Exciting car routes of the Carpathians: a holiday for active tourists
27 October 2023
The Carpathians are not only picturesque mountains and green forests, but also the best place for adventure and outdoor activities. Whether you are a beginner in the world of tourism or an experienced traveller, a car trip through the mountains is worth putting on your must-do list. This article takes you on an exciting journey where you will learn about the best places to adventure in the heart of an extraordinary mountainous region. Get ready for an unforgettable experience. It combines the unsurpassed beauty of nature with vivid impressions that will stay with you for a lifetime.
If you are interested in active rest, we offer 3 ready-made travel routes. Choose the one that interests you and go in search of adventure.
1. Ancient castles of Transcarpathia
Do you want to feel the atmosphere of the Middle Ages? Transcarpathia is a real treasure trove of historical monuments. Amazing buildings, shrouded in legends, are hidden among dense forests and mountains. If you want to go on a road trip, add the following locations to your itinerary:
- Uzhhorod;
- Nevytske;
- Mukachevo;
- Chynadiyovo.
The total length of this route is approximately 80 km.
Uzhhorod attracts visitors with its stone fortress, which now houses a museum. Here you can see antique furniture, copies of books from the past centuries, and the rooms of the nobility who lived in the palace in the 11th century. The guides say that there is a tragic story associated with the fortress. They say that the daughter of the owner, an Italian named Drugetti, fell in love with her father’s enemy and helped to capture the fortress, bypassing the guards. The girl was punished for this by being walled up in the castle wall. Since then, her ghost sometimes appears in the palace rooms in the middle of the night.
Next, your car trip in the Carpathians continues to the village of Nevytske. Here are the ruins of an ancient castle. There are legends that it once belonged to a very cruel woman who sacrificed young girls to stay young. Now the location looks eerie, but it attracts fans of mysteries.
The third point of your trip is Mukachevo, and more specifically, the three-level Palanok Castle. It has a sad fame. There are even cellars for prisoners, torture chambers, and the chambers of the former owners. In addition, the fortress offers a magnificent view.
A trip to the Carpathians by car will be memorable if you visit the Schönborn estate in Chynadiyovo. It is reminiscent of French palaces and has 365 windows, according to the number of days in a year. In addition to the castle, there is a picturesque park and the Spring of Youth. If you wish, you can spend the night in the count’s rooms, as it is now a sanatorium.
2. Carpathians by car: wonders of nature
Those who are more attracted to natural beauty should choose the second route. It includes the following locations:
- Dead Lake and waterfall in Kamianka;
- Dovbush rocks;
- Starunya volcano;
- Lake Synevyr.
If your adventure starts from Lviv, the first stop awaits you in 110 km near the Skole Beskydy Nature Reserve. Then you can visit the waterfall on the Kamyanka River and the Dead Lake with black water, which has this colour due to the high content of hydrogen sulphide.
Next, if you don’t know where to go by car in the Carpathians, choose the Dovbush rocks. After visiting the bizarre natural wonder, be sure to visit a local kolyba and try some delicious dishes.
Did you know that Ukraine has its own volcano? The Starunya volcano was formed in the late nineteenth century. At that time, oil was found here, but after the wells were abandoned, groundwater began to accumulate in them. As a result, they cause oil oxidation, which leads to the release of thermal energy that fuels the volcano.
Finally, car tourism allows you to visit the largest lake in the mountains – Synevyr. To get here, you need to brave 2 hours of travelling along the mountain serpentine. But the reward will be the picturesque beauty of the reservoir, located at an altitude of 989 m above sea level. Its depth reaches 24 m.
This trip will be remembered for its fantastic landscapes and vivid impressions of nature.
3. Car routes in the Carpathians: sights and sounds
If you can’t afford a long trip, go in search of adventure for 3 to 4 days. This is enough time to visit the main resorts. The main points of your journey will be as follows:
- Lviv;
- Mukachevo;
- Khust;
- Mezhyhirya;
- Kolochava;
- Rakhiv;
- Bukovel;
- Yaremche;
- Sheshory;
- Kolomyia;
- Ivano-Frankivsk.
The distance between Lviv and Mukachevo is 227 km. You can drive it in 3 hours or visit Svaliava or Skole on the way to have lunch and enjoy a walk around the picturesque city. In Mukachevo, you should take a break and spend the night.
The next day, head to Khust. It is located at a distance of 64 km. During the trip, you will be able to admire mountain landscapes, rivers, waterfalls and enjoy the unusual silence. But before you go on a trip by car to the mountains, you should check the forecast. It is better to plan car routes in the mountains in dry weather, because in the rain the trip can be dangerous and difficult.
Once you arrive in Mizhhirya, spend the night here and in the morning visit Lake Synevyr and the village of Kolochava with its unique museums.
The next point of your trip is Rakhiv with its fabulous forest and clean water from natural springs.
Of course, a trip to the Carpathians by car will be incomplete without visiting Bukovel. It is interesting here at any time of the year. In summer you can enjoy mountain views, and in winter you can go skiing and take a steam bath in a Hutsul vat.
Often, a car route through the mountains is built through Kolomyia, Sheshory and Ivano-Frankivsk, because there are many natural and cultural relics here. Worth seeing: Stanislav Bastion, Sheshory Hook Waterfall and Potocki Palace, but these are not all the attractions of the mountains.
Now you’ve got to know the popular car routes and can choose the best one for you, based on your preferences and capabilities.