Christmas in Irshava from the travel company Miracle Travels

22.12.2023. Friday.

• 19:00 - tourists boarding in Kyiv (Zhitomirskaya metro station).
• 20:30 - group gathering in Zhitomir (gas station BRSM, central bus station).
• 21:30 - tourists boarding in Zvyagele (district).
• 23:00 - tourists boarding in Rivne (district, hotel Ivanhoe or Khutorok).
• 02:30 - tourists boarding in Lviv (circular).
• The final time and place of gathering should be confirmed with the group leader.

23.12.2023. Saturday.

• Arrival in Irshava - a small town located in the very heart of the Transcarpathian region on the border of the lowland and mountainous zones.
• Check-in at the Illara hotel. Hotel Illara is located less than 1 km from the center of Irshava. The hotel offers luxurious rooms designed with a perfect sense of comfort and style. Cable channels, a private balcony and a sofa are included in each room. An electric kettle and kitchenware are included in each room.
• Breakfast.
• Departure to a unique corner of Transcarpathia - the village of Velyatino, where the Warm Waters medical and recreational zone awaits you. Here you can not only relax and unwind after a tiring journey, but also get the effect of the boron-bromine-chloride-sodium composition of water with a high iodine content, which has a calming effect on the body.
• Transfer to the capital of Carpathian Ukraine – the city of Khust. Above the city rise the picturesque ruins of the impregnable and insurmountable Khust Castle (XIV-XVI centuries), which once belonged to the family of Count Drag (Dracula).
• From the castle hill you will see beautiful Carpathian landscapes and a panorama of the city, walk through the Czech quarter, see and hear about the Elizabeth Church (13th century).
• It's time to visit the only deer farm, not only in Transcarpathia, but also in Ukraine. Since 1987, deer have been bred here for the purpose of producing deer antlers (antlers) used in medicine.
• By the way, the route passes through the village of Iza, famous for its products made from wickerwork; almost every second resident of the village is engaged in this craft.
• You will stop in the capital of twins - the village of Bolshaya Kopanya, which has become famous throughout the world for its record birth rate of twins. Scientists cannot explain this phenomenon, but local residents associate everything with a healing spring. You will definitely quench your thirst with this water, which is rightfully considered the purest in Ukraine.
• On a tour of Transcarpathia, an obligatory part of the program is the tasting of unsurpassed Transcarpathian wine, which is offered by a private wine cellar (Khust). Here, in a cozy small room, you can taste wines from the best grape varieties of Transcarpathia according to individual recipes. Local experts will tell you the history of their wines and answer your questions. In general, a very warm, cozy atmosphere (included in the tour price).
• Return to the hotel.
• Dinner.

24.12.2023. Sunday. Merry Christmas!

• Breakfast.
• You will visit the ancient royal city of Vinogradov, which had the ancient Hungarian name Sevljus. Situated at the foot of a volcanic massif, Vinogradov found itself in unique climatic conditions, where wild grapes, the ancestor of the vine planted by Roman legionaries, were still preserved on the southern slope of the mountain. Thanks to the natural features, the first grape harvest ripens in this area earlier than anyone else, which determined the status and wealth of Vinogradov for many centuries, as evidenced by architectural monuments.
• You will visit the palace of Baron Pereni (XVII century), as well as the ancient Ascension Church (XIII century), the Franciscan monastery (XIV century), monuments to the Winemaker and the Crushing Grapes fountain.
• Tasting of Transcarpathian wines.
• Next, you go to the only tasting room of dairy products made from buffalo milk - to the unique black buffalo farm in the village of Oleshnik.
• At the farm they will tell you everything about buffaloes: their history, what they eat, how much milk they give, how they live, what they love, the benefits of their products and, of course, for the ecology of the region. This is a traditional animal for the Carpathians; they have lived here for 1500 years.
• Here you can even see how cheese is made from buffalo milk. And for tasting you will be offered: hard cheese (from buffalo milk), processed cheese, mozzarella cheese (from buffalo milk), cheese (from buffalo milk), buffalo milk, butter from buffalo milk, Paneer cheese (Adyghe), as well as sheep cheese , feta cheese, vurda (ricotta) / Of course, you can buy the products you like. Well, your photos with black buffaloes will be unique on social networks, so you’ll have something to brag about to your friends and colleagues.
• A worthy end to this excursion day will be a visit to the shrine of Transcarpathia - the Dzhublik Monastery.
• Dzhublik, a tract located between the villages of Nizhnee Bolotnoye (Nizhnee Bolotnoe) and Olkhovka (Olkhovka) in the Irshavsky district of the Transcarpathian region, has since the early 2000s become the center of mass pilgrimage for Greek Catholics, who respect it as the place of the appearance of the Mother of God. According to legend, on August 27, 2002, two little girls - 10-year-old Elena and 9-year-old Maryana - witnessed a real miracle.
• The children were collecting water from a spring under Mount Jublik, and suddenly they saw a beautiful woman on a light white cloud. At first the girls were frightened, but at the next meeting the woman, emitting a fairy-tale light, spoke. It was the Virgin Mary herself, the Most Holy Theotokos, who came to help restore the authority of the priests and unite the Church and the divided people. After some time, on the site where the Mother of God appeared, a chapel was built and a monastery was founded.
• Return to the hotel.
• Christmas Eve. Festive pre-Christmas dinner On the last day of Lent there are 12 lenten dishes on the table - dinner on Christmas Eve should be non-alcoholic and lenten! But rest assured that the tables will surprise you with their wealth!

25.12.2023. Monday.

• Breakfast. Check out from the hotel.
• You will spend the last day of the tour on the slopes of the snow-capped peaks of the Play ski complex: skiing, sledding, and snowboarding. Play or, as it is also called, Little Bukovel has been operating since 2007, and is being built and developed from year to year. Currently there are about 6 ski slopes - from the simplest to the extreme. A huge plus of the resort is that it is equipped with an artificial snow system.
• 17:00 - departure to Lviv.
• 19:00-22:00 - free time. Plunge into the evening life of this amazing city and admire its fabulous architecture. You will give yourself an unforgettable experience from visiting colorful and already famous establishments of the old city such as Kriivka, Anti-crisis Kneipa, Under the Blue Dance, Gasova Lampa.
• After you are charged with Christmas energy, frosty cheerfulness, and a good mood, you will say goodbye to the hospitable Transcarpathia and go home.

26.12.2023. Tuesday.

• Arrival in Zhitomir ≈ 04:00; Kyiv ≈ 06:00.