Ukraine

prepared by Maryla Zielińska maryalazi@wp.pl

07.27 (Friday), 100 km
Krościenko – Starij Sambir – Turka – Borynja – Sianki

(accommodation for the night in the village, on a meadow, prepares the village administrator Stepan Wasyleczko)

Murovane – an avenue of ancient linden trees (you need to stray from the path 1-1.5 km to the left).

Starij Sambir – for the first time it was mentioned in 1378 as property bestowed upon Herburts. It has civic rights since 1553. One of the oldest Polish town halls in this area (1668). Since 1872 there is an important railway running through the city, which connects Lvov with Budapest, so called First Galicia–Hungary Railway Route. At the end of the city, on the right, there is an old Jewish cemetery.

Velyka Volosianka – a waterfall on the Jawiące mountain river (you need to stray from the path ca. 2 km to the left).

Rozłucz – a mineral spring (you need to stray from the path 1-1, 5 km to the right).

Turka – Dobuszewa spring.

Sianki – a village set up by Kmits, which dates back to the 16th century. Its name originates from San River, which has the sources there. Until the Second World War it was an important ski centre of Zakopane rank. After the war the border divided the village in half. On the Polish side all the buildings were leveled in one night.

07.28 (Saturday), 88 km
Sianki – Uzhotska Pass – Uzhok – Velyky Berezny – Maly Berezny – Zarichevo – Perechyn – Uzhorod

(accommodation for the night in the Joseph Tischner weekend Polish school, 16 Kijowskie Nabrzeże Street, in the very city centre, by the Uzh River)

From the Uzhotska Pass to the Velyky Berezny we are going to ride through the Uzhansky National Nature Park, which together with Slovakian “Poloniny” National Park, Polish Bieszczady National Park and Nadsański Regional Landscape Park forms the East Carpathians Biosphere Reserve – the biggest area of this kind in the Eastern Europe under UNESCO patronage. The highest peak of the Uzhansky National Nature Park is Kińczyk Bukowski (1251 m AMSL).

The Uzhotska Pass – 53 m AMSL, there is a mineral spring close to the path, on the top there is a monument in honor of Sich Riflemen and a Red Army’s board informing that Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev was serving there; a beautiful view of Bieszczady Mountains unfolds before the visitors.

Uzhok – a settlement mentioned in the Middle Ages, one can find there one of the best known three-domed Boyko churches.

Velyky Berezny – first mentions at the beginning of the 15th century; the park with rare trees was opened in 1866.

Maly Berezny – Greek Catholic Saint Nicolas Monastery for men from the 18th century.

Zarichevo – a museum cottage “Łemkowska sadyba”, it was built from beech logs in 1902.

Kamienitsa and Nevytskie – between these two villages, on a high hill there are ruins of Nevytsky Castle from the 14th century, which was destroyed in 1644 and from that time unoccupied.

Uzhorod – the centre of Zakarpattia Oblast, a city famous for its coffee made according to old recipes. The longest avenue of linden trees in Europe (2,2 km) was planted in 1928; Uzhhorod castle from 14th – 17th century located on Zamkova Mountain together with a paintings gallery and ethnographic museum; there is a heritage museum next to the fortress. Also worth seeing are: an uniate cathedral, the Arts Museum in the “Dom Żupanatu” (1769), a Calvinist Church from the beginning of the 20th century, a Catholic church from the 18th century, philharmonic hall, a synagogue, an Orthodox church, and standing almost outside the city, the most valuable relict of the Zakarpattia Oblast – the St. Anna Horyany Rotunda from the 11th – 13th century.

07.29 (Sunday)
Rest day.

07.30 (Monday), an easy route 76 km, a moderate route 85 km, a hard one 103 km
Uzhorod – Velykye Lazy – Seredne – Mukachevo – Berehove – Berehy Velykye – Kvasove
(accommodation for the night by the river)

Velykye Lazy – a manor and park from the 19th century.

Velykye Geivtsy – park from the 18th century.

Seredne – remains of Templar Castle from the 13th century, wine cellars hewn out of solid rock from the 16th century.

Mukachevo – the Uzhhorod Castle and the St. Nicolas Monastery from the 14th century in the outskirts of the town; in the centre there is a palace “White Building”, a parish church, a Calvinist church, an Orthodox church, an Orthodox Cathedral Council.

Berehove – the only city in the Ukraine where the Hungarians constitute the majority of the population (60%). Worth seeing: a Reformed Classicist church from 1552, officers barracks, Secessionist Casino, “Lewiny Dwór” hotel, All Saints neo-Gothic Church, the Bethlen family mansion from 1629, a Roman Catholic church from 1900, a church from 13th century in Ardovo district, a dendrological park.

Berehy Velykye – a Weaving Museum, a Reformed church from 1335. In this region the Hungarians constitute up to 90% of the population.

Kvasove – ruins of a feudal Romanesque castle of Kvasove.

07.31 (Tuesday), 30 km
Kvasove – Bene – Vylok – Pyjterfolovo – border crossing Dyakovo (UA) / Halmeu (RO)

Bene and Tzetfalva – Reform Temples, the first one from the 14th century, one of the most interesting examples of Gothic in the Zakarpattia Oblast, the second one from the 15th century, with the highest belfry in the Zakarpattia Oblast (16,5 m) from 1796.

Vylok – a village with a border crossing between the Ukraine and Hungary, a Franciscan St. Ilona church (1788), and Greek Catholic church can be seen there.

Tysobyken – a repeatedly reconstructed church from 1230, Ethnographical Museum with a heritage museum.

Pyjterfolovo – sports centre with a funfair, art gallery, sculptures and graphic arts presenting the Zakarpattia Oblast.