Recreation Potential
Thinking about things to do in Shayan, we instantly imagine spending peaceful time in a wooden cottage in the midst of the beautiful Carpathian nature. That`s what people come here for, and Shayan offers them plenty of comfortable accommodation options. First of all, we should mention Shayan health center where guests can get perfect treatment using local mineral waters. By its chemical composition, “Shayan” mineral water is close to such famous waters as “Borjomi” and “Essentuki”. Apart from the mineral water, the camp offers many health-caring services such as salt room and cryo sauna.
The guests can rent rooms in two blocks of the center or in the nearest hotels: “Stupar’” and “Vognyana Salamandra”.
Accommodation
If you wonder where else to stay in Shayan, there are plenty of other hotels and resort complexes with all required comforts. Let`s consider the most popular of them.
Letizia Country Club, a 4-star hotel in Shayan, includes eight cozy rooms, seven apartments and three VIP cottages. Here you can visit the restaurant that offers all the wonders of Zakarpattia culinary and use high-quality SPA services such as infrared sauna, Finnish sauna and Ayurveda anti-aging SPA complex.
The next accommodation option of Shayan worth mentioning is Maramorosh hotel – a cozy 3-star hotel with fully equipped 22 rooms. The hotel is located 1.5 km away from the village center in a tranquil area. The guests of this hotel can spend nice time in the green garden using free Wi-Fi, while their kids are on the hotel`s playground or in games room.
“Pearl of Zakarpattia” private homestead (so-called “sadyba” in local dialect) is a hotel complex with 13 comfortable cottages, located in the center of Shayan near the bottom of Velykyi Shayan mountain. The homestead`s design that keeps to authentic style of the Carpathian region. “Pearl of Zakarpattia” has alcoves, swings, open pool, barbecue equipment, Russian bath, kids` playground, table tennis, and it offers delicious dishes of Zakarpattia cuisine as well.
“Gnizdo Golubky” (“Nest of Lovebird”) VIP House is another popular private homestead in the center of Shayan that offers good accommodation for the visitors of the village. Along with high-class suits, “Gnizdo Golubky” delights with a restaurant that serves tasty homemade dishes and wide range of healthcare treatments: physiotherapy, mineral wax treatment, mineral and hydro massage bathes, circular douche and all kinds of massages.
Apart from above-mentioned places, tourists can stay in many other hotels, guesthouses and private cottages of Shayan. You can easily find them using booking.com or similar online services.
Activities and Sightseeing
As for interesting places to see in Shayan, we should mention large Shayan lake located only 700 meters away from the village`s center. Here you will find “Siloam bathes” complex, offering five two-story cottages, restaurant, alcoves with barbecue equipment, kids` playground, and entertainment area with water slides, boats and catamarans. The whole territory of the complex is six hectares.
In the winter period, a 300-meter high ski lift operates in Shayan. If you want to go higher, you can visit 800-meter ski lift in the neighbor village Veliatino. By the way, in this village you can also have relaxing time in “Tepli Vody” thermal waters complex.
And what about attractions to visit in Shayan? Being a small mountain village, Shayan offers breathtaking natural landscapes, but cannot boast many historical and architectural landmarks. Luckily, the village is located only 18 km away from Khust town, where you can pay a visit to such interesting sights as Khust castle, St. Elizabeth`s cathedral, Saints Cyril and Methodius cathedral, Narcissus valley and ostrich farm.
Photo: Saints Cyril and Methodius cathedral
How to Travel to Shayan?
If you are planning to go to Shayan by car, prepare for quite a long journey. A trip to Shayan from both Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk will take around 5 hours, and if you go from Kyiv or Odesa, it can last for up to 15-20 hours. Going by train can become a good alternative. However, Shayan itself does not have a railway station. First, you will have to reach Khust town, and then go by bus – a trip from Khust to Shayan will not take more than 30 minutes. There are trains from Kyiv and Lviv going to Solotvyno through Khust. If you go from Odesa, you will have to take a train to Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky or Lviv and then change to a train going to Khust.
Welcome to Shayan – the natural treasure of the Ukrainian Carpathians, where you can enjoy fresh air, virgin nature and calm atmosphere.
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