Rakhiv (Рахів) is a town in Western Ukraine. It's the highest located town in Ukraine (430 m above sea level).
It is one of Hutsul culture capitals.
- Tourist Information Center, Street Myr 42.
Tourist Information Center, Street Myr 42.
Rakhiv is one of the places that consider themselves located in the geographical centre of Europe. See the monument erected by Austro-Hungarian geographers in 1887, located in Dilove village (12 km from Rakhiv).
- Hiking – Some of the highest mountains in Ukraine are located nearby: Hoverla, Brebeneskul, Pip Ivan.
*To reach Hoverla, you best catch an early morning bus to Luhi (Луги). You can hike out somewhere else towards the main highway and head back to Rakhiv with another bus. Or you hike back to Luhi and take the same bus out. Otherwise, you can also stay overnight in the national park, there are many huts and shelters that are good if you have a warm sleeping bag. Checkout OpenStreetMap to find the huts - there is even a proper shelter to stay overnight near the summit of Hoverla.
*Pop Ivan summit (2,022 m) features ruins of a Polish observatory called White Elephant.
- Hutsul brynzia Festival. September.
Hiking – Some of the highest mountains in Ukraine are located nearby: Hoverla, Brebeneskul, Pip Ivan.
*To reach Hoverla, you best catch an early morning bus to Luhi (Луги). You can hike out somewhere else towards the main highway and head back to Rakhiv with another bus. Or you hike back to Luhi and take the same bus out. Otherwise, you can also stay overnight in the national park, there are many huts and shelters that are good if you have a warm sleeping bag. Checkout OpenStreetMap to find the huts - there is even a proper shelter to stay overnight near the summit of Hoverla.
*Pop Ivan summit (2,022 m) features ruins of a Polish observatory called White Elephant.
Hutsul brynzia Festival. September.
- Chernivtsi – If you want to remain in Ukraine and came from Lviv originally, you can head further to Chernivtsi, which has two slow bus connections (5 hr) per day from Rakhiv.
- Romania is only a stone's throw away, and Rakhiv is optimal if you planning to head further into this direction.