Spring No. 4 of the Mother of God, Morshyn

Spring No. 4, also known as the Spring of the Mother of God, is Morshyn’s most famous mineral spring and probably the resort’s best-loved spot. It is the source of Morshynska, a bottled water known all over Ukraine, and here you can fill up free of charge around the clock. The spring lies in a green park area on Dzherelna Street near the Resort Park and is protected as a local hydrological natural monument. On Google Maps it is rated a high 4.7 from about 250 reviews.

A legend that every visitor to Morshyn hears is tied to the spring: the Mother of God once showed people where to look for healing water that would save the town. That is why it is also called “Under the Mother of God”. Above the spring stands a small white colonnaded pavilion inscribed “Spring of the Mother of God”, with a glazed chapel holding a statue of the Virgin and flowers, an angel sculpture and a board with a short history nearby.

Why go: Morshynska water at its source

The water of spring No. 4 is low in minerals and regarded as a medicinal table water suitable for everyday drinking. Morshyn water rises to the surface by itself, collects in catchment structures and flows by gravity through a pipeline to the nearby bottling plant – according to local media, it takes only minutes from spring to bottle. So at the spring you drink the same water as in the shop bottle, only fresh and still.

Steps lead down into a small hollow where water flows from taps. Many holidaymakers and locals fill bottles, so in season and at weekends there can be queues; visitors ask others not to fill dozens of litres at once. Early morning and evening are the quietest times. The grounds around the spring are well kept, with flower beds, greenery and benches, so after filling up it is pleasant to sit in the shade of old trees and enjoy the quiet of the park forest.

A little about the resort and the water

Morshyn’s first spa season opened in 1878; at first it treated respiratory illnesses thanks to the clean forest air, and later became famous for its mineral waters. In the early 20th century Morshyn was called the “Galician Karlsbad”. Besides spring No. 4, the town has the Morshynkurort pump room, which serves the resort’s other medicinal waters for a fee. Mineral waters differ in composition and effect, so if you plan to drink them as a course, the regimen should be prescribed by a doctor; people with kidney, heart or stomach conditions should consult one beforehand. For most people, the table water of spring No. 4 is simply delicious natural water.

Practical information

• Address: Dzherelna St, Morshyn (park area by the Resort Park), Stryi district.
• Hours: 24 hours.
• Price: free.
• Tip: bring a bottle or a cup; nothing is sold at the spring.
• Season: all year; the steps can be slippery in winter.

Getting there: Morshyn is 85 km from Lviv and 15 km from Stryi. Trains and local trains run from Lviv, Stryi and Ivano-Frankivsk; from the station it is a 15–20-minute walk through the centre and the Resort Park. Cars cannot drive right up to the spring: park on Dzherelna Street or by the park and walk the last 70–100 m.

At a glance

• Address: Morshyn
• Opening hours: 24 hours
• Season: All year round
• Prices: Free

Photos: lh3.googleusercontent.com.