Winter bathing is not an extreme but a curative procedure. Since the seventeenth century, a small Transcarpathian village of Lumshory has been known for its sulfuric water springs and rejuvenating bathing in the tubs. Fresh air, complete silence, snow-capped mountains, and delicious food in addition – what else is needed to restore physical strength and mental balance?
By car, you can get from Uzhgorod to the quiet village of Lumshory that is in Perechyn district, in something like an hour. You follow a narrow road, where on the one side there is a hill and a river, and on the other side, there are hills covered with fir trees. In the distance, you can see the silhouette of the Nevytskyi castle.
Finally, the driver stops at the store, and then you have to go on foot – the road is slippery, and there’s such an incline that not every car can overcome it.
Upon reaching the crossroads, you can have a look around the fast-flowing river Turychka – on the left hand there will be a church on the hill, on the right – again, on the hill, round-shaped wooden stepped construction – kolyba.
Under the mountain, there’s a house with a painted wall. A local master created a map of the village depicting colorful characters on it. There are musicians, tourists, hut of tsimbor, bears, foxes, and deer.
And straightforward there is something amazing – a huge steaming tub, under which fire burns, right on the shore of the stream. Can it be that on such a winter day someone cooks soup? No way! Human heads are seen in the huge pot! And what can I say, their facial expressions are suspiciously happy.
Indeed, it is not an ordinary pot, but the famous Transcarpathian Chan, in which you dive tired, squeezed and annoyed, however, you get out of it young, beautiful, full of strength and energy. Its miraculous power is definitely worth trying yourself.
But first, we’re going to have a walk.
Lumshory is located at the foot of the largest meadow in the Carpathian Mountains called Runa (Rivna) that is surrounded by alpine meadows, the altitude of which reaches 1,479 meters above the sea level. When the weather is better it is possible to get to the natural wonder – the Voievodyn waterfall, which falls from a height of 24 meters.
However, it is better to do it during the warm season. At the same time, you will be able to observe the birds, because you get to the territory of the ornithological reserve Sokolovi skeli (Falkon’s Rocks). Here rare species of winged predators are nesting, many of them are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine: a white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, booted eagle, vulture, short-toed snake eagle, peregrine falcon, Eurasian eagle-owl, Eurasian pygmy owl.
After walking through the forest and the meadows, inspired by fresh clean air, after enjoying the landscapes and soaking your legs and freezing your hands, it’s better to run as fast as you can to take a bath.
Filled with healing water from sulfuric water springs, the thick-walled tube is heated with the fire, which burns underneath it. At the bottom there are stones that keep the temperature, and, depending on the season, fir branches or fragrant herbs. After you undress in a wooden cabin, you are walking fast on cold stones and dive into hot water. You can take a bath all alone, and together with the company. A tube can accommodate 4-6 people. Snow, winter and fir trees are around you, the body is steaming and blissfully relaxing, until eventually the decision to cool down and cheer up is born. And next to you there is a fast flowing stream, to which lead stairs with a handrail. There a special rope is hanging, you should hold it in order not to be thrown down by the current. As well, there hangs a colorful lantern – in the evening, it creates an atmosphere of mystery and magic.
The first mention of the healing waters of the Transcarpathian region dates back to the sixteenth century. In the year 1600 near the Lumshor was founded the oldest medical institution of Transcarpathia. In the eighteenth century, it became known as the “Lumshory Resort”. Instead of wooden tubes, iron kettles started to be used.
Duke Schonborn, the owner of the vast majority of mineral springs in the Svalyava region, seeing in them a huge potential, created the so-called Carpathian circle – 16 bathing zones in different villages of modern Transcarpathia. Balneological resorts of Polyana, Shayan, Zankiv, and others worked according to various treatment technologies. In Lumshory the treatment was based on the bathing in heated tanks. This procedure is very helpful for treatment of the musculoskeletal system diseases, diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and many other ailments.
After you’ve completely enjoyed your bath, you can pop into kolyba – a local restaurant.
At the entrance there is a carved wood sculpture – who is it: Zakhar Berkut, or a molfar – wizard of the mountains, or a shepherd that’s grazing his sheep in the meadows, or can it be a spirit of the forests and fast-flowing streams?
The door handle is made of bark. In Kolyba’s decorations, they successfully used the chimerically curved branches of the trees or korchi – trunks with a growths that look like spirits of a forest.
In the middle of the room, there is a fire, next to which you can comfortably relax in the rocking chair, covered with a blanket. Traditional Transcarpathian dishes and fragrant herbal tea or mulled wine complement the picture. You should definitely try traditional Transcarpathian dishes – corn porridge – banosh, and beef soup with sweet pepper, paprika and tomatoes – bohrach. It is made on an open fire in a pot, next to kolyba.
“Life is beautiful” – this thought will accompany as a leitmotif during your entire stay in Lumshmory, regardless of time of the year and weather outside.
By Darya Garmyder
Photo by Yulia Kryzhevska
