In Transcarpathia, the westernmost corner of Ukraine, the Carpathians drop down to a plain that feels more Central European than Eastern. The region was part of Hungary for a thousand years, then Czechoslovakia, then briefly independent, then the Soviet Union and finally Ukraine, and the villages carry a mix of languages, churches and foods. Zacharovanyi Krai, the Enchanted Land, is the name of a nature park in the hills of this region, with beech forests, meadows, mineral springs and small rivers.
Velykyi Dil, Great Hill, is the local name for a rise in the landscape, and the pairing with Maramarosh, the historical region that spreads across the border into Romania, shows that this is the same mountain world as Maramureș, with the same wooden churches, haystacks and carved gates. The nearby towns of Kushnytsya and Dovhe are small and quiet, and the larger town of Khust, with its ruined castle on a hill, is a few kilometres away. Spring brings the narcissus meadows near Khust, a valley where wild white narcissus bloom in May, a spectacle people travel to see.
The situation in Ukraine today means that I can offer only general guidance. The country is at war, and travel is subject to restrictions, air raid alerts and fuel shortages. Transcarpathia has been far from the front line, but it is not free from the effects, and anyone thinking of a ride here should check official advice and local conditions first, and be ready to change plans. Take nothing for granted, including fuel, and carry documents at all times.
When the time comes for riding here, the roads will reward you. The old routes climb through villages and forest, with tight bends, poor surfaces and patches of cobble, and the pace is slow. Vineyards around Berehove and Vynohradiv produce good white wine, and in the hills you will find bryndza, sheep's cheese, with bograch, a spicy goulash stew. Autumn is the best season, with mist in the valleys and gold in the forest, and the people have a way of inviting you in for a meal that you will remember longer than any road.