We'll be honest with you: we are absolutely, totally and completely biased! Everyone who ever visited Ukrainian Carpathians immediately falls in love with their vast expanses, stumbling mountain peaks and incredibly real culture of local highlanders, that seem to be stuck in time. Few travelers venture off to Carpathians, when in Ukraine. And it's exactly this fact that makes the mountains so special. Wander away to remote areas and you will most likely be the only foreign tourist for miles and miles around.

There are so many things to see and do in Carpathians, and so little written about them online, that we could not but make our own list of unique, special and enticing experiences in Ukrainian Carpathians that will make you fall in love with them, just like we did.

1. Hike atop the White Elephant

You aren't mistaken - it's not an alien photo shoot. The deserted observatory on top of the Mountain Pip Ivan can top the list of Ukraine's most striking abandoned buildings. Constructed merely a century ago in 1938, the site used to be a part of Bialy Slon (translated as White Elephant) - former Polish Astronomical Observatory.When the Soviet Red Army entered the area, the structure was left to decay, and became completely neglected in 1944.

The hike to the Mountain Pip Ivan (2038 m) is in itself not an easy experience, and takes grueling 10 hours of fast-paced walk to complete.

 2. Visit Hutsul shepherds in Ukrainian Carpathians

No other experience in Ukrainian Carpathians can be as touching and moving as a visit to Hutsul shepherds. Hutsuls are ethno-cultural group of Ukrainian highlanders, which managed to maintain a very distinctive culture and traditional lifestyle. Just like hundreds of years ago, every summer Hutsul shepherds collect sheepfold from all the neighboring villages, and go up to spend three months in the highlands.

Grazing, milking and making cheese is a tough job, and is done in the most basic conditions of no electricity or running water. Imagine three months of day-to-day non-stop walking and waking up before the sunrise! A visit to Hutsul shepherds will leave you with plenty of impressions, huge respect for the hard-working men, and an eerie feeling of a place stuck in time.

3. Try traditional egg-painting

It might look easy, but the ancient custom of Easter egg painting will definitely make you swear and sweat, as you are trying to melt the wax over the candle and somehow put it over the egg, without making a mess of everything and everyone around you.

It ain't easy, but it surely is a lot of fun! The village of Kosmach - in the midst of Ukrainian Carpathians - is especially known for its beautiful and intricate designs. Every second house in Kosmach has an artisan, whose skill has been transferred to him by parents, grandparents and great grand parents.

Check out our recent egg-painting master class with Katie at Katie Going Global and make sure to join our weekend Lviv tour .

As most of the places in Ukrainian Carpathians, the farthest corner of Carpathian Biosphere Reserve -Marmarosy Alps - is the least visited and explored by foreigners. Until recently this area on the border with Romania was off-limits even to Ukrainian hikers and getting an official permission from the border guard is still required for entering. The place is open for foreign tourists now, and should definitely be at the top of the list for avid hikers.

Don't expect marked trails and be ready for kilometers of bare wild mountain peaks. For those, wishing to go with the comfort, day trips are definitely possible. But to truly experience the heartland of Ukrainian Carpathians you'll need to spend a night out: intimately and one -on-one with the nature.

Email us, if you'd like to arrange a hike in Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, and our guides will be thrilled to show you all the beauty!

5. Stay in a rural guesthouse

You can choose to go for the cozy comfort of local B&B hotels, but staying in the rural guesthouse is what will make your visit to Ukrainian Carpathians complete. Don't expect grand facilities or modern designs.

Instead, join in the simple life of rural people and get back that inner peace and tranquility that we so often miss during the busy days in the city. Help collecting the hay and mounting it on the absolutely adorable-looking haystacks. Get your hands white with flour, and make your first Ukrainian dumpling.

Go out to the forest with your host family to pick up fresh mushrooms for the mushroom soup. And don't forget to feed those noisy and curious chicken in the backyard!

Don't all those above sound like fun? :) Have you ever visited Ukrainian Carpathians? What were your impressions? Make sure to share in the comments below!