of great interest to those who prefer calm descents without extreme sensations. They are also perfect for beginner athletes who quickly learn the basics of mastery under the guidance of highly professional instructors.

Thousands of tourists come here every year. The peak season is around Christmas and New Year.

The cost of recreation here is much lower than in Bukovel or Dragobrat, and the level of infrastructure and service meets the best European standards.

Mineral waters of Rakhiv district

The region is rich in sources of healing mineral waters with the local name “burkut”, which have a rare health and healing potential. They are used both for internal consumption and for taking medical procedures.

The main useful balneological resources are represented by the carbon dioxide content of nine main springs, among which Bilynske, Bohdanske, Hoverlyanske, Girsko-Tysianske, Kvasivske, Kobyletsko-Polyanske, Kosivske, Rakhivske and Popytnyk are worth mentioning. In total, there are almost 150 springs, of which almost 49 are wells.

Their mineral and chemical composition corresponds to the types of “Yesentuka”, “Narzan”, etc. Now nine mineral water deposits have been discovered here. Three of them are involved in the development: Girsko-Tysianske, which belongs to the sanatorium “Girska Tysa”, Kobyletsko – Polyanske, which belongs to the tourist base “Trembita” and Rakhivske.

Center of Europe near Rakhiv

The geographical center of Europe, marked with a geodetic sign, is located between the settlements of Dilove and Kostylivka of Rakhiv district. It was established back in 1887. There is an inscription in Latin on it, which indicates that the point was determined with the help of a special Austro-Hungarian device that fixes the center of the continent. Its coordinates correspond to 48 degrees and 30 minutes of north latitude and 23 degrees and 23 minutes of east longitude.

At the end of the century before last, Austria-Hungary attached great importance to the development of science. Therefore, by order of the army general staff, the necessary measurements were made and it was calculated that the center of Europe falls precisely on the Rakhiv district.

It should be noted that such a mark is not the only one. Similar indicators have been established in Austria, Belarus, Germany, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia. This is due to the use of different methods of calculating the borders of the continent. They are measured along its coastline or taking into account nearby and distant islands (Franz Josef Land, Svalbard, etc.) That is why multiple disagreements arose on such a question, which, it would seem, does not need multiple interpretations.

Rakhiv restaurants

After getting acquainted with the treasures of Rakhiv, travelers should definitely visit the “Europa” restaurant, which serves amazing dishes of Hungarian, Hutsul and Ukrainian cuisine. A cozy establishment with economical prices, excellent recipes of national cuisine and a unique menu of liqueurs and tinctures will appeal to everyone without exception.

A wonderful restaurant at the Olenka Hotel also welcomes guests. The cafe-restaurant “Kolyba Ulyk” is no less in demand.
In all establishments, the cost of dishes corresponds to an average, not too high price, and the quality of cooking and service meet the strictest and most demanding requirements.

Where to stay in Rakhiv?

The hotel will not disappoint the guests of Rakhiv.

After visiting museums, walking through picturesque places and luxurious excursions, you should rest in the oldest hotel in the city, “Europa”. It has been welcoming city guests for over a hundred years. Here they are offered both budget and deluxe rooms. Those who wish are also recommended to visit the swimming pool, restaurant and sauna. The cost of living here starts at UAH 400 for a double room.

Accommodation at the “Olenka” hotel, where room prices start at at UAH 480. for a single one-room junior suite, and a snack is offered in the hotel restaurant, is considered no less popular among tourists who have arrived in Rakhiv. per room, and a snack is offered in the hotel restaurant.

“RakhivHotel& Apartments” offers travelers modern rooms from 650. for a twin room with shower.

How to get to Rakhiv?

In order to get to the place without problems, you need to decide where the city of Rakhiv is located.

By rail, trains from Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv or Lviv go to Rahiv.

Buses from Ivano-Frankivsk, Mukachevo, Ternopil, Uzhhorod or Chernivtsi also go here.

It is easy to get there by car from Lviv or Mukachevo along the N-09 highway.

Nevertheless, some travelers ponder whether it is worth going to Rakhiv. The geographic center of the mainland is located next to it. But it is not easy to get to its center from any point, especially by rail. From here it is difficult to get even to the capital of the country, and it becomes quite difficult to leave from the regional center of Uzhhorod.

Historical data indicate that earlier steam trains from Budapest to Halychyna and from Prague to Jasin passed through the district.

The city of Rakhiv on the map and on the ground is located on the very border with Romania, but until recently trains did not go there at all. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Rakhiv-Szigetu-Marmatsia diesel train was running, but it was canceled due to problems with smuggling and low carriage capacity. Only recently, after a 17-year break, on January 18, 2023, the railway connection between the city of Rahiv and Romania was restored. The train from the city of Rahiv via Dilove to the Romanian city of Vala Višeului runs twice a day (in the morning and in the evening).

But it is hardly necessary to be afraid of difficulties that are completely solved. Those who overcome the path to Rakhiv will not regret their decision for a single moment. They will see the real beauty and luxury of the local nature, so the trip here will forever remain a beautiful memory in their soul.

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