A Journey To Hutsuls, Ukrainians Who Live On The Wild Side

Overview

The starting point of your travel is Lviv, the biggest city in Western Ukraine, and the center of the historical region of Galicia with beautiful architecture and rich history. You’ll proceed to the Carpathian mountains, to the Hutsul region. This journey to the wild side of Ukraine will take you back in time! Hutsuls are one of the Ukrainian ethnic groups who inhabited the Carpathians. Living in desolate mountain areas, they preserved their long-time traditions, handicrafts and way of life. We will visit Hutsul sheep shepherds, who still keep their ancestors’ lifestyle. We will make Hutsul traditional handicrafts such as pottery, blankets weaving and woodcarving. We will see traditional Hutsul wooden architecture which is on the UNESCO world heritage list. And we’ll indulge ourselves with traditional local cuisine. All that will be happening in the breathtaking landscapes of the Carpathian Mountains.

Activity itinerary

Day 1 • Lviv: arriving, transfer from the airport to the hotel according to the arrival, check-in • Historical Center of Lviv, listed on the UNESCO world heritage list: medieval Armenian, Ukrainian and Jewish quarters of Lviv’s Old Town Day 2 • Breakfast • Around the historical center of Lviv (optional): St.George’s Cathedral (the metropolitan cathedral of the Greek-Catholic Church), High Castle viewpoint, Lychakiv cemetery (the necropolis of the XVIII-XX centuries) Day 3 • Breakfast and check-out • Rohatyn: Holy Spirit Church • Yaremche: walk through the Dovbush trail • Lunch • Walk to the Probiy waterfall and Hutsulschyna restaurant, an example of hutsul architecture • Visit to an ancient wooden church in Vorokhta • Dinner and overnight stop in Verkhovyna Day 4 • Breakfast and check-out • Visit to the archaic hutsul dwelling and the ancient wooden church in Kryvorivnya • Visit to the high-mountain sheep farm • Lunch in the mountains: classical Hutsul banosh (corn flour porridge with sheep cheese, cooked on fire) • Visits to masters in wool blankets weaving, traditional Hutsul craft • Dinner and overnight stop in Kosiv • Optional: sauna Day 5 • Breakfast and check-out • Visits to potters, the makers of traditional Kosiv hand-made ceramics • Lunch • Museum of Hutsul everyday life and traditions and Museum of Painted Easter Eggs in Kolomyya • Return to Lviv: check-in Day 6 • Breakfast and check-out • Optionally: excursion, cheese & wine tasting session • Transfer to the airport (according to the departure time) Vorokhta is a high-mountain resort (850 m asl) and a famous center for both winter and summer sports. Vorokhta Viaducts are archwall railway bridges built in the XIX century when these territories were a part of Austrian-Hungarian Empire. The Church of The Nativity of the Virgin is one of the oldest temples in the region. It is a perfect exemplar of the archaic Hutsul wooden architecture.  Kryvorivnya is a small village in the Black Cheremosh river valley. In the XIX century, the village had a fame of the Ukrainian Athens, being a favourite summer destination for the UKrainian intellectual elites.  Kosiv is a small town known as a center of traditional Hutsul crafts, such as widely-known Kosiv ceramics, wood carving and sheep wool blankets weaving. The town grew in the Middle Ages as a place of the salt mining and trade.  Yavoriv is a most famous village of blanket weavers in Ukraine. In 1967, Yavoriv blankets were a Prize-winning entry at the World Exhibition in Montreal.

Pickup

Pickup or meet at the departure point.

Location Name: 1 day: transfer from the airport Lviv / Lviv Railway Station to the hotel 3 day: hotel pick-up (centrally located hotels or apartments) Directions: Your guide will be holding a sign saying your last name at the airport/railway station hall (it depends which means of transport you choose to get to Lviv) for transfer to hotel. Tour to the Carpathians departs from a hotel/apartment where you are going to stay. You will be given his/her phone for contact.

How to use your ticket

Other local supplier telephone numbers: +380 93 884 40 68, +380 32 290 26 05 Open hours: Monday - Friday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, closed on Saturday, Sunday If you need to get in touch with us urgently on our days off, please send us an email at info@karpaty.travel This tour will be really fascinating for creative people who like nature and are looking for inspiration. You will be able to try yourself in painting and pottery, so be careful, you may open your hidden talents!  Price doesn't include an accommodation in Lviv. You can book a hotel on your own or we can help you with it.  Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required. For accommodation we choose a comfortable loadge in the Carpathians, twin or double room, extra charge for single room if required. During the tour, you won’t put much of physical efforts, but we will have some walking in the mountains. Thus, we ask you to have comfortable trekking or sports shoes. Unfortunately, lack of local infrastructure makes this journey unavailable for handicapped people. Also, please note that deep in the mountains weather could be challenging, which implies lower temperatures, windy conditions or sudden rain. Please dress accordingly, dress code is smart casual. In the case of dramatic weather changes that could threaten the safety of the group, the program could be changed. The company reserves the right to change the order of excursions in the program provided that some museums may be closed on the dates you choose for travelling. Hotel pickups commence prior to this time, you must contact the local service provider to verify your exact pickup time.

What to know before you go

• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• Adult pricing applies to all travelers, except infants
• Children must be accompanied by an adult
• Infant meals not included
• Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
• Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
• Dress code is smart casual
• A minimum of 4 people per booking is required
• It is possible to organise the tour even for 1 person, but it will be more expensive.
• A maximum of 15 people per booking. It is possible to organise the tour for 40 people as well.
• Price doesn't include an accommodation in Lviv. You can book a hotel on your own or we can help you with it.
• This tour will be really fascinating for creative people who like nature and are looking for inspiration. You will be able to try yourself in painting and pottery, so
• be careful you may open your hidden talents!
• During the tour, you won’t put much of physical efforts, but we will have some walking in the mountains. Thus, we ask you to have comfortable trekking or sports shoes. Unfortunately, lack of local infrastructure makes this journey unavailable for handicapped people. Also, please note that deep in the mountains weather could be challenging, which implies lower temperatures, windy conditions or sudden rain. Please dress accordingly.
• In the case of dramatic weather changes that could threaten the safety of the group, the program could be changed.
• The company reserves the right to change the order of excursions in the program provided that some museums may be closed on the dates you choose for travelling.

Travelers

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

• From 1 days before : 100% refunded
• From 0 days before : 0% refunded

Product code: 60718P17

Activity offered by Karpaty.travel via Viator.