Polonyna Pertsi Ethno Park, Yablunytsia

Polonyna Pertsi (“Pepper Meadow”) is an ethno park of Hutsul traditions in Yablunytsia, close to the Yablunytsia Pass. It sits at about 1,000 metres above sea level, with a view of Hoverla on clear days, and is roughly a 20-minute drive from Bukovel. It suits travellers who want not just to look at Hutsul life but to taste and try it: listen to folk music, sample mountain cheese, shape a clay cup or forge a horseshoe.

What to do

The best introduction is the signature guided tour. It lasts about an hour and a half and includes a walk with a guide, a local legend, a cheese tasting with fruit liqueurs (a dried-fruit drink for children) and a music workshop. Tours run for groups of eight or more. The entry ticket also covers the outlaw’s (opryshok) hut, a petting zoo with sheep, rabbits and poultry, a collection of old Hutsul costumes and a workshop where you can watch craftspeople at work.

Other activities include suspension bridges, archery, photo shoots in Hutsul dress, a sauna and outdoor herbal hot tubs by booking, and for groups a staged “Hutsul wedding” with musicians and rituals.

Workshops

The park offers a wide choice of crafts, from UAH 550 per person at the time of writing.

• pottery — wheel session, with kiln firing or an extended format;
• blacksmithing — forge a horseshoe, a heart or an outlaw’s knife with a master;
• cheese figurines — traditional Hutsul shapes sculpted from cheese;
• Easter egg painting, decorative painting, carving Hutsul ornaments;
• beadwork (from bracelets to traditional necklaces), leather craft, motanka dolls;
• in winter Christmas stars and fir wreaths, in summer Kupala flower wreaths.

Festivals

The meadow follows the folk calendar. Every year it hosts the Hutsul Crafts Day (May), the Mountain Cheese Festival (June) with tastings and stories about cheesemaking, an artists’ plein-air, Kupala Night, a potters’ festival (July) and the Apple Feast of the Saviour. In winter there are St Andrew’s Eve evenings, Christmas Eve, carolling, a Malanka masquerade contest and Epiphany. Check dates on the park’s social media.

Practical information

• Address: Horishkiv area, Yablunytsia village, near the Yablunytsia Pass.
• Opening hours: Monday–Thursday 9:00–18:00, Friday–Sunday 9:00–19:00, open daily.
• Entry: adults UAH 400, children 6–16 UAH 350; free for orphans, people with disabilities and war veterans; 50% off for families of service members.
• Tour with tasting: UAH 500 adults, UAH 450 children, about 1.5 hours.
• Phone: +380975075560; book on the website or by phone.

Prices are taken from the official website as of October 2026 and may change.

How to get there

Yablunytsia lies on the N09 road between Yaremche and Verkhovyna. By car it takes about two hours from Ivano-Frankivsk; in the village set your navigator to “Polonyna Pertsi” — the access road climbs from the highway. By public transport take a bus to Yablunytsia, then walk uphill or take a taxi. From Bukovel the drive is about 20 minutes.

Website and social media: polonynapertsi.com.ua · instagram.com · tiktok.com

Photos: framerusercontent.com.