WESTERN UKRAINE AGRICULTURAL TRAVEL 8 DAYS

One Belgian  man has built a goat farm not far from Lviv and adheres to organic standards  in farming. He presents his rich range of products and reports about the cattle breeding in the Ukraine and about the distribution of his products. On our way to the Carpathians we make a stop in Stryj and visit an apiary. The wide steppes of the Ukraine offer almost paradisiacal conditions to the bee colonies. During the conversation with the owner of the apiary we learn some of the regional specificities of beekeeping and taste honey and other bee products.

What can be more pleasant than to get up early and to take a short walk in a forest before breakfast. When also beautiful mountain landscapes catch the eye, you can really enjoy your life. After breakfast, we go up in the mountains and visit the shepherds, who will introduce us to their daily lives and their life philosophy. In the evening, we reach town Mukachevo and eat in the restaurant with Lemken cuisine (Lemken – a population group in the Carpathians).

After breakfast in the hotel you explore the city center of Mukachevo with our  tour guide. At every step you find traces of the Austro-Hungarian past of the city. And this little city has much to offer – art nouveau Town Hall at the market square, the white residence of the Rakoczi family and St. Joseph Chapel. If you are near Mukachevo, you should see Palanok Castle from all angles, since it is located on a 68 m high massif of volcanic origin. The castle dates back to the 13th century and for a long time belonged to the Rakoczi family. At the present time the castle houses a museum and has a magnificent 130 rooms. In the afternoon we visit a quail farm near Mukachevo. Quail itself and quail eggs are the main products. There you find out how people take care of suitable ground husbandry in the Ukraine. The guide tells you some history of the quail breeding, the healing effects of the quail eggs, so that you will fancy the idea of having your own quail farm.

On this day we continue through the Transcarpathia. The road meanders around the mountain ranges and offers breathtaking panoramas for true nature and mountain lovers. Seldom does a person feel such a unity with nature, suddenly it becomes clear that he or she is a part of it.In an hour you reach the town Berehove. This is a unique town in Ukraine – a center of Hungarian culture, the Hungarians are the most numerous population group in this city. During a city tour you get acquainted with the history and the presence of this town, visit the cathedral built in the 12th century, that was destroyed by the Tartars around 1240 and later rebuilt, as well as the cortyard of сount Gabor Bethlen, where the town museum is now located. Today, the city is famous for its thermal baths. The whole region of Transcarpathia is known for its wines. In Berehove you  visit the Regional Wine Museum, and afterwards you are invited to a wine tasting. In the afternoon we visit a deer farm and admire cane chairs and wicker furniture in a Carpathian village, where this craft has been maintained for generations.

We continue  and come to geographic center of Europe, city called Rakhiv. The place is embedded  by the ridges of the forest Carpathians. Nearby, the highest peak of this low mountain  range, Hoverla, rises up to 2061 m. Among other things, Ukraine  is known for its ancient beech forests, which have been added to  the UNESCO World Heritage List. We speak with a qualified professional about forestry in Ukraine.  In the afternoon we follow the tracks of mountain people – Hutsuls. The rousing music and unforgettably beautiful  woodcarvings are the features of the Hutsuls. In the Verkhovyna, Hutsul settlement, you visit the Ethnographic  Museum, that houses a remarkable collection of ancient clothing, household items and Hutsul handicrafts. The museum owner proudly presents his collection of local musical instruments and gives a little show. Near Bukovel we stay in a mountain hotel. In a local inn with Hutsul atmosphere we sit down for dinner and taste the specialties of this region.

On  this  day we  drive back  to Lviv. On  the way you can  stop by the souvenir  market in Yaremche, full  of carvings, ceramics, embroidery and various antiques. Our agricultural journey would be complete if we do not visit a remnant, a relic of the past epoch – a typical Soviet kolkhoz – an agricultural company from the Soviet era. We learn from a real life example how agriculture was built in the past, visible structural differences between then and now and the story of transformation. In the late evening we reach Lviv.

Our  program  comes to  its end today. You take with you unforgettable impressions and the great feeling of having experienced something special. You have spent your time eventfully and we hope that we have managed to persuade you coming here once more in the future. You are always welcome here!