Surrounded by the protected massifs of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, Kvasy is a small town in Zakarpattia Oblast’s Rakhiv Raion. It lies on the banks of the Chorna Tysa River, not far from Ukraine’s border with Romania. Kvasy is on the doorstep of spectacular hiking trails and several engaging museums dedicated to the region’s ecology and shepherding traditions.
Things to do in Kvasy
Kvasy makes an ideal base for exploring the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, which encompasses six separate massifs and two protected botanical areas east of Zakarpattia Oblast. Around 90% of the reserve is a virgin forest that provides a habitat for rare flora and fauna, including more than 60 mammal species and several plants listed on the IUCN Red List. Just south of Kvasy is the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve headquarters, which provides a launching point for hikes throughout the region.
For insight into the Carpathians’ natural history, geology and geomorphology, pay a visit to the Museum of Mountain Ecology. It showcases natural management techniques that are utilised in the area, including animal husbandry, agriculture and forestry. In addition to dioramas and model displays, the museum also exhibits archaeological and paleontological finds from the region.
In nearby Rakhiv is the Muzey Hutsulʹsʹkoyi Bryndzi V Rakhovi, which celebrates the local shepherding, cheese-making and Hutsul cultures. Learn about the traditional methods of making sheep’s cheese and the challenges of high-altitude sheep breeding, then sample some of the products that are produced on the surrounding farms.
Getting around Kvasy
Kvasy is around 2.5 hours’ drive from Ivano-Frankivsk and just two hours from Ivano-Frankivsk International Airport, which has regular flights to Kyiv. Trains connect both north and south from the Kvasy railway station while the town is compact enough to explore on foot.