Roman Boichuk's apiary, Rakhiv

A mountain apiary in Rakhiv

Roman Boichuk's apiary is a small mountain beekeeping business in Rakhiv, the heart of Transcarpathia's Hutsul country. The beekeeper works as a sole trader and produces not only honey but also propolis, propolis and beeswax ointments and tinctures. The apiary is listed among Zakarpattia's craft producers on the region's official tourism portal. The photo in that listing shows colourful hives on a steep grassy slope among trees and mountains, with a small wooden beekeeper's hut among them — a typical scene in Rakhiv's hamlets, where apiaries cling to the slopes next to the hay meadows.

Why look for Rakhiv honey

High-mountain honey from the Rakhiv area is a lovely taste of the Hutsul region to take home: travellers bring it back instead of a fridge magnet, give it to family and open it in winter to recall the scent of mountain meadows. Tours and tastings are not offered, so the best approach is to call the beekeeper in advance, ask what is available and arrange to meet and buy in Rakhiv. That way you get the product straight from the person who looks after the bees and can ask about varieties and harvest times. If you are spending several days around Rakhiv, place your order early in the trip.

What to buy: honey and bee products

• honey from mountain harvests — varieties depend on the season and where the hives stood that year;
• propolis — the bee glue beekeepers have long collected separately;
• ointments made with propolis and beeswax;
• tinctures based on bee products.

Around Rakhiv rise Chornohora, Svydovets and the Marmarosh mountains, with wildflower meadows, bilberry slopes and beech and spruce forests in between. Honey from such places is usually darker and more aromatic than lowland honey, with a distinct herbal taste. Small family apiaries have long been part of Hutsul farming alongside sheep herding and cheese making. Hutsul families never kept honey just for tea: propolis was chewed or steeped against colds, and beeswax ointments soothed hands after haymaking and frost. Before using tinctures or ointments for health purposes, consult a doctor, especially if you are allergic to bee products.

Practical information

• Where: Rakhiv, Zakarpattia region; ask by phone for the exact place of the apiary and meeting point.
• Phones: +380969408996, +380971636477; e-mail [email protected].
• Hours and prices: not published — ask in advance.
• Visits: tours and tastings are not confirmed; purchases by arrangement.
• Getting there: Rakhiv lies in the upper Tysa valley on the Mukachevo–Rakhiv–Vorokhta road (N09). Trains come from Uzhhorod, Lviv and Kyiv, and buses from Ivano-Frankivsk, Khust and Mukachevo. From Vorokhta and Yaremche the road crosses the Yablunytsia Pass into the Chorna Tysa valley.
• Tip: carry honey and tinctures in your hand luggage with the jars well wrapped — the road out of Rakhiv is mountainous and winding.

Please confirm by phone before your trip.

Photos: zaktour.gov.ua.