The Ravine Kypiache
The sacred spring is located in the Chopovychy village of Zhytomyr region. The Kypiache ravine is known since the beginning of the 20th century. In 1911, an icon of Mother-of-God of Kazan was found on healing spring not far from the Irsha river and several years later, monks constructed a men’s monastery near the spring to commemorate the event. Unfortunately, the architectural and sacred heritage was destroyed during the early years of the Soviet Union in 1921. Monks were killed and the spring was dilapidated and long-forgotten.
Nowadays, both monasteries and spring have been restored and invite visitors from all over the country to marvel at the water’s healing properties. The temperature of about 4°C (39°F) is stable throughout the year. The Kypiache spring is often said to heal the spirit, get rid of the negative thoughts and restore the inner peace.
It’s interesting that in a mere 5 kilometers away stands another monastery — women’s Athos Icon of the Holy Mother of God. The monastery is rather new and very welcoming — local nuns will tell the history of the place, show the local healing spring, and even treat with homemade cottage cheese and herbal tea. Both monasteries and the ravine are most conveniently reached by car via M-07 highway.
Spring of St. Anna
Located near the Onyshkivtsi village of Rivne region, the Spring of Saint Anna has numerous legends that surround its appearance. According to one of them, several centuries after the Mongol invasion on Kyiv Rus, villagers found the icon of Saint Anna near the spring. They took the icon to place in their church, only to find that it appeared again near the spring on the following day. The same situation happened several times, that’s why the spring was deemed sacred. The villagers soon erected a chapel nearby to mark the location. The spring of Saint Anna along with its healing properties has been largely recognized since the 16th century.
The water temperature here is stable all the year round and reaches about 6°C (43°F). Its chemical properties suggest that the spring is rich with silver and silicon that are beneficial in treating various illnesses. Thus, people who suffer from arthritis, asthma, dermatitis and even toothaches come here for treatment. Besides, as Saint Anna is a patron saint of maternity, many women with fertility issues come here to bathe in sacred waters and pray for children. There are various organized tours to the healing spring. The car ride from Kyiv to Onyshkivtsi takes about 5 hours.
Skhidnytsia
Naturally, any list of the Ukrainian healing springs wouldn’t be complete with the legendary resorts of the Carpathians. The Skhidnytsia resort is famous for its 10 springs and 3 tube wells mostly located in the Skolivski Beskydy National Park. The healing properties of the local springs were researched in the 1960s. The scientific group that studied the illness history and improvements of patients in Skhidnytsia has concluded that the waters indeed are beneficial for the treatment of various illness starting from urological diseases to the diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Nowadays, Skhidnytsia has four types of mineral water: low-mineralized water Naftusia, Sodium Chloride water rich with bromine, soft mineralized water rich with iron, and Borjomi mineral water. It’s important to note that the amount and type of water should be prescribed exclusively by doctors, as each of them is aimed at various treatments and have contraindications. There are numerous four- and five-star resorts in Skhidnytsia that offer a complex treatment of chronic illnesses like pyelonephritis, gastritis, cholecystitis and hepatitis.
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Solotvyno
Solotvyno village is located near the Ukrainian-Romanian border on the bank of Tysa river. The quiet village mostly populated by Romanians is known for numerous salted lakes with healing properties. It’s not surprising given that the salt extraction began here as long as the 2nd century B.C. Many years later, the local miners often found Roman coins dated 2nd-4th centuries B.C.
The most popular lake of the region is Kunigunda, named after the Queen consort of Bohemia Kunigunda Rostislavna. The lake’s maximum depth reaches 8 meters and in most places, it’s about a meter deep. Water in the Kunigunda lake is extremely rich with salt and can be compared to the famous Dead Sea. It also has numerous microelements like iodine, calcium, bromine, fluorine and potassium that stimulate the work of the human’s organism and are beneficial for the skin. People who suffer from arthritis, asthma, skin diseases and rheumatism often travel here to receive treatment in the resort located on the lake’s shore.
Other salt lakes in Solotvyno are none less popular — surrounded by quiet green forests, they attract visitors from Ukraine and Romania. The temperature in these lakes reaches about 27°C (80°F) in summer and drops by 10 degrees in winter.
Truskavets
One more famous Carpathian resort, Truskavets is located in the picturesque valley in the Carpathian foothills at an altitude of 350m above sea level. To give more perspective, it lies 105 km away from Lviv. This is a cozy and ecologically pure area with mild continental climate and a wide variety of natural resources. Truskavets boasts being one of the oldest balneological resorts in Europe. The territory has numerous mineral water springs and rich deposits of mountain wax called ozokerite.
Numerous hotels and B&Bs are emerging each season offering comfortable lodging near water springs. The most popular mineral water here is Naftusia, which has a healing effect on digestion and is known to treat chronic inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and liver. Patients with metabolic disorders and diabetes have also noted its healing properties.
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Berehove
Berehove is located in the Zakarpattia region near the Ukrainian-Hungarian border. This city is famous for being the important center of Hungarians in Ukraine and is also known for thermal springs that attract numerous tourists. The most popular place for relaxation and treatment in Berehove is Zhavoronok resort that boasts a large indoor thermal pool and 3 open-air springs suitable for adults and kids. The water here is highly mineralized and rich with Silicon, Nitrogen, Carbonate, and Sodium Chloride.
The temperature in the indoor pool is stable throughout the year, which makes it convenient to visit in any season. Mineral springs in Berehove are popular with patients who seek treatment of arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, and osteochondrosis. Doctors note that the maximum amount of time one can stay in water is two hours, as the high temperature and high mineralization can be bad for the heart.
Arabat Spit
Let’s move from the mountains to the South of Ukraine. The famous Arabat Spit located in Kherson Oblast also has many thermal and mineral springs known for their healing properties. One of the most famous is located in Shchaslyvtseve village. It can be easily reached by almost any means of transport from cars to bicycles. Moreover, the entrance fee makes it popular among the locals — it’s free for kids up to the age of 14, handicapped people and pensioners. Everyone else has to pay UAH 5 to enter. Besides, there are many spots where you can slide in for free.
The water in the springs improves microcirculation and is beneficial for the treatment of skin diseases and damaged tissue. Besides, it has a healing effect on the nervous system and is recommended for people who suffer from neurosis and similar diseases. The air is also rich with bromine, potassium and magnesium that work wonders on the respiratory system. The local beach is clean and popular with tourists, but make sure you have an umbrella as nothing there provides shade. Although there’s no resort located right near the mineral spring, in a mere 3 kilometers you will find numerous B&Bs.
Photo Sources: familyvacation.com.ua, findinukraine.com.ua, allbooking.com.ua, karpaty.info, shutterstock.com. All images belong to their rightful authors.
