Chorna Bdzhola Meadery, Vyhoda

Chorna Bdzhola (“Black Bee”) in Vyhoda is a small, cosy meadery in the Kalush district of the Ivano-Frankivsk region, where you can learn how drinking mead was traditionally made in the Carpathians and taste several kinds of it. It sits in the centre of the village, a few minutes’ walk from the narrow-gauge railway station, so for most travellers it becomes a tasty finale to a ride on the Carpathian Tram. It is one of the few places in the area where a honey tasting in the Carpathians comes with a story about the mead-maker’s craft, and the mead is made to old Boyko recipes.

Why go to Chorna Bdzhola

The hall is styled as an old-time meadery: oak barrels, brick vaults, wooden tables, ancient log hives and the utensils mead-makers once used. The tour is hands-on — you can look at the exhibits up close and touch them — while the guide talks about the history of beekeeping and mead-making, how honey, water and herbs turn into a noble drink, and how true drinking mead differs from ordinary honey wine.

• Guided tour — a short talk about bees, the apiary, old hives and the stages of making mead.
• Tasting — usually 3–6 kinds of drinking mead, creamed honey, honey balsam, honey liqueurs and fragrant Carpathian herbal tea.
• Groups and schools — the tasting hall seats up to 100, so organised groups, school trips and company outings are welcome.
• Families with children — the tasting has non-alcoholic items (herbal tea, creamed honey), and the shop sells honey sweets.

What to taste and buy

The star is drinking mead: thick, aromatic and slightly tart, in several versions — from classic to infused with herbs and berries. According to the karpaty.info guide, the meadery makes more than ten honey liqueurs of its own, so try a few and pick your favourite. Velvety creamed honey travels well and makes a good gift.

• honey and creamed honey, drinking mead, honey liqueurs and balsam;
• propolis and propolis tincture, beeswax goods;
• honey lollipops and gingerbread — a nice treat for children.

Drinking mead is one of the oldest beverages of the Ukrainian lands. In the Carpathians it was brewed from forest honey and spring water with herbs, berries and spices, then aged in oak barrels. In the Boyko region beekeeping was always part of farm life: log hives stood at the edge of the forest, and honey was valued both as food and as medicine. That makes a tasting at Chorna Bdzhola a small journey into the region’s past.

Practical information

• Address: 48 Danyla Halytskoho St, Vyhoda (Kalush district, Ivano-Frankivsk region).
• Phone: +380 68 145 24 26, +380 95 752 74 15; Facebook page “Медоварня Чорна Бджола”.
• Opening hours: by prior arrangement. The meadery often hosts tour groups, so independent travellers should call ahead and join the next tour.
• Price: according to tour operators, admission with tasting costs 40–100 UAH per person, sometimes less for pupils; confirm by phone in advance.
• Note: the tasting includes alcoholic drinks — drivers should stick to tea and creamed honey and take the liqueurs home.

Please confirm by phone before your trip.

How to get there

Vyhoda lies 8–10 km south of Dolyna. Dolyna is easy to reach by bus or car from Lviv, Stryi, Kalush or Ivano-Frankivsk; from there take a local bus, a taxi or drive. The meadery is on the village’s main street, close to the Carpathian Tram station. Many tour operators from Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk include Chorna Bdzhola in day trips to Vyhoda — the easiest option if you travel without a car.

Website and social media: facebook.com

Photos: vidviday.ua; mtourism.com.ua.