Kosivskyi Huk Waterfall

Kosivskyi Huk - one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Ukrainian Carpathians (in the Pokuttya-Bukovyna Carpathians massif), a geological natural monument of local significance. It is located on the Rybnytsia River, within the city of Kosiv, in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. In the city, where stable rock formations intersect, the Rybnytsia River creates several picturesque cascades, with a total height of about 2.5 m. The Rybnytsia River originates from two streams that flow down from the slopes of Ihrets and Pysany Kamin, at an altitude of about 800 m above sea level. Its length is 54 km, and the basin area is 276 sq. km. The flow rate varies between 0.5-1 m/sec.

Kosivskyi Huk is surrounded by picturesque cliffs. Nearby the waterfall, it is easy to find a place to relax. Moreover, the Kosivskyi Huk waterfall is very conveniently located: just a couple of hundred meters from the road that most travelers take by car deeper into the Carpathians, towards Kosmach or Sheshory, or to Verkhovyna or Kryvorivnya. After all, the Carpathians are beautiful everywhere, and each corner has its own wonders.

The Kosiv waterfalls, or "huks", consist of two parts: the actual huk - the waterfall, and "shum" - the part of the river where the water falls from above, creating a boiling cauldron covered with turbulent white foam - shum. "Shum" also refers to the rapids over which the water rushes down the sloping rock. In 2010, it became part of the regional landscape park "Hutsulshchyna".

Kosivskyi Huk is a series of waterfalls and large rapids on the Rybnytsia River on the southwestern outskirts of Kosiv, between the mountains Ostryi and Stizhky. The largest "Pershyi Huk" is near the "Karpaty Zory" tourist base. It was formed by the erosion of softer layers, particularly - shales and sandstones. 50-60 years ago, the water fell from a height of 2-3 m from a wall slightly inclined towards the flow; nearby was the so-called "shum" - a high rapid. Currently, only a large rapid and a series of smaller ones upstream remain. On the right bank, the cliffs reach a height of 15 m. The "Druhy Huk" is located 300-400 m towards the mountains.

In the 1930s, a wonderful pavilion with a buffet, a dance hall with an orchestra, and a changing room were built at Huk. Below the pavilion, a station with kayaks was constructed, where one could paddle to the pleasant music of the orchestra. After the war, Huk was abandoned, and the pavilion burned down. To this day, a beautiful chapel has been preserved on the right bank of the Rybnytsia River, located at the place where the famous Ukrainian writer Ivan Franko loved to relax.

On the banks of the Rybnytsia River near the huk, there is a recreation base "Baika", sanatorium "Karpaty Zory", as well as a large number of private homesteads that are ready to welcome tourists year-round. The huks are a favorite vacation spot for locals and tourists coming from various corners of Ukraine and abroad. It is at the waterfalls, thanks to the strong streams of crystal-clear water, that one can enjoy a healing massage for the whole body.

A wonderful view of the Kosivskyi Huk waterfall opens from the observation deck, where you can take many beautiful photos as a keepsake. A little higher up the "Skeli" area (Ivan Franko Street), a stream flows into the Rybnytsia River, interesting because there are at least five picturesque waterfalls on its bed, with an average height of about two meters. They are especially full of water during the rainy season.

You can reach the Kosivskyi Huk waterfall by car or public transport. By car from Ivano-Frankivsk: via the N10 road to Kolomyia, then the P24 highway to Kosiv. From Chernivtsi: via the N10 road, turn left at Zabolotiv onto T0904, and drive to Kosiv. Buses run to Kosiv from Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Lviv, Kyiv, Odesa, and other cities. You can take a train to Ivano-Frankivsk, Yaremche, Vorokhta, and then local buses to Kosiv. The waterfall is located on the southwestern outskirts of Kosiv, between the mountains Ostryi and Stizhky. From Druzhby Street, which the vehicles follow through Kosiv, turn right at the fork onto Franko Street, and drive or walk another hundred meters.