Carpathian Rocks

There are places that we seem to know a lot and at the same time very little about them. Surrounded by the legends and mixed up with poor historical facts they always draw an unquenchable interest of explorers.

Quaint pile of sand rocks in the region appeared more than 70 million years ago at the bottom of warm sea. They passed all geological and biological epochs and witnessed astonishing historical events. Opryshky (rebels) and warriors of national liberation movement used them as a shelter and built temples, monasteries and churches.

Today they bring to us memory about ancient events covered by legends preserved in the narration of the local population.

There are a lot of Dovbush rocks in the region. Powerful and legendary rocks are located in Yaremche, Bubnysche (Bolekhiv). In Bubnysche they are named "Carpathian Sphinx". Original geomorphologic systems of scientific and aesthetic significance i.e. Dovbush Stone one can observe in the village of Kosmach, Kosiv district, Ivano-Frankivsk region and in the village of Roztoky, Putylskyi district, Chernivtsi region.

Interesting nature sights are in Transcarpathian region - Sokolovi Rocks in Perechyn district, Smerekiv Stone or "Zacharovana Dolyna" (Charmed Valley) in Irshava district; "Kamiani Vorota" (Stone Gate) near the village of Mala Uholka, Tiachiv district; "Skeli Zakokhanykh" (Lovers Rocks) at the outskirts of the village of Kostylivka, Rakhiv district; rocks with the "hieroglyphs" near the village of Seredne Vodiane, Rakhiv district.

While staying in Ivano-Frankivsk region you can visit Pysanyi Kamin (Painted Stone), Vukhatyi Kamin (Stone with ears) in Verkhovyna district, Dovbushanka Mountain in Nadvirna district, Ternoshory tract in Kosiv district.

Tour of Lviv region will bring you to "Trynih" Rock in the village of Ponykva; "Chortiv Kamin" (Devil's Stone) in the village of Pidkamin, Brody district; Urytski rocks in the village of Urych, Drohobych district which compose a picturesque system of steep massive rocks. These are peculiar large-block outcrops of yamnenskyi sandstone (paleolith) which form here several separate ledges: Hostryi Kamin (Sharp Stone) - to the west, Kamin (Stone) - in the center, Zholob (Gutter) - to the east. On the central ledge rising for 51 meters above the plane there are signs of artificial walls, more than 3,5 thousand hollows for the assembling of wooden construction, under rock corridors, caves, well (2 meters in diameter and 35 meters deep), two artificial tanks for water collection. There is a well-known well at Hostryi Kamin. In the village of Rozluch, Turkivskyi district, there are Stupinchtoi Rocks. Devil's Rock is located at the east outskirts of Lviv, approximately at the distance of 1 km. from the Lake Vynnykivske, in the direction of suburb settlement of Vynnyky. Quaint, with the erosion in the form of cell, precipitous rocky outcrops with the height of nearly 20 meters look like original fortress.

Ternopil region is rich in unique rocks: I.Franko Rocks in the Village of Vikno, Husiatyn district; Slovatskoho Rocks near Krements, Kremenets district, Rivna, Monastyryska, Travertynova and Rukomyshska Rocks in Buchatskyi district; Travertynovi Rocks in the village of Lytiache, Dorohychivki Rocks, "Senomanski Bogatyri" in the village of Vovchkiv and Dnistrovski phenomena in the tract "Kryve", Zalischyky district: Babynetskyi mengir (vertical stone) in the village of Babyntsi, Borschiv district; Devil's Stone in the village of Lisnyky; Kurianivski phenomena of Berezhany district; Kydanetsi Rocks in the outskirts of th evilage of Kydantsi, Zbarazh district; "Kasperivski Sphinxes"in Zalischyky district.

The rest in Bykovyna can be combined with the visiting of Sokolyna Rock in the outskirts of the village of Vyzhenky, Vyzhnytsia district; stone "Zhaba" (Frog) in the village of Marynychi; "Kamiana Bahachka" (Stone Rich-woman) in Ust-Putyla; "Tovarnytsia" and "Protiate stones" in the village of Roztoky, "Chorne Dyvo" (Black Miracle) in the village of Shepit, "Try Chekisty" in the village of Putylskyi district.