Kamianka Pass - the Synevyr pearl of the Carpathians
The Synevyr Kamianka Pass in the Mizhhiria area - is one of the most picturesque in the Carpathian mountains. At an altitude of 793 metres above sea level, the whole “Synevyr” National Nature Park and its chief treasure - the high-mountain Lake Synevyr. The fairy-tale mountains and virgin spruce forests here resemble incredible waves and crests that seem to sweep over you with their endlessness and inexhaustible beauty.
The Synevyr Pass is often called Kamianka (Kamianka Pass), and all because the peak of the same name is located here. The 1578-metre mountain not only enchants with its landscapes but also captivates with its unique Alpine origin. Most of it is covered with stones, so footwear with a thick sole will come in very handy here. The climb along the stony path is no easy one, yet the Carpathians never let any of their guests leave without a reward: the fantastic vistas this Synevyr beauty will reveal to you are, believe us, worth it. Kamianka Pass seems to plunge you into an ocean of mountains, where tiny houses are scattered across the valleys in villages and the Tereblia river winds like a blue serpent. Not infrequently you can see herds of Hutsul horses or flocks of sheep grazing peacefully on the mountain slopes, while high above the summit, far off in the sky, a rare bird sometimes soars - the golden eagle. Oh, you could admire all this beauty forever and ever!
Mizhhiria - is one of the most mystical parts of Transcarpathia, and of course people have showered enigmatic legends upon Kamianka Pass. The locals recount that robbers once lived in the local spruce forests and plundered people. They kept all their treasures in a special secret crypt beneath the mountain, which still exists somewhere here to this day. So, while you are on the mountain slopes, look closely - who knows, perhaps fate will smile on you and you will spot the mysterious entrance to the robbers’ golden hoard!
The Synevyr Kamianka Pass: wondrous sights
Not far from Kamianka Pass rises Mount Ozerna (+1495 m), which stands right above one of the seven natural wonders of Ukraine - Lake Synevyr . From here the majestic Sea Eye of the Carpathians has its most photogenic view, drawing travellers from far and wide. Only from this height do you understand why the lake was given such a name - it is a wondrous mirror-like sheet of water with a little island-pupil in the middle. A few kilometres away lies the picturesque giant waterfall Shypit , as well as the country’s only rehabilitation centre for brown bears. And a cable car in the neighbouring village of Pylypets will comfortably carry you to the wondrous Borzhava highland meadows in just 15 minutes.
You can savour the beauty of the high-mountain Lake Synevyr and the Shypit waterfall, see Kamianka Pass and real Carpathian bears, and admire the incredible views of the Borzhava highland meadows during excursions to Synevyr.
The Synevyr Kamianka Pass was for a long period the administrative border of Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania, and today it effectively divides Transcarpathia and the Ivano-Frankivsk region. Tourists took a liking to this land long ago, for it offers a wonderful holiday both in summer (walking) and in winter (skiing, snowboarding). One of the highlights of Mizhhiria is its local colour. For this is a land of shepherds and dear little sheep, whose flocks you will often meet on the highland meadows here. They resemble fluffy, curly clouds that you just want to grab and hug tight!
Sheep farming has always been the local people’s first livelihood, and in fact whole large families were fed by sheep, which provided both clothing and food, especially milk, from which the legendary Carpathian cheese - bryndza. And the sending-off of the flocks to the highland meadow - is one of the well-known Hutsul traditions, always accompanied by colourful ceremony and vibrant festivities: songs, dances around the bonfire, milking of the sheep, folk games, exhibitions by craftsmen and tastings of vurda (a type of sheep’s cheese) and genuine Hutsul tokan with bryndza. Transcarpathians have turned this custom into a whole ethno-festival, which has made Kamianka Pass famous throughout Ukraine. It is called precisely that: “Sending the Flocks to the Highland Meadow”, and it takes place every year at the beginning of summer on the Synevyr Pass.
