Horse Riding, Mykulychyn

Horse riding in Mykulychyn is a riding service in one of the most popular villages near Yaremche. The owners keep hardy mountain horses and take guests along forest roads, mountain trails and up to the meadows above the Prut River. You can sit in a saddle for the first time under an instructor’s eye or set off on a proper multi-hour ride through the Gorgany. In winter the horses pull sleighs and in summer a carriage, so the experience suits all ages and abilities.

What’s on offer

• Trail rides — groups of up to 10 riders with a guide, through the forest or into the mountains outside the village.
• Riding lessons for beginners: how to saddle up, hold the reins and feel confident on horseback.
• Carriage in summer, sleigh in winter — up to 7 passengers; a 3–4-hour trip with lunch in a Hutsul house is available.
• 5–6-hour mountain routes: Kychera — Pantyr — Mlaky — Popivskyi — Foreshchyk, or Kostil — Rokyta — Popivskyi — Foreshchyk; other routes are planned individually.
• Trips to shepherds’ huts on the meadows, plus overnight mountain rides in summer (equipment by arrangement).
• Special guests: terms for children with special needs and for servicemen and women are discussed individually.

Guest reviews praise the well-groomed, calm horses in Hutsul tack with red tassels and the scenic routes, making the rides a good choice for families with children and school groups.

The Hutsul horse — a mountain tradition

Small but strong and remarkably hardy, the Hutsul horse was for centuries the highlanders’ main helper: it carried hay from the meadows, firewood and cheese, and climbed steep paths where no cart could pass. These horses are calm and reliable and step confidently over stones and roots, which makes them the best way to get to know the Carpathians — slowly and from the saddle. Horse riding in the Carpathians is not just entertainment but a piece of living Hutsul tradition.

Practical information

• Where: 35 Lesi Ukrainky St, Mykulychyn (Zaholytsi area); the exact meeting point is agreed when booking.
• Phones: +380 67 344 70 18 (Ivan), +380 95 152 59 51.
• Prices (per karpaty.info): horseback 1,500 UAH for 2 hours; carriage or sleigh 1,500–2,500 UAH per hour, plus up to 30 minutes’ rest on the way. Discounts apply for longer trips. Prices may differ during holidays — please confirm by phone in advance.
• Transfer: the hosts can arrange a minibus to Mykulychyn from Yaremche railway or bus station.
• What to bring: closed shoes with a good tread, trousers comfortable for riding, a rain jacket; warm clothes in winter.

How to get there

Mykulychyn is a long mountain village along the Prut between Yaremche and Tatariv, on the N09 Ivano-Frankivsk — Bukovel road. It is easy to reach by car or by buses heading to Yaremche, Vorokhta and Bukovel, and the village has a railway station on the Ivano-Frankivsk — Vorokhta line. Yaremche is about a 10-minute drive away.

Photos: static1.karpaty.info; static.travello.com.ua.