Welcome to the Zacharovanyi Krai National Park!
Today you’re setting off on a fascinating journey along the ‘Kam’yanka Tract – Mineral Spring – Huchalo Waterfall’ eco-educational trail. This is an easy, circular walking route. The total distance there and back is almost 12 kilometres, with an elevation gain of 240 metres. The total duration of the walk is around four hours. As our route is a circular one, we’ll reach the final destination and then return along the same path. There’s no need to rush, so get ready for a leisurely and informative walk.
You’ll visit one of the most precious natural areas in the Ukrainian Carpathians. Here, ancient beech forests, volcanic landscapes, mountain streams, marshes, and rare plants and animals are protected, many of which are listed in Ukraine’s Red Book.
Before taking the next step, pause for a moment. Breathe in the fresh Carpathian air. Listen carefully. Can you hear the birdsong, the rustling of the leaves, the murmur of the water? It is these very sounds that have accompanied life in the park for thousands of years.
Along the route, you’ll learn about the primeval beech forests, which are among Europe’s most valuable natural ecosystems; how and where mountain rivers are born; why clear water is home to brown trout; and where, hidden amongst the forest, lies the unique Black Bog – a high-altitude bog that preserves the climatic history of the Carpathians in its peat deposits.
You’ll encounter the spotted salamander, the black stork, the Carpathian blue slug, nocturnal inhabitants such as bats, and other species for whom the Zacharovanyi Krai has become a safe haven.
Look around you. Today, you are not just a tourist. You are a guest of nature. And nature reveals its secrets only to those who know how to slow down, look closely, listen and feel. So let’s set off! Ahead lies a story written over millions of years by volcanoes, forests and water. And today, you will become part of it.