The Carpathian Mountains of Ukraine have always been filled with mystery and the source of many vampire stories. The system of mountains is crescent shaped and the start as hills in Bratislava, Slovakia and climb to reach 2,655 meters at Gerlachovsky Peak in Slovakia’s High Tatras. The mountain chain runs through Ukraine before ending in Romania. The Carpathians that run through Ukraine are gentle peaks that go as high as 2,061 meters with small ski villages and larger resorts located nestled within them, making them a great vacation destination.
The mountains offer visitors plenty to do during the entire year. The winter temperatures are actually mild with snow and rain with the summers being warm with rain and thunderstorms. Skiing, hiking and camping are all popular activities when visiting this area as well as river rafting, horseback riding, mountain biking, and road biking. Most of the region is accessible via car, train, bus or even horse drawn sled in the winter.
The people of this area of Ukraine are an interest cultural mix that lives in the traditional mountain lifestyle. The inhabitants are not, however, unaware of what is going on in the world. Instead they are very much up to date on all affairs. While some areas are more modern than others, there is still plenty of what is considered poor and underdeveloped mountain settlements on the west side of the main ridge. These areas are steeped in tradition. It you visit the Carpathians you can very easily go home with handmade crafts from the people who live there.
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