Transcarpathian Nirvana

©PANORAMA 2008
By Anna Kostenko

If you feel that there is too much stress in your life, then it is time to visit the Transcarpathian region. It seems that God created this area for healing people’s souls and bodies: there are great mountains, deep forests, mineral sources, curing muds, salt lakes and salt mines. The resort was already famous to the elite in the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Its current formula of success is ancient treatments enhanced with perfect service and modern therapy.

Royal Bath

Near the historic centre of Uzhgorod, ethno wellness hotel “Ungvarskiy” offers a large range of options for rest and relaxation. The establishment was built in 1876 on a source of healing mineral water. In 2007, a businessman from Uzhgorod Ivan Voloshyn decided to renovate the resort completely. The concept of the new resort is ethnic wellness: renewal of the natural strength of the organism according to the traditions of our ancestors.

The first rule of “Ungvarskiy” is that the guests have to get pleasure from every moment of their stay. The interior of the cosy complex is mostly wooden with forged iron decorations and accessories in the 19th century style. Rooms are bright and spacious, and the restaurant offers gourmet and healthy dishes from Transcarpathian, Hungarian and Slovakian cuisines.
A calm and affable atmosphere reigns in the “Ungvarskiy” treatment and rehabilitation centre. According to indications by your doctor, you can undergo various types of showers, jets, baths, massages, and therapies.

The highlight of the treatment is “Ungvarska kupil (bath)” based on an ancient ritual. You go to a stone hall lit with candles, redolent of eastern fragrances and filled with the sounds of nature. In the centre of the hall, there is the 130-years-old tub with mineral water. Under the tub, burning fragrant woods heat the water to a pleasant temperature. At first you plunge into the tub for 5-10 minutes, and then dive into a small pool of cold water for a few seconds. Your body gets saturated with oxygen, tones up, and you feel incredible full of energy. A real Transcarpathian nirvana!

Wonder Barrel

In “Ungvarskiy” you can also undergo one more healing ritual: a real Carpathian sauna. Here everything is made of wood, the stove is made of stone according to the ancient local craft, and the small swimming-pool is filled with mineral water. In the hot room, there are oak besom brooms and an extract from fragrant Carpathian herbs that you pour on hot stones… Spend half an hour here and feel what it is to be really relaxed!

The “Cedar Barrel” is another interesting treatment we discovered in the “Voyevodyno’ Transcarpathian tourist complex. Healing steam saturated with herbal fragrances is shot under pressure into a compact sauna-barrel made from 200-years-old cedar. The warm cedar emits phytoncides, allowing the steam heating to benefit the whole organism by increasing blood supply to the skin, muscles and joints and accelerating the metabolism. In addition, the steam barrel has a wonderful cosmetic effect on facial skin and is said to help fight cellulite. The treatment lasts from two to fifteen minutes and is repeated several times.

“Voyevodyno” is located “off road” in the midst of mountains, forests, impetuous rivers and silence. Accommodation is in cosy wooden houses. In the restaurant of the complex you can try trout that you catch yourself in the hotel’s ponds. It is incredibly succulent! Depending on the season you can play tennis, volley-ball, mini golf, ride bicycle or go skiing. If you need to improve your health further, then head to another area in the Transcarpathian region: Solotvyno village.

The Salt of Life

Solotvyno is famous for its salt mines that help treat bronchitis, asthma and various allergic illnesses. Since 1976, a specialised Ukrainian Allergy Clinic was established in the in Solotvyno salt mines. This establishment is unique in the world because all its cabinets and treatment rooms are located at a depth of 300 metres in solid salt grottos!

All year, the temperature is constant at +22 +25 ºС and the mines maintain air humidity at 30-32%. Because of this, the principal treatment approach is breathing. A recommended course is 15 to 25 sessions lasting from 5 to 10 hours. The Ukrainian Allergy Clinic also uses modern methods of therapy and massage. The resort offers accommodation in wooden cottages at the hotel complex “Speleological Centre Solotvyno”.

In addition to salt mines, nature also gave salt lakes to Solotvyno. On their banks there are healing muds which curative properties that are compared with the famous muds of the Dead Sea. People come year-round to treat their locomotive system or simply relax in nature.

Useful Contacts

Ethno wellness hotel “Ungvarskiy”
2 Elektrozavodska Str., Uzhgorod, Transcarpathian region, tel.: +38 0312 61 6565; www.ungvarskiy-hotel.com.ua, e-mail: info@ungvarskiy-hotel.com.ua
Accommodation: from UAH250 for double room.

Sanatorium and hotel complex “Speleological Centre Solotvyno”
Solotvyno village, Tiachivskyi district, Transcarpathian region, tel.: +38 03134 56 843; www.solotvino.com.ua, e-mail: speleocenter@i.ua
Accommodation: from UAH200 for double room.

“Voyevodyno” Tourist complex
Voyevodyno, Turia Pasika village, Perechynskyi district, Transcarpathian region, tel.: +38 03145 47 240; www.voevodyno.com, e-mail: voevodyno@mail.ru
Accommodation: from UAH320 for double room, breakfast included.

Tourist and informational centre of the Transcarpathian region
Tel.: +38 0312 61 6669; www.tourinform.org.ua

Restaurants

Detsa u Notarya
Uzhgorod, 98 Gagarina Str., tel.: +38 0312 66 1166.
The best-known restaurant in the Transcarpathian region.

Rodos
Uzhgorod, 6a Dokuchayeva Str., tel.: +38 0312 64 2125.
This restaurant is known for its two “cave halls”, which are over six hundred years old

Turianska Dolyna
Perechyn town (near Voyevodyno), 122 Zhovtneva Str., tel.: +38 0314 52 2263.
European, Ukrainian, and regional cuisine.

Car rental: Hertz Company: Lviv, 3/1 Chekhova Str., tel.: +38 032 297 0052; mobile: +38 050 358 28 61, e-mail: lviv@hertz.ua

Getting There

kiev flights Ukrainian International Airlines offers daily flights to Kyiv from most of Western Europe’s largest cities, as well as daily flights from Kyiv to Lviv, convenient flights to Lviv from Madrid, Barcelona and Frankfurt and daily Vienna-Lviv flights. You can reach Uzhhorod from Kyiv or Lviv by one of daily trains.
Buy tickets on line at www.flyUIA.com. For more information, call us in Kyiv at +380 44 581 5050.