Yaremcha

Introducing Yaremcha

Alighting at Yaremcha’s downtown bus stop – as opposed to its main bus station on the town’s northern edge – one’s first impression is that this a pretty, leafy resort. However, heading south along Yaremcha’s long main road, you swiftly understand Ukrainian criticisms that the place is too touristy. On the left of the main road (a few minutes from the bus stop) you’ll come to a market of Hutsul souvenirs, before passing another souvenir market on the right. Head up the slight incline, following the crowds jumping across the railway line, then pass some knick-knack stalls and a theme restaurant before arriving at the town’s leading attraction (yep, you guessed it) – a souvenir market, this time above a waterfall.

Sadly, the impression you get of Yaremcha is even worse if you leave the main road at the second market and follow the shamefully littered Prut River.

Still, Yaremcha’s not all bad. The aforementioned theme restaurant, Hutsulshchyna, is great for a bite and there’s an even better eatery. Additionally, if you continue past Hutsulshchyna, to where a trail rises left off the road, you can enjoy a not-too-taxing trek to the Dovbush Cliffs . These are actually a series of boulders, which were pushed off a cliff to form ‘caves’ that outlaws once hid in. With several looped trails around here, you could spend anything from half an hour to three hours walking.

Also in Yaremcha’s favour is that it’s comparatively easy to reach and makes a good staging point for an ascent of Mt Hoverla. By catching a marshrutka or taxi to Vorokhta or beyond you can get to Ukraine’s highest peak and back in a day or two, depending on your preferred pace.

Finally, Yaremcha is, of course, quite good for souvenir shopping…

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009