Attractions of Khust district

The exposition of the Khust Museum of Local Lore is housed in six halls of a modern building in the city center.

2.5 thousand exhibits tell about the history of the region. There are departments of nature and general history, a picture gallery. Also original is the symbolic map of Europe during the First World War, on which the countries of the world are depicted in the form of animals.

Of particular interest is the exposition on the history of Carpathian Ukraine, the capital of which was the city of Khust for some time.

Museum employees conduct tours of the city and its surroundings.

The largest rehabilitation center for brown bears in Ukraine was established in 2011 on the territory of the "Synevyr" National Nature Park in Transcarpathia. Bears that have suffered injuries due to cruel treatment or being kept in improper conditions in captivity are rehabilitated here.

In the rehabilitation center, more than 30 bears live in semi-free conditions on an area of 12 hectares in the middle of the Carpathian forest. In its upper part, there are 6 cages and 2 sections for keeping groups and single animals of different ages and health conditions, 24 artificial dens, several artificial ponds. There are natural plantations of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, which are loved by animals. The entire territory is fenced with an electric fence.

The center is open to tourists, you can learn more about the history of each pet at special stands. Each animal has its own diet, an individual diet is developed for them.

Safety rules should be followed when visiting the rehabilitation center. It is forbidden to feed the bears.

The mineral water geyser in Vuchkove is located on the bank of a mountain stream in the Petrovets tract at the entrance to Mizhhirya from the Khust side.

The water in the spring is salty, with a high content of iron, which is visible from the red-yellow-hot color of the surrounding stones.

Previously, the geyser beat upwards with a free 7-meter fountain with a constant frequency 4 times a day. In Soviet times, when the sanatorium was founded, it was enclosed in a pipe, the main flow was diverted to the river.

Currently, the geyser is again erupting vertically upward with a fountain 5-7 meters high. The periodicity of eruptions can vary from 20 minutes to several hours (on average every two hours). The duration of the eruption is about 10 minutes.

On the other side of the river there is a spring with delicious iron mineral water - "kvas".

At the entrance to the tract is a bee farm, on the territory of which the only bee monument in Europe is installed. It was here in the 1960s that the frost-resistant species of the Carpathian bee was bred.

The wooden church of the Holy Spirit was built in Kolochava by master Ferents Tekka in 1795 on the site of an old church founded in the 17th century.

The church is high, two-log, covered with shingles. The slender tower is finished with a Baroque pinnacle.

In Soviet times, the temple was turned into a museum of atheism, thanks to which it was well preserved (restored in 1969).

Currently, the Church of the Holy Spirit does not function, but it is available for tourists to visit. A unique icon of the 18th century "Jesus Christ the vinedresser" is kept here.

There are several Czech graves and the burial of a Hungarian postman on the territory of the Holy Spirit Church-Museum. At the entrance, a sculptural composition has been installed in honor of a local monument of sacred literature - the manuscript of the Kolochava deacon Ivan Luhosh "The Pearl of Great Price".

The excursion must be arranged in advance by phone.

The ruins of the medieval Khust Castle can be seen on the Castle Hill near the center of Khust.

The castle was built in the 11th-12th centuries to control the "salt road" from Solotvyno. The legend connects the name with a voivode named Khust. The castle on the top of a 150-meter mountain stood out for its power, which was provided by 14-meter walls, high towers and a siege well.

In 1378, the Hungarian king presented the Khust castle to cousins Balko and Drago from the Moldavian family of Drahosh. Legend connects them with the Wallachian lord Vlad III Tsepesh (Drakula), who became the prototype of the hero of Bram Stoker's popular novel.

After 1526, the Khust Castle passed to the Principality of Transylvania, and was one of the strongholds of the rebels during the Hungarian War of Independence. It existed until 1776, when a powder cellar exploded due to a lightning strike. Since then, it has not recovered.

Access is free.

The first monument to wage earners (migrant workers, guest workers) in Ukraine was erected in 2011 in the Transcarpathian village of Kolochava.

Against the background of a tiny hut of a poor peasant, a scene of farewell to the family of the head of the family, who is forced to leave his homeland in an attempt to ensure a normal future for his children, is filmed. The figures of the wage earner and his family members are depicted in clothes of the beginning of the 20th century, because it was in those years that almost half of the male population of the village went to earn money. Many of them never returned - their names are engraved on the memorial plaque.

The composition stands in the center of the village, at the bus stop - where even now the people of Kolochava see off their loved ones to a foreign land.

The "Arpad Line" museum complex was created in Kolochava on the basis of four bunkers preserved from the Second World War.

The 600-kilometer defense line, which consisted of a chain of individual defense nodes, was built in 1943-1944 by Hungarian troops against the advance of the Soviet army.

There were about thirty "Arpad Line" bunkers in the Kolochava area, one of which was near the bridge on the bank of the Tereblya River. To counter the movement of military equipment, rows of concrete pyramids were placed on the roads and in the riverbeds, many of which have survived to this day. Due to the fact that the Soviet troops struck the main blow in a different direction, the "Arpad Line" were left by the retreating Hungarian troops without a fight.

The Kolochava military museum "Arpad Line" includes four bunkers, the interiors of which have been restored: "Command", "Defense", "Hospital", "Boiler station". The exposition presents weapons, equipment, tools, household items of the garrisons.

The duration of the tour of all objects of the complex is about two hours. In addition, you can order a field lunch and a trip to the BRDM.

The "Old School" museum complex in Kolochava is housed in an old school building built in 1879 and consists of two school-museums: the Soviet and the Czech.

The Museum "Soviet School" conveys the atmosphere of children's education in the second half of the 20th century. The walls here are hung with portraits of Soviet leaders, there are inkwells on old desks, and there is a stove in the corner. In the director's office there is a massive telephone, an old typewriter, a radio receiver.

The Museum "Czech School" reflects the conditions of education of children during the time of the Czech government in the 1930s. The school, which operated for only 7 years, is recreated based on the memories of former students. It consists of two rooms: a classroom and a teacher's room. Here you can see a bust of the president of Czechoslovakia, a geographical map of the country in the old borders, school supplies and other items of the era. 

The monument "To teacher from Ukraine" has been installed in the museum courtyard, dedicated to all teachers who came to Transcarpathia from central and eastern Ukraine after the Second World War to teach children in remote mountain villages.

The legendary Narcissus Valley is located in the Kireshi tract between the Tysa and Khustets rivers on the outskirts of Khust.

The nature of this relict valley has been preserved since the Ice Age. The narrow-leaved narcissus population growing here is unique in that it is not in the mountains, but on the plain (180-200 meters above sea level). Similar thickets, but of a smaller area, remained in a few places - the Alps, mountainous regions of Romania and some Balkan countries.

There is an adapted legend about the ancient Greek god Narcissus, who allegedly saw his reflection in the mirror waters of Khustets, fell in love and died of longing, turning into a flower.

Protection of the valley began during the times of Austria-Hungary. Under the Soviet government, they wanted to plow the land, reclamation work began, but thanks to the efforts of Professor Vasyl Komendar, the territory ended up under the protection of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve.

The mass flowering of Narcissus Valley usually begins in the first half of May and lasts about two weeks (the exact date depends on the weather). The earth is covered with a white flower carpet of unusual beauty, which thousands of tourists come to see.

There is an ecological and educational center "Narcissus Museum", which tells about the unique flora and fauna of the valley, the history of its preservation.

The Church of Saint Paraskeva in Oleksandrivka is probably the oldest Gothic church in Khust region.

The exact date of its foundation is unknown. It is likely that the lower beams belong to the 15th century. The year 1753, when the reconstruction was carried out, is considered to be the official date of foundation.

The 25-meter Gothic spire is decorated with decorative towers. The walls and vaults are covered with rich paintings made in 1779 by the artist Stefan Terebelsky. A two-story bell tower rises in front of the main facade.

The private cheese factory "Selyska Cheese Factory" in the village of Nyzhnie Selyshche is a social project of the Transcarpathian Association of Local Development and the European cooperative "Longo May".

At Selyska cheese factory, using modern equipment, four types of cheese are made according to Swiss technology, processing ecologically clean milk supplied by private farms of local peasants.

Excursions are held at the cheese factory with tastings of all four varieties: "Selysky", "Khust", "Menchul" and "Narcis Carpathians". It is advisable to make an appointment in advance and come on the day while the cheese-making process is in progress.

Shypit waterfall (Shypot, Shipit) is one of the most beautiful and full-water waterfalls in Transcarpathia.

It is located in the mountains on the outskirts of the village of Pylypets. Nicknamed Whisper for his loud voice that can be heard as a whisper from afar. The water flows from the Borzhava basin and falls in picturesque cascades from a height of 14 meters.

The waterfall is especially beautiful in spring, when the snow melts, and in autumn, during the rainy season. In the summer, there is a small stream that runs down the mountain along several rocky ledges.

Every year since 1993, the waterfall gathers thousands of informals from different countries for the hippie festival "Shypit". About traditions, the culmination of the holiday falls on Ivan Kupala, July 7.

The Kolochava Open-Air Museum of Folk Architecture and Life (skansen) "Old Village" (Stare Selo) is located in a picturesque area on the outskirts of the Transcarpathian village of Kolochava.

The museum has about ten authentic residential and commercial buildings with household items and works of art of local residents of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In particular, the Czech gendarmerie, a village school, a forge, a Hutsul kolyba, artisans' huts, a Jewish tavern and other buildings are presented. The museum combines the cultures of Hutsuls, Boykys, Lemkys, Hungarians, Romanians, Czechs, Slovaks, Germans, and Jews.

On the territory of the "Old Village" museum there is also the Museum of the Carpathian narrow-gauge railway, where you can see a German steam locomotive, several old cars, a motorized draisine and other rare railway equipment.

In addition, on the territory of the open-air museum, the underground bunker of the UPA rebels of Mykhaylo Shteyer has been recreated, in which the museum exhibition "Shteyer's Bunker" has been opened.

Nearby, a separate exhibition "Kolochava Bokorash" has been created, where you can visit a lumberjack's hut, familiarize yourself with the authentic tools of loggers and bokorashs, see reproduced robes for bringing down wood from the mountains, and take a photo on a huge bokor raft.

By prior order, theatrical performances with tasting of Kolochava drinks are held in the Jewish "Wolf's Tavern". There is a souvenir shop.

The Torun pass (941 meters) is located at the exit from the village of Torun towards Dolyna, on the border of Zakarpattya and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.

On the pass is a reinforced concrete Hungarian DOT from the Second World War (probably 1940) and a cemetery for Austro-Hungarian soldiers who died defending the pass during the First World War in 1914-1918.

There is also a rest area with gazebos on the pass.

Popular among tourists is the souvenir market, where mostly vine products are sold.

The village of Iza became famous as a center of wicker weaving in the 19th century. One of its founders was the craftsman Ivan Kashko. He taught this craft to his two sons, and then it gradually became the main occupation of the villagers. They sold their products at the bazaar in Khust and other places.

Now open air along the central street is traded throughout the year. On the bridges near the houses you can see baskets, armchairs, chairs, tables, shelves, cabinets, houses for kittens, boxes, lampshades, dishes, plates, vases, caskets for sale.