Podorozhuiemo Karpatamy Tours, Slavske

Podorozhuiemo Karpatamy («Travelling the Carpathians») is a local excursion service in Slavske that takes resort guests on day trips across the Boyko lands, Transcarpathia and Prykarpattia. If you came to Slavske without a car, or simply do not want to drive mountain serpentines, it is an easy way to see waterfalls, castles and mountain lakes in a day — and to taste local cheeses along the way.

How the trips work

Groups travel in comfortable 8–10-seat minibuses with air conditioning, a TV and a microphone, so the guide can talk about the area on the go. Larger groups are split between several vehicles. A trip lasts 4 to 8 hours, so you can choose a half-day outing or a full day in Transcarpathia. The organiser also offers transfers and lifts to the foot of Trostian, Vysokyi Verkh and Makivka for hikers.

Routes

• Slavske — Pylypets — Mizhhiria — Synevyrska Poliana. Shypit Waterfall, a mineral spring, the brown bear rehabilitation centre and the mountain lake Synevyr.
• Slavske — Mukachevo — Uzhhorod — Kosyno. Palanok Castle, Uzhhorod Castle and the Kosyno thermal pools.
• Slavske — Kamianka — Urych — Skole. The waterfall and lake near Kamianka and the Tustan cliff fortress.
• Slavske — Bubnyshche — Vyhoda — Kamianka. The Dovbush Rocks, a ride on the «Carpathian tram» — the narrow-gauge railway in Vyhoda — and Kamianka Waterfall.
• Slavske — Volovets — Pylypets — Khust — Nyzhnie Selyshche — Iza. Shypit, a mineral spring, deer and ostrich farms, a cheese dairy and Iza, a village famous across Ukraine for wicker weaving.

Cheese and food

A highlight of these trips is the tasting of Carpathian cheeses. The fifth route passes through Nyzhnie Selyshche near Khust, home to a well-known Swiss-style cheese dairy, while the mountain villages around Mizhhiria are known for traditional sheep's brynza and vurda. It is a good chance to taste how Boyko and Transcarpathian cheeses differ from supermarket ones and to bring some home.

Choosing a route

For a first taste of Transcarpathia the most popular choice is route one — Shypit and Synevyr: plenty of nature and little city bustle. With children, consider route four with the Vyhoda narrow-gauge railway and easy paths to the Dovbush Rocks. In winter, when the mountains are snowbound, the castles of Mukachevo and Uzhhorod combine nicely with the Kosyno thermal pools. Weather and pass conditions can change plans, so the programme may be adjusted the day before.

Practical information

• Where: Slavske, Stryi district, Lviv region; the meeting point is agreed when booking.
• Phones: +38 067 710 69 88, +38 050 072 22 42.
• Duration: 4–8 hours depending on the route.
• Price: on request; entrance tickets, tastings and meals are usually paid separately — check in advance.

The details come from a tourist catalogue; no own website was found, so please confirm routes and prices by phone before your trip.

Please confirm by phone before your trip.

Getting to Slavske

Slavske lies in the Opir valley, about 150 km from Lviv. Trains on the Lviv — Mukachevo line stop at Slavske station, and buses run from Lviv and Stryi; by car, take the M-06 to Skole and continue up the Opir valley.

Photos: Bogdan Kosar, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Khoroshkov, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Dmytro Petishkin, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Yur dmytruk, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.