Three routes through Transcarpathia – where to look for tea plantations, wineries and cheese factories, Transcarpathia castles and landscape parks, what to see in the mountains, where to find bears and deer.
I recommend you to read: Bukovel in summer – what to do at the mountains resort
Route around Uzhhorod
Uzhhorod is the capital of Transcarpathia and a very nice city located on the Slovak border. There are many nice cafes here, including the famous confectionery Shtefanyo. To try the desserts, come early in the morning, and for a glass of wine, it’s better to come in the late afternoon, because during the day, tourist groups dominate the place.
What to see in Uzhhorod? Of course, this is Uzhhorod Castle, which is perfectly preserved, plus it has an interesting museum exhibition: weapons, musical instruments, and coins preserved from the 13th century.
The ticket price is 130 UAH (3 $). For more information, visit the castle’s website.
Next to the castle is the Museum of Folk Life and Architecture, which houses old houses from different parts of Ukraine. There is also a unique church here, built without a single nail.
The ticket price is 100 UAH.
You can also take a walk along the route of Uzhhorod – I wrote about this separately, I and suggest you read it here.
After admiring the beauty of Uzhhorod, go explore the surrounding natural and historical sights, which are scattered around the capital of Transcarpathia.
Lumshory waterfalls
The village of Lumshory is located 45 kilometers from Uzhhorod. It is located in a high-mountain gorge, along the bottom of which the mineral river Turychka flows. It’s really mineral – it smells like sulfur when you jump into it after a hot vat. It was in Lumshory that the tradition of taking baths in heated mineral water was born.
You can read about thermal springs and vats in Transcarpathia here.
In addition to the vats, Lumshory has picturesque waterfalls. Davir is a waterfall with an observation deck around it. The next one is not very noticeable – Burkach waterfall. And downstream of the river there is the Perestupen waterfall, which is the largest because a large rock blocks the river’s path and the water rushes down with all its force and power.
On the way, you can visit the Nevytsky Castle, located 15 km from Uzhhorod. The castle is slowly being restored – a roof and an observation deck on the tower have been added. It offers a beautiful panorama of the Uzh River valley and the surrounding villages.
Schönborn Park in Voyevodyno
If you go from Lumshor towards the village of Turya Pasika (15 km), you can get to the amazing landscape park of the Vojvodino resort. In the fall, it is fantastically beautiful here! It’s worth spending a few hours there: walk around the beautiful grounds along the small Lake Tur, above which a small St. John’s mill with wooden millstones and a water wheel is built.
A little to the side is the beautiful stone bridge of the Four Evangelists, decorated with sculptures of the saints: Luke, John, Mark and Matthew. The bridge connects the path from the lake and the path leading to the church built at the resort. Along the lake there are 22 benches with the coats of arms of the states that have owned Transcarpathia throughout its long history.
And across a small stream there are 12 bridges with the twelve signs of the zodiac. On the territory of the resort you can go horseback riding, if you wish, catch trout in a small trout farm. You can take freshly caught fish with you or cook it on the grill at the Hungry Trout restaurant.
A ticket to the park costs 75 UAH. on weekends, free of charge on weekdays. Trout fishing – 250 UAH. per 1 kg, cooking – 25 UAH. per 100 gr.
Route in the mountains of Transcarpathia
This route takes in the Transcarpathian Mountains and the many sights that are located in this part of the region. This route can be driven leisurely in three days, because in many mountainous areas the roads have finally been repaired – they are now almost perfect.
Pylypets – Waterfall and cable car
In the village of Pylypets, there is one of the most powerful waterfalls in the Carpathians, the Hiss, which does not dry up even in summer. Railings and steps have been laid at the approach to the waterfall – the ascent is easy and safe. During the day, there are a lot of people near the waterfall, but in the morning and evening there is no one here – you can walk safely without jostling on the narrow paths.
If you have the energy and desire, you can walk along the neighboring wilder trails that lead along small parallel streams. There are also small cascades here, and there are practically no people.
Entrance to the waterfall is paid: adults – 20 UAH, children – 10 UAH; children under 7 years old. – free of charge.
After the waterfall, you can go up to the upper lift station. The cable car leads to Mount Makovytsia, which offers a magnificent view of the peaks of Transcarpathia and the Borzhava massif. The upper cable car station has a cozy tea room with panoramic windows – a great place to warm up in cold weather.
In the center of Pylypets you can also see the wooden Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was built in the middle of the eighteenth century. The church has an ancient iconostasis and a wooden two-tiered bell tower dating back to 1758. You can get inside the church for free, but only during the service on Sundays or holidays.
Synevirska Polyana – a lake and bears
Then the route passes through the village of Kelechyn, on the outskirts of which you can stop to drink mineral water from theKvasnivsky Kvasspring. According to research, the water in the source is carbon dioxide, bicarbonate-calcium, and contains trace elements such as iron and cobalt. Suitable for the treatment of diseases of the digestive system. Then drive through Mezhyhiria and climb the Synevyr Pass. It offers a beautiful panorama of the mountains covered with centuries-old fir trees.
From the pass, the road leads to the village of Synevyrska Polyana, where one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in Ukraine, Synevyr, is located. The lake, at an altitude of almost 1000 meters, is fed by mountain streams – its water is clean, and it is home to river trout and blue crayfish (fishing is prohibited).
Synevyr is called the “eye of the sea” because a small island rises in the middle of the lake. In spring, the island is not visible, it appears only in summer in the heat, when the streams become less full. There is a hiking trail around the lake, and there are places for picnics and recreation.
The cost of visiting the lake: adult – 25 UAH, children – 10 UAH, 75 UAH. – car transportation to the parking lot near the lake.
Brown Bear Rehabilitation Center
Visit the Brown Bear Rehabilitation Center, which is located near Synevyrska Polyana. On an area of more than 12 hectares, there are more than thirty bears that are brought here from private zoos where the owners abused wild animals. The center’s employees call this place the “Nursing Home for Bears.”
The bears are looked after and treated for physical and psychological injuries caused by humans. In the rehabilitation center, the bears live almost as if they were in the wild, only coming to eat at the appointed time to a high fence, through which they are interesting to watch.
The entrance fee is 30 UAH. adult, 15 UAH. – a child’s ticket.
Museum of Forestry and Rafting
Another interesting object is the Museum of Forestry and Rafting and a small mountain lake located next to it. The museum is located a bit off the road leading to Synevyr. The road to the museum is designed for off-road vehicles, but this is a place where crowds of tourists don’t go, where the real nature of Transcarpathia is. From the museum, there is a forest trail leading to the lake through a beautiful forest past a mountain stream with picturesque rapids.
Khust – cheese dairies and deer farm
Then the path goes towards the small Transcarpathian town of Khust, near which there is something to see for children and adults. Firstly, it is a buffalo farm, where the big-horned buffaloes live. Despite the fact that buffaloes are large animals and inspire fear, you can feed them directly from your hands on the farm. Here you can also buy and taste buffalo milk, yogurt, and cheeses.
It is located on the Tok, c. Horinchovo, Khust district, Transcarpathia region.
The cost of the tour is 30 UAH, children under 6 years old are free. The farm has a small restaurant where you can taste buffalo milk products for 60 UAH.
In the village of Iza, there is a deer farm: deer are raised on a large fenced area to harvest antlers. The animals live almost like in the wild, but they are happy to come to the fence to eat their treats. At the farm, you can see the animals and feed them special food.
Tickets: adults – 30 UAH, children – 20 UAH.
In the village of Iza, there is also theBaranove cheese factory , which makes cheese according to traditional Transcarpathian recipes. You can taste delicate vurda, soft sheep and goat cheese, as well as aged cheeses. The tour program includes an introduction to the world of cheese-making: you can go in and see the production and cheese ripening chambers.
The tasting room, which is also a museum, contains items that were used to make traditional Transcarpathian cheese in the last century. Outside of the tasting, you can try goat milk ice cream.
The cost of the tasting is 120 UAH. from a human being. Read more on the Baranovo website
Route around Mukachevo – castles and wineries
Mukachevo is another center of attraction and the place to start the route through Transcarpathia. In and around the city, there are many well-known and completely untouted places that can surprise experienced travelers.
In Mukachevo, start with a classic tour of the Palanok Castle, a citadel built on top of a hill that is actually an extinct volcano. And this is not a legend – hot springs located near Mukachevo are proof of volcanic processes.
www.facebook.com/Palanokmuseum/
Then take a walk in the city center to find statues of geese, tourist symbols of Mukachevo. Visit the chimney sweep – in the city center there is a monument to the last chimney sweep of Ukraine, Barty Bacha, who still cleans fireplaces in the old town. Then have a coffee in a coffee shop and go explore the neighborhood.
Castles around Mukachevo
First, visit the Schönborn Palace, which is located on the territory of the Karpaty sanatorium. The hunting castle with its brightly colored tiles, towers, and colored stained-glass windows once belonged to the German counts of Schönborn.
The amazingly beautiful castle building is surrounded by an old park with centuries-old oaks and linden trees, and a walking path around a nice pond. Unfortunately, you can’t get inside the castle – the administrative building of the sanatorium is located there. But the area around and the view of the castle are worth a visit.
The park is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00, the cost of visiting the park is 20 UAH. from a human being.
The next point is St. Miklos Castle in the village of Chynadiyovo, where the artist Josyp Bartosz lives. Thanks to the efforts of this man, the castle got a new life: he partially restored it and conducts interesting excursions here, telling stories and love legends that surrounded the “Castle of Love” with a halo.
You can get to the castle every day from 9:00 to 18:00. Visits are by appointment only by calling +38 (050) 973-94-49. Admission is free, but tips are encouraged for the restoration of the castle.
Transcarpathian tea plantation
Another interesting place is a former experimental tea plantation in Transcarpathia. Or rather, what is left of it is located on Chervona Hora, not far from Mukachevo. In the 50s of the last century, varieties of Georgian, Kuban, Indian, Javanese, and Ceylonese tea were grown here. The production of Transcarpathian tea was recognized as unprofitable in just five years, but tea bushes still grow among the oak snowdrops. If you are interested in history and want to see with your own eyes how tea grows. What remains of a Transcarpathian tea plantation is still growing on Chervona Higka, above Mukachevo.
Beregovo – wine chateaux and cellars
In Transcarpathia, grapes are traditionally grown and excellent wine is produced. This is facilitated by the unique climate: the mountains protect the valley from cold winds, which hardly ever sees frost even in winter. There are many wineries around Mukachevo, but the most impressive vineyards belong to the Chizay brand. You can go on a guided tour of the winery, visit the Winemaker’s Museum, and go down to the wine cellars.
Attend a tasting and learn a lot about the culture of wine consumption from a professional sommelier. And then take a walk through the vineyards, see where and how grapes are grown, or have a photo shoot on the vineyard-filled slopes.
The cost of a tour of the winery and museum is 45 UAH, a tour with tasting is 145 UAH, a tour with tasting, lunch and a walk through the vineyards is 360 UAH. For more information, visit the Chizay website.
Useful links for organizing your trip:
Bus schedule and bus tickets are available at InfoBus.ua
Flights, train and bus tickets are available at Tickets.ua
Green card for traveling by car abroad – EKTA
Booking of hotels and apartments – Booking.com
I recommend reading it:
- Thermal resorts of Transcarpathia
- Searching for a sanatorium in Transcarpathia – our own experience
- Stylish hotels in the Carpathians
