Dovbush's cave, Pidzakharychi.

The colorful Hutsul village of Pidzakharychi is famous for its picturesque views of the meadows, clean mountain air, and rich history. The brave leader of the opryshky did not ignore these places: not far from the Nimchych Pass, there was Dovbush's cave, which served as a refuge for the rebels. This is a karst and speleological natural monument of local importance in Ukraine, located east of the village of Pidzakharychi. The area is 0.1 hectares. The status was granted in 1984. It is managed by the State Enterprise "Carpathian State Special Forestry" (Roztokivske forestry, block 3, view 34).

The status was granted to preserve the picturesque rock complex with a cave located on the slope of the Berizka ridge in the Pokutsko-Bukovyna Carpathians. The cave is a vertical inclined crack of tectonic origin in sandstones. Dovbush's cave in Pidzakharychi is small in size: it is 3 to 6 meters high, 1-1.5 meters wide, and 7-10 meters long, although previously, according to legend, it was about 30 meters long. The entrance to the cave is a vertically inclined crack in massive sandstones, which makes it hardly noticeable. It is also said that in the days when Dovbush lived, the cave led all the way to the Galician bank of the Cheremosh River.

The cave is reached by a path that leads to the Berizka ridge. If you walk along the ridge crest, the road will lead to a geodetic sign. Below it, among the huge boulders, is Dovbush's cave, as indicated by the sign. There is a legend that Dovbush used to hide the treasures he took from local rich people in caves. It is possible that there may be jewelry in the cave near Pidzakharychi.

Dovbush's cave is often visited by tourists, the way to it does not require any special preparation, the main thing is to take a flashlight with you. A visit to the site will allow you to fully enjoy the picturesque views, feel the spirit of the times of the glorious opryshok and folk hero, Hutsul "Robin Hood" - Oleksa Dovbush. At the head of the rebels who opposed the arbitrariness of the feudal lords, who imposed exorbitant taxes and duties on the peasants, Oleksa robbed landlords, rich tenants and moneylenders, as well as Polish nobles, and distributed the loot to the peasants. Folk legends and stories were composed about his life, deeds of courage and valor, and his image has forever entered Ukrainian, Hungarian, Moldavian, and Polish folklore. According to legend, in 1741-1742, the opryshky leader acted with his detachment in the area of the villages of Pidzakharychi, Dovhopillia, Putyla, Vyzhnytsia, and Roztoka. This cave served as one of the rebels' hideouts. There are several caves in the Carpathians where Dovbush hid. According to legend, he hid his treasures in one of them. Perhaps it was here... The death of this hero was unexpected - he was betrayed and killed by a peasant Stepan Dzvinchuk, and this tragic death further strengthened Dovbush's fame, which remains in the memory of the people to this day.

Dovbush's cave is located on the Nimchych Pass. To find this cave, you need to walk about 3.5 km from the pass along the Berizka ridge in a northwestern direction, which offers a stunning panorama of the Cheremosh river valley. This pass is considered one of the most picturesque places in the Carpathians. The path runs along the ridge crest through the highest peak of the route - Mount Verkhorichchia (834 m). In 0.5 km, after a concrete post (apparently a geodetic one), the trail turns left and down into the forest thickets. Here we find a pile of giant stone blocks with a sign "Natural Monument" and a black cave opening below it. This is a truly magical place that is worth seeing for everyone who is interested in the sights of Ukraine and its amazing places, who is fond of legends and traditions, believes in fairy tales and miracles. We also advise you to visit the Garchyk monument, the Museum of Artworks, and the Church of St. Basil in Pidzakharychi.

There is also another way - in the northern part of Pidzakharychi, before reaching 200 meters to the road bridge over the Cheremosh, a side street branches off to the right (east) from the main road. Go there and then the marked route begins, which will lead you to the cave. The path leads first through shrubbery between rural estates and old gardens, and then through the forest. The general direction is east, northeast. This route is somewhat shorter - about 2 km, but you need to gain considerable height. You will cover the distance in about the same hour and a half.

Before you go to the rock, you should realize that the cave is more like a mine - first you have to overcome a vertical descent among the stones, and only then underground you will find a tunnel between the rocks, which is about 7-10 meters long. Although in the past, according to some historical data, the length of this cave was 30 meters. Going to the dungeon, you need to follow the safety rules, it is better to have a special guide and take a reliable flashlight with you to explore this place. Undoubtedly, without the appropriate experience and equipment, you should not go down into the dungeon, especially alone. Don't forget that if an accident happens, there will be no one to save you.

Every year the village hosts the Zakharetskyi Harchyk festival and fair. Here you can learn more about the Hutsuls and their customs, taste traditional dishes and buy a souvenir.

In this area, near Pidzakharychi, there are many picturesque caves of the Putylshchyna region. In general, caves named after Dovbush can be found in Bukovyna, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, each of which is characterized by its own unique features and legends.

The cliffs and the cave of Oleksa Dovbush, part of the Vyzhnytsia National Park, impress with their unusual fantastic appearance and are among the natural monuments of local importance that were taken under protection in Soviet times. Not far away, within a few hours' hike, there are also such outstanding natural monuments as the rocks of Protyate Kamenia and Sokolyno Oko, as well as the cascade of Bukovynian waterfalls.