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Ethno Carpathians from Lviv 4 days

  • Celebrate Cristmass for a second time in Ukrainian Orthodox tradition
  • Learn about ethnic minority gutsuls
  • Bath in Carpathian “chans”
  • Go skiing at the best Ukrainian mountain ski resort - Bukovel
  • Play ethnic musical instrument “drimba”
  • Get natural woolen “lizhnik”
  • Dance local ethnic dances
  • Try local beer and home-made cheese
  • Make new friends and have a proper rest
 

Tour overview

Itinerary 

Additional program

Hot Bathing in “Chan”

Day trip to skiing resort Bukovel

Guided hiking to the mountain ridge

Price

Included in price

Additional expences

Why to choose Anga Trave

Price: 185 EUR PER PERSON

 

 

tour Overview

 

Gutsuls are ethnic minority who live in the middle of the Carpathian mountains, they are part of Ukraine but have their own different psychology. Their world is a mixture of deep-rooted believes in Mother-nature, spirits of forest and mountains and younger Orthodox traditions. Gutsuls way of life still doesn’t differ much from how it was ages ago, they produce most of the necessary products naturally, and they are incredibly good at crafts.

Orthodox Christmas is the best time to observe old traditions taking place and join the grand-scale celebration.

Ethnic musical instrument  trembita can be as long as 4 metres.

 

Itinerary

 

day 1: meeting in Lviv, Pysanka museum in Kolomiya, waterfall Sheshorsky

6:30 Departure from Lviv in a big comfortable bus.

08:00 We arrive at Ivano-Frankivsk city, where we have breakfast and short city walking tour.

Excursion to museum «Pysanka»


These painted eggs are called Pysanka, we’ll see them in the Pysanka museum. Each pattern has its meaning.

In our way toward mountains Kolomiya town is our first target. Here we’ll head to museum of traditional Ukrainian art of painting eggs (particularly for Easter). This art and the museum are called Pysanka. The museum is the only one in the world and hosts more than 12 000 eggs.

We’ll discover how pysankas are created, how they are preserved and renovated, and learn to understand meanings of each painted pattern. Local people affirm that special atmosphere of wellness and kindness is felt around the museum. After admiring pieces of art we’ll head feather in the mountains.

Sheshorsky waterfall

Waterfall gets it’s most spectacular shape in winter frosts. It’s the time when the cascade is transformed by frost to become strangely formed ice. The other local name for winter waterfalls is Silvery.

Complex lunch in kolyba*

Walking around mountain town Kosiv, peeking into the souvenir shop.

19:00 Checking in in the hotel «Sokilske» according to chosen room category. Hotel is located in the mountains, though at the comfortable altitude.

Dinner at the hotel restaurant*

We’ll spend evening with a glass of wine playing board games.

Hotel is located in the mountains, though at the comfortable altitude.

Sauna/bathing in hot chan is optional*

 

Day2: local craft workshop, eco-farm “Gutsul Cheese Factory”, getting to know ethnic minority gutsuls in Verhovyna

07:30 Breakfast in the hotel (buffet).

08:00 Start sightseeing program.

Gutsul village Yavoriv.

This scenic gutsul village is known for its craft of “lizhniks”. Local craftswomen are famous at homeland and outside Ukraine as well.

Lizhnik is a wide woolly throw-blanket, which is made exclusively of natural material - sheep wool. Dye staff are natural also, produced from plants and a bark of a tree

Lizhnik making workshop in a mountain village Yavoriv. We’ll participate in a master class to learn all the stages of creation carpathian lizhniks. And if you wish you can buy one for yourself or for a gift. Cause it’s not just a beautiful souvenir but a useful thing  for any home.

We’ll learn how lizhniks are made and participate in the process.

Eco-farm “Gutsul Cheese Factory”. This place is valued by adepts of healthy eating and national gastronomy traditions. We’ll witness all the process taking place in the ecological region far from civilization. After that we’ll be able to buy eco cheeses produced.

One of the stages of cheese-making by local recipe.

We’ll move ahead to small mountain town Verhovyna, where hospitable people and picturesque views are waiting for us. Verhovina is especially charming during winter season.

Complex lunch at Verhovyna town*

Local minority gutsuls respect their history and tradition. They collect the most valuable pieces of art and crafts and create small museums to present their way of living and understanding of nature to everyone interested in. Museums collections contain musical instruments, ethnic embroidery, wooden craft and so on. We’ll visit the most notable museums:

Museum of gutsul customs and traditions “Galeriya” (we’ll get to know Cristmas traditions here).

Gutsuls still dress up like this at holidays and when going to church on Sundays.

Museum of folk instruments named after Roman Kumlik

We’ll also learn to play the smallest gutsul musical instrument “drymba”. This rare and easy to play instrument has a faraway brother in Altay mountains and Mongolia — called vargan. There it was used from ancient times during shaman ceremonies. Hear the mystical sound of The Carpathians!

Listen to locals playing drymba.

The day itinerary is made in such a way that we’ll walk from one place of interest to another to stay warm. Walking around the town we’ll hike up to the viewing tower and survey Verhovyna from above.

 

When it’s snowy in Verhovyna — it’s a real winter fairytale!

19:00 Returning to the hotel. Dinner in the hotel restaurant*.

Preparing of a Christmas postcard (Share your fairytale mood with family and friends.)

Watching the traditional movie “Christmas eve at a small village near the Dikanka”

Sauna/bathing in hot chan is optional*

 

Day3: optional day tours — mountain ski resort Bukovel or hiking tour. Christmas eve

08:00 Morning exercising in pajamas

09:00-11:00 Breakfast in the hotel (buffet).

You can luxuriate in hotel SPA and soft beds all day round or choose one of our more active options:

Day trip to the best Ukrainian mountain ski resort — Bukovel* (450grn per person). Skiing or snowboarding, possibility to rest in a SPA complex “Woda”, joining the Christmas fair, going up the mountains with the cable car, drinking mulled wine and so on. We’ll help to buy ski-pass and to rent all the necessary equipment, it’s not included in price.

Guided hiking to the Sokilsky mountain ridge to the Carpathians powerplace (duration up to 4 hours)

Participation in a cooking class to prepare traditional Orthodox Christmas dinner. Chief cook will unveil his secret recipes. (duration up to 2 hours).

18:00 Christmas celebration*

 

12 dishes are cooked traditionally, every of them has it’s meaning.

Celebration will take place in the hotel restaurant. We prepared a special heartwarming atmosphere. First things first, we’ll perform a fumigation with special herbs. We’ll call to memory those important for us persons who are not with us anymore, prepare a treat for them. Light candles and talk about Christmastime, traditions.

We’ll taste 12 traditional fasting dishes, listen to and sing ukrainian songs — Kolyadki. Everyone will share his soul warms with others. Prepare a small gift for that to present to a random pal from a group. Surely, you’ll get a gift as well; )

Attention!

There will be non-vegetarian dishes and alcohol also.

Dress code with Ukrainian style elements is welcome.

Continue your evening with dancing if you like.

DAY4: Going back to Lviv with the number of stops — at the ancient bridge, beer brewery “Mykulychin”, waterfall Probiy and a local market in Yaremche

09:00 Breakfast in the hotel (buffet).

10:00 Checking out.

Stone bridge viaduct, one of the ancient European arch bridges.

Visit the beer brewery “Mykulychin”.

Only natural components are used.

Waterfall Probiy and local market in Yaremche.

Complex lunch in Yaremche.*

19:00 Arrival to Lviv.

 

Additional program

 

Hot Bathing in “Chan”

Duration:                     2 hours

Price for a chan:         20 euro

Capacity:                    up to 8 persons

 

Tempreture of water in chan is 40-45 degrees Celsius.

How bathing in chan is taking place? Do you know ancient tales about bathing in boiling water that makes old people young again? And when one runs out of strength he should just take a bath and his power is renovated.

Carpathian chans are almost like those baths from tales. Surely, water in these cast-iron pots is not boiling. It’s temperature is around 40-45 degrees Celsius. But a fire under the pot is absolutely real.

 

Day trip to skiing resort Bukovel

Duration:                                8 hours

Price for transportation:         18 euro

Full day ski-pass:                  56 euro (can be less for half day or 3 hours)

Ski rental:                   around  15 euro (depends on the type of equipment)

TC «Bukovel» offers a fantastic ski/snowboard experience. The resort features 60 kilometers total of slopes, with 16 modern ski lifts and the latest achievements in snow-making and snow-grooming machinery.

Learn more about Bukovel.

 

Bukovel is a modern and European quality skiing resort.


Guided hiking to the mountain ridge

Duration:                     4 hours

Price per person :      5 euro

Although hiking in the mountains during winter season is a challenge, this short trip doesn’t need a special preparation. It’s of low difficulty and any person is able to enjoy the view of the mountain ridge from above. An experienced local guide will ensure staying on the pass and have the best experience.

 

price

 

Hotel “Sokilske” (BB) 3 nights

Room category:         DBL/TWIN      185 euro

                                   SINGLE          265 euro

Included in price

  • Bus transfer from Lviv
  • All the transportation according to the main program
  • 3 nights in a hotel “Sokilske”
  • Breakfast in the hotel (buffet).
  • Guiding during all the tour
  • Walking tours with the guide in Ivano-Frankivsk, Kolomiya, Kosiv, Verhovina, Vorohta, Yaremche
  • Excursion to Pysanka museum
  • Excursion to  Cheese eco-farm
  • Lizhnik making workshop
  • Movie watching
  • Participating in a Christmas dinner cooking
  • Christmas postcard
  • Evening of wine and boardgames

 

Additional expenses

  • Possible to order breakfast in Ivano-Frankivsk (around 100-150 grn)
  • Entrance tickets (Pysanka museum – 25grn, museum of musical instruments – 25grn , Museum of gutsul customs and traditions “Galeriya” – 25grn.)
  • Complex lunches (100-130 grn)
  • Dinners in the hotel
  • Day trip to the best Ukrainian mountain ski resort - Bukovel (450grn per person).
  • Ski-pass and skiing equipment for rent
  • Active sport insurance
  • Optional hiking 4 hours tour (100 grn)
  • Christmas dinner (1000 grn)
  • Bathing in hot chan (500grn for one chan for 2 hours, maximum for 8 persons)
  • Sauna (the first hour is 425grn, the 2nd and the 3rd are 325grn each, the 4th is complimentary; maximum for 10 persons)

 

Why to choose Anga Travel

  • Choose a reliable partner. We’ve got 8 years experience as a tour operator in Ukraine.
  • Get your tour from the first hands. It’s a guarantee of the lower price.
  • Make changes and communicate quickly. We make all the tours ourselves, not just resell.