Nice mountains, friendly people, almost no traffic, the lowest prices I’ve seen in Europe. Ukraine, manna for cycle tourists?
Children stood by the side of the road, smiling, waving, and greeting “ahoi” when we rode by. Long climbs over a pass followed by long descents reminded me of the mountain riding that I love to do in Colorado. 6 UAH for a beer, 80 UAH for a room in a guesthouse in Rosluč, 5 UAH/hour for internet in Staryj Sambir: sounds like prices in Thailand, not Europe (US$1 = 8 UAH).
So, why didn’t I love it?
Although the mountains felt wilder than in Poland or Slovakia, the views weren’t spectacular. The Carpathians are not the French Alps or the Colorado Rockies. But the biggest problem, I think, is that the towns were depressingly, consistently ugly. I didn’t see one beautiful square, picturesque village, or lovely church. Ok, maybe a couple nice, old wooden churches.
