You can’t drive all the way to the Blue Lagoon in Transcarpathia: the final stretch is on foot along a forest road that turns to …
The Blue Lagoon on the Liutianka: A Transcarpathian Pool You Have to Walk To
Zakarpattia Oblast
Serednie Castle — the Only One on Flat Ground, the Only Romanesque One, and Wine in 15th-Century Cellars
Every castle in Zakarpattia stands on a hill. Serednie Castle stands on flat ground, amid vineyards. This isn’t about watching over a strategic route from …
Nyalab Castle in Korolevo — It Survived the Mongols and the Ottomans, But Not Its Own King
1661. A Turkish army laid siege to Nyalab Castle. They failed to take it. 1672. The Austrian king Leopold I ordered his own castle destroyed. …
The Karst Bridge in Mala Uholka — a Stone Arch Amid a UNESCO Beech Primeval Forest
In the Carpathians, it’s easy to get used to “big” things. Peaks. Waterfalls. Alpine meadows. The Karst Bridge isn’t a monumental landmark. It’s small — …
Didivske Lake (Dyyda) — the “Transcarpathian Sea,” which formed because a sand quarry was damaging houses
The lake appeared because of a complaint from the residents. During the Soviet era, sand was actively extracted near the village of Dyyda. But as …
Khust Castle — Withstood Everyone It Could for 676 Years, Then a Thunderstorm Came
On July 3, 1766, a storm swept over Khust. The first bolt of lightning set the roof ablaze. The garrison feared the fire would reach …
St. Miklós Castle — a Medieval Fortress Saved by Two Painters, and a Skeleton in the Wall
In 1839, during restoration, workers found a human skeleton in one of the castle’s walls. A medieval tradition: wall a living person into a structure …
Nevytske Castle — Destroyed in 1644, Never Rebuilt Since
In 1644, the Transylvanian prince György I Rákóczi captured Nevytske Castle and ordered its walls torn down. Nearly 400 years have passed since. No one …
Palanok Castle — Where a Woman Held Out for Three Years, and Her Son Stormed the Same Castle 15 Years Later
In 1685, Austrian forces surrounded Palanok Castle. The defense was led by a woman — Ilona Zrínyi, widow of Ferenc I Rákóczi. The Austrians waited …
Uzhhorod Castle — Where Hungary Got Its Name, and a 700-Year-Old Coat of Arms Still Hangs Over the Gate
Above the arch of the main entrance to Uzhhorod Castle hangs a coat of arms with four thrushes. It belongs to the Drugeth family, who …