Interesting facts about the Carpathians for every taste

03 August 2022

The Carpathian Mountains are a popular tourist destination. Rocks and valleys attract fans of hiking, lovers of extreme sports and sports, and people looking for solitude and communion with nature. Discovering more and more new facts about the Carpathians, you will get to know this fantastic region better and fall in love with it without looking back.

Interesting geographical

The mountains in geological terms continue the ridges of the European Alps. The system is located in several states at once: on the map, you will find Ukrainian, Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Czech, and Hungarian Carpathians.
The Carpathian range was once the bottom of an ancient sea. This is indicated by multi-layer salt deposits and other geological features. If you do not believe in bare scientific facts, you can see the evidence with your own eyes near the village of Serednie in the Rakhiv region! On the surface of the sandstone on the eastern side of Mount Buzhora, undulating marks left by the raging waters of the primeval ocean have been preserved.
When choosing a place for a tourist camp, it is better to avoid the Pozhizhevskaya Polonina — this is the wettest and windiest place in Ukraine. The location is actively used by meteorologists for their research. The most thunderous place is Selyatino, where thunder and lightning rage for one-seventh of the year. The most extended thunderstorm was also recorded there — it lasted more than 37 hours.
There are many beautiful reservoirs in the Carpathian Mountains, but the most interesting of them are hanging swamps and lakes. They are located on the slopes and look like a cascade of interconnected water bowls.
The highest point in Ukraine is the Carpathian Hoverla, whose peak rises to 2061 meters above sea level. Once at the top, you will see a majestic 5-meter stele with a trident and the national flag.
Fairytale caves await guests not only in exotic countries. In the Tyachivskij district in Zakarpattya, there is a cave with transparent walls. The karst formation consists of two chambers, the walls of which are covered with milky calcite with greenish layers. Not far from it, tourists will be invited to look into the elegant Pearl Cave — calcite in it has gathered into sparkling balls that look like jewels.
Many people know that the inhabitants of the Carpathians often suffer from floods, especially during the period of active snowmelt. One of the biggest disasters was the flood of 1947-1948. Winter warming brought with its rains, and the raging water of the Tisa, Tereblya and other rivers demolished everything in its path. Several villages were destroyed, and large areas of winter crops were lost. During the period of independence, there was a whole series of floods (1992, 1998, 2001) caused by deforestation and changes in natural landscapes.

The village of Starunya is a place that attracts scientists from all over the world with its amazing seismic sensitivity. A small mud volcano located here is a thin natural barometer. It is able to respond to earthquakes in Romania, Italy, Iran, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. The total radius of its susceptibility reaches 6 thousand kilometers.
The highest city in Ukraine is Rakhiv. This settlement is also surprising in that the height difference between neighboring streets can reach 500 meters.

Interesting about flora and fauna

Near the city of Khust in Zakarpattya, there is a unique valley. This is the only place in Ukraine where narrow-leaved narcissus grows under natural conditions. From late April to mid-May, large white flowers cover more than 80 hectares of slopes and meadows with a continuous carpet. In no case should you tear them — the plant is protected by the Red Book.

In the Carpathians, a unique breed of horses is bred, which is called Hutsulik. These noble animals are very hardy, they live in the mountains all year round, calmly enduring elevation changes and weather changes. Since 1979 they have been under state protection as relic animals. You can meet them even in the highlands, they are not afraid of people and often go to the tents in search of food.
In the forest foothills, an amazing mushroom is frequently found. It is known for its breathtaking growth rate: in just a minute, the hat becomes 5 mm higher, which is twice as fast as the famous record holder — bamboo.
Cedar pine and berry yew are Carpathian centenarians that can grow up to 3-4 thousand years. Unfortunately, ancient trees are the prey of forest poachers, since pine and yew wood last for centuries and are highly valued.
Almost 500 species of animals live in the mountains, and the most common among them are representatives of the bat family. A huge number of different bats live in caves and dense forests.
Traditionally, the Carpathians are perceived as the land of huge centuries-old trees, but there is also a real baby growing here. The blunt-leaved willow reaches a height of 12-15 centimeters, which makes it the smallest tree in Ukraine.

Interesting historical

The village of Starunya in the Ivano-Frankivsk region is known throughout the world. At the beginning of the last century, many bones and other remains of fossil animals were found here: mammoth, giant deer, hairy rhinoceros, various birds, and amphibians. Due to the abundance of salt and oil, animals have been preserved in an oxygen-free environment for more than 23 thousand years — since the end of the Ice Age! Probably, ancient people hunted game, driving it into the swamp. The discovery made it possible to study the ancient fauna, to fill in some gaps in paleontology and history.
The geological map of the Carpathians, created in 1809 by the Polish explorer S.Staszic, is the first map of this type in Ukraine. Geological studies of this region during the 19th century were carried out very actively and gave impetus to the development of many sciences.
High in the mountains almost a hundred years ago, the meteorological and astronomical observatory «White Elephant» was built. Since the Second World War, the scientific point has not been functioning for its intended purpose, but the majestic stone architecture impresses tourists to this day.
Not all significant historical buildings are located in Europe! For example, in the village of Vorokhta, you can ride on the world’s oldest stone railway bridge-viaduct. Its length is more than 200 meters, and its age is almost 130 years.

Interesting about the rest

The deepest hospital. The village of Solotvyno in Zakarpattya has a name that speaks for itself. For more than 200 years, salt has been mined here, constantly developing mines. As a result, caves were formed in the depths of the rock, where a hospital has been operating since 1968 to treat allergies, asthma, and other lung diseases. Patients are taken to the underground wards by an elevator that descends into the salt layer by 206 and 282 meters. Throughout the year, a constant temperature and humidity are naturally maintained here, the air is saturated with salt, and sterility is 5 times higher than in any ground operating room.
The highest hospital. In the village of Vorokhta, there are two sanatoriums at once, where they treat tuberculosis and other severe lung infections. They are located at an altitude of 850 meters above sea level.
It is impossible to enumerate and not mention trembita. This musical instrument is the largest in the world, the length of a wooden tube can reach 4 meters! Characteristic sounds can be heard at a distance of more than 10 kilometers, so trembitas have long served to transmit information and signals in the mountains. The fine art of instrument making is the secret of Carpathian craftsmen. For trembita, spruce trees are used at least 120 years old, preferring «thunderers» — trees split by lightning.
Without exaggeration, a unique exposition operates in the Carpathians — the Forest Museum. Here, many funny, heroic, and even mystical stories will be shared with the guests, they will show the vehicles and equipment that are used for heavy forestry work. The most interesting exhibits are trees damaged by lightning and windbreaks. Their bizarre shape and deep splits allow us to imagine the scale and strength of the elements.
In Lisichovo village preserved a water forge — gamora. There are such in other countries, but there they have an only museum and historical value. Ukrainian gamora is working in full force, and today making souvenirs for tourists and working tools for local residents.

If you are planning a trip to the Carpathians, interesting facts about them will make your vacation more intense. Knowing how many secrets are hidden in the main Ukrainian mountains, you will see and hear even more exciting things when you personally visit these places.