Protyate Kaminnya (Sokolynye Oko)

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Protyate Kaminni - a geological natural monument of local significance, a group of picturesque rocks. Located south of the Nimchych pass in the Pokutsko-Bukovynski Carpathians, on the border of Putylskyi and Vyzhnytskyi districts of Chernivtsi Oblast, near the eastern part of the village of Khorovy, at the headwaters of the Smuhariv stream, where the famous cascade of Bukovynski waterfalls is located. The rocks are formed from dismembered powerful layers of sandstone. Some of them are pierced with holes and passages, which is how the name - Protyate Kaminni - originated. This tourist attraction is quite well-known and popular in Chernivtsi Oblast, as evidenced by the heaps of garbage near the rocks.

These picturesque rocks, which impress with their might and uniqueness, were formed from powerful layers of sandstone, some of which have holes and passages inside, hence the name - "protyate". The rocks "Protyate Kaminni" are quite known in Chernivtsi region, however, little is known about them in other regions. It is worth noting that the stones are gigantic - much larger than those in Ternoshory and somewhat resemble icebreakers that carve their way through the Carpathian sea of trees. One can confidently say that one day will not be enough to see and explore all the stones along with the small caves that one is so eager to crawl into. Therefore, in summer, tourists often stay here overnight in tents to fully experience the mystical spirit of nature. Besides the rocks, it is worth noting the beautiful views of the Carpathians and the rather strange mixed forest - spruces and firs grow among birches and beeches. Along the way to the rocks, there are many small mountain springs with delicious water.

The height of the stone giants varies greatly - from several dozen meters to individual several-meter stones scattered around. In the rocks, here and there, numerous cavities can be seen, ranging from miniature to several meters in size. The area is surrounded by a mixed forest, where among beeches and birches grow a few coniferous trees.

The most popular and highest rock of the Protyate is called - "Sokolynye Oko" (maximum relative height - 40 meters). As a result of erosion, a stone arch resembling an eye has formed in it. The size of the giant arch is over 10 meters. At the foot of the rock on the northern side, there is a small three-chamber cave, which can be accessed through two entrance holes. Two other holes, significantly narrower than the first, pass through the rock and end on its eastern side. At the top of the rock, a natural reservoir has formed, with a diameter and depth of about 70 cm. Although it is mostly visited in dry weather, during rains one can see an interesting phenomenon - waterfalls cascading down the rock along the sides of the arch. On the northern side, at the foot of the mountain, there is a small three-chamber cave "Naskrizna". In other rocks, several more caves have been discovered, which have been named "Bermudskyi Trykutnyk" and "Skelalazka". Not far from Sokolynye Oko, heading east towards the ridge, there are numerous smaller, yet very picturesque rock formations. Also interesting is the so-called "Pavlykova Ushchyna", which separates a powerful stone wall from the rock.

If you look closely at the rocks, you can see many rock paintings and carved signs on the stones, among which are faces of people, female silhouettes, skulls, hearts, handprints, various mysterious symbols, and more. Unfortunately, most of them are not of ancient origin. Although there is no road to this place, and mass "tourism", like that at the Dovbush Rocks in Bubnyshche, is still absent here, traces of human presence in the form of heaps of garbage and traces from fires can be found without much effort. In summer, tourists often stay here overnight in tents.
Visiting this place, Lesya Ukrainka, in her letter to Olha Kobylianska, described the rock as an unfathomable dream that can appear only once and disappear forever. Numerous legends testify to the origin of the name of the rocks, according to which the mountain people had no way to descend from the mountains, so they heated water in cauldrons and supposedly poured it on the rocks. Thus, "protyate passages" were formed. Another legend tells of the opryshok Sokol with his gang, who hid numerous treasures here. Every year in September, a ceremony of initiation for first-year students of the geography faculty of Chernivtsi National University named after Yuriy Fedkovych takes place in this area.
"Protyate Kaminni" with the main rock "Sokolynye Oko" are part of the Vyzhnytsky National Nature Park, impressing with their monumentality, mystery, and unique beauty, and belong to local natural monuments. Some scenes of numerous films were shot here, including such well-known ones as "The White Bird with a Black Mark" and "Zakar Berkut".

Protyate Kaminnya village Khorovy Putylskyi Rayon

1. The easiest way to reach the stones is to get to the hamlet Khorovy of the village of Pidzakharychi. You can take a bus or your own transport towards Putyla. Then turn left and take a wide gravel road for about 30-40 minutes up to the pass. The rocks are located an hour's walk from the Nimchych pass, on a low mountain ridge. At the pass, there is a powerful tourist complex with a restaurant, hotel, and ski lift. There you can rest and have a good meal and clarify your route. From the restaurant at the Nimchych pass, you need to go up on a recently made quality road made of concrete slabs, which will lead you to a new complex with a restaurant that is still under construction. This is a good landmark, and it is impossible to get lost. After climbing a small ridge above the pass, the road goes straight. After a few hundred meters, a beech forest begins, and passing through it in a southern direction, the rocks will soon appear.

2. You can reach Nimchych from Vyzhnytsia via Vyzhenska. However, in this case, it is better to order a taxi or go by your own transport, as bus connections in this direction are not as active as in the Putyl direction. From the pass, we continue the route south along a dirt road that starts near a cafe and bypasses the ski lift. Upon reaching a notable chapel, it is worth climbing the ridge without trees and exiting along its crest to the highest peak of the route - Mount Prosychna (913 m). Along the route, the ridge opens up wonderful views of the Cheremosh valley, the ridges of Pysany Kamin, Skupova, and Chornohora. Following the ridge, we descend to a spacious glade. From here, a path that sharply descends to the right into the forest leads to the rocks of Sokolynye Oko (height up to 40 m), which hang on both sides above a small flat area. The greatest wonder of this area is the giant stone arch of Sokolynye Oko. Stories and legends claim that in ancient times, people lived here, later finding refuge from the opryshok Oleksa Dovbush. It is also said that rich treasures are hidden here. Returning to the glade, we continue the route along the field road in a southeast direction to another accumulation of stone boulders that rise above the ground by 30-40 meters - Protyate Kaminni. Squeezing through a hole in the stone, it is worth climbing to their top. The name "Protyate Kaminni" is associated with a legend. It is said that long ago, when the mountain people had no convenient way to descend from the mountains, they found a rather easy way - they heated water in cauldrons and poured it on the rocks. The boiling water eroded the sandy rocks, resulting in small "protyate" passages-caves forming in the mountain slope. Since then, this area has been called - "Protyate Kaminni". These boulders, which are elements of a once continuous strip of powerful sandstones, impress with their monolithic nature and uniqueness.

Without changing direction, we pass another rock in the forest on the right and come out to the houses of the village of Roztoka. Here you can turn left, descend into the valley of Vyzhenska, and walk past the waterfall and "Iron Spring" to Vyzhnytsia. To the right, the village road leads down along the Smuhariv stream to the Cheremosh River in the village of Roztoka. After passing several houses, we descend along the stream valley to the picturesque Bukovynski (Smuharivski) waterfalls. We descend to the Cheremosh in the village of Roztoka along the road that goes down the valley of the Smuhariv stream.

3. The most picturesque, but least safe way for tourists to reach Protyate Kaminni begins from the village of Roztoka. After reaching the border of the villages of Pidzakharychi and Roztoka, you need to stop and turn left and continue on foot. This is about 500 meters further towards Putyla than in the first option. Along the way to the stones, in addition to the wonderful nature, you will also see another tourist attraction - the Smuhariv waterfalls. After the waterfalls, you need to turn left and climb over the mountain to the houses of the hamlet of Bediiv - a part of the village of Roztoka, which consists of only a few homesteads. This is a good route for a hiking trip, but there are also downsides. There is no marking on the route, so it is very easy to get lost. It is advisable to go this route at least the first time with a guide who knows the area well. The time spent to reach Protyate is about 2-3 hours.

Interesting Facts:

The origin of the name "Protyate Kaminni" is told by a legend. According to it, in ancient times, the mountain people had no convenient way to descend from the mountains into the valley. Later, they found a convenient solution: they heated water in cauldrons and poured it on the rocks. In this way, "protyate", that is, pierced passages were formed in the unstable sandstone, which gave the area its name.

Every year at the beginning of September, a ceremony of so-called "initiation" takes place in the canyon - a ceremony of initiation for first-year students of the geography faculty of Chernivtsi National University named after Yuriy Fedkovych. The event takes place at night, and the appearance of the god Geo from the arch with a torch, who flies into the student crowd at high speed using a rope, adds mysticism to the event and even instills a bit of fear.

Not far from Protyate, on Nimchych, there is another tourist attraction worth your attention - "Dovbush Cave" (about 20 meters long).

"Once we drove to the high mountain Nimchych and saw something so beautiful and silver like a dream at sunset - they say it is called Roztoka, but I think it is not called that at all and that it is no longer there, because something like that can only appear once and disappear, and if someone wanted to see the same thing again, they would not find it" - this is how Lesya Ukrainka wrote in a letter to O. Kobylianska on August 1, 1901, describing her impression of the journey.

With careful examination of the stones, one can find many rock paintings and numerous carved or engraved signs on the stones. These include silhouettes of naked women, skulls, faces of people, handprints, Masonic signs, hearts, inscriptions like "Vasya was here" and many other manifestations of "tourist art".

Garbage lies in large heaps near the stones, sometimes covered with leaves to make it less noticeable. It is evident that this is the work of local residents, but there is also plenty of tourist waste. Pollution in the Carpathians is occurring at an active pace, and the Hutsuls here do not lag behind the tourists.

Thanks to activists and the public organization "Carpathian Trails", this route is now marked with signs, so even a beginner will not get lost on these beautiful paths.