Synevyrska Poliana. Tourist Sights, a Kolyba and Landscapes

The Ukrainian Carpathians are a beloved tourist mecca, with developed infrastructure, well-trodden routes and unusual legends.

Zakarpattia. Mizhhiria district. The chairlift

The thrilling ride up Mount Makovytsia on a 1,050-metre chairlift lasts about 30 minutes.

At a height of 850 metres above sea level, the observation deck opens up a wonderful panorama of the Borzhava mountain range, the 'Synevyr' national nature park, Mount Kuk, the district centre of Mizhhiria, and the River Rika.

Zakarpattia. Mizhhiria district. The chairlift. The observation deck

Zakarpattia. Mizhhiria. The River Rika

The largest lake in the Carpathians is Synevyr. Its depth reaches 24 metres, much more than in the Sea of Azov. By autumn the streams that feed the water surface lose their strength, and the lake grows shallow; in its middle an island juts out, resembling an eye socket. Bathing and fishing in the Sea Eye, as the lake is also called, are forbidden. You may only stroll beside it, be enchanted by its beauty, and drink the healing water from the springs that grant health, beauty and love.

Zakarpattia. Lake Synevyr

And love and beauty are always present in the legends of the Carpathian pearls, whether it be Dovbush Rocks or Lake Zhuravlyne. From mouth to mouth, over the centuries, a belief has been passed down that Lake Synevyr was formed from the tears of the beauty Syn, a count's daughter, whose father ordered her beloved Vyr killed for his lowly origins.

The hike or excursion is seasoned with performances of well-known hits that the whole vast country knew and sang — about red ruta, the fountain and embroidered towels, fiddles and bird cherry. And if anyone of the tourists does not want to open their mouth even just to keep the others company, the guide may in that case press a button to trigger the ejector seat of their bus chair, somewhere on a mountain pass. But no such cases have been recorded, because after a walk through the picturesque meadows, steep slopes and winding rivers, the whole group hurries to carry out one more important item on the excursion programme.

This magic word is kolyba, which every tourist, sightseer and traveller knows, and each of them will be sure to include a visit to this little mountain house in their route.

Zakarpattia. Synevyrska Poliana. The 'Hutsulochka' kolyba-cafe

A kolyba is what they call the seasonal dwelling of shepherds, where they can shelter from bad weather. In the middle of the hut is a hearth, the vatra, with the smoke going out through an opening in the roof. Around the hearth, arranged like spokes, are the shepherds' plank beds.

The roof is covered with shingles, wooden boards.

Examples of various kolybas can be seen in Pyrohiv, at the museum of folk architecture and life.

The village of Synevyrska Poliana stretches for ten kilometres along the valley of the River Tereblia, a tributary of the Tysa, and the tourist trails to Lake Synevyr and the ski slopes do not pass it by.

Zakarpattia. Synevyrska Poliana

The village has been known since the early 17th century, and about 1,300 people live in it. An ordinary mountain village, its people modest and friendly. Statistics say the village ranks first in the region for the number of mother-heroines, of whom there are more than 100.

The hostess of the roadside cafe is Maria, a mother of seven and the widow of a Chornobyl hero. The large family hospitably opened the doors of the kolyba-cafe 'Hutsulochka', and its regulars became travellers, timber raftsmen and woodcutters, sheep-herders and organised tourists.

Besides the traditional dishes of Ukrainian cuisine, guests are offered Zakarpattian and Hutsul culinary masterpieces. When in Zakarpattia, you simply must try bograch, which is cooked in a cauldron and has a centuries-old history, going back to when the Hungarians lived in their ancestral homeland in the Urals and Siberia. The calling card of Zakarpattian cuisine is banosh, a porridge of cornmeal. At the 'Hutsulochka' kolyba, banosh is cooked with porcini mushrooms. By an ancient shepherds' recipe, tokan is made with smoked lard and sheep's bryndza. In a place where trout is found, the signature dish will always be baked trout. And forest berries serve as the filling for pies and pancakes, with fragrant tea of Carpathian herbs and wildflowers.

The interior of the cafe is arranged like an ethnographic museum, with a display of hunting trophies, national costume, household implements, paintings and the handiwork of local craftsmen.

Zakarpattia. Synevyrska Poliana. The 'Hutsulochka' kolyba-cafe

But the main thing is the atmosphere of warmth and sincerity, the feeling of homely comfort — and that is worth a great deal.