Ancient, picturesque, holy place — Manyava village is known to many foreign tourists as «Ukrainian Athos». However, in general, rest in Manyava is difficult to call popular, so staying here for any guest of the village is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a quiet, secluded vacation. Manyava is a place that should definitely be visited by all those who are interested in history, ancient holy places, appreciate the beauty of Carpathian nature and want to see it with their own eyes.
Manyava village is located 50 km from Ivano-Frankivsk in Bogorodchany district in a picturesque mountain gorge between the ridges Skit, Tsekit, Melnychnychny, Malinovyshchy, Buben and Kichera. The village lies at an altitude of about 500 meters above sea level, but surrounded on all sides by mountain peaks, it is protected from strong winds, the climate here is pleasant, and clean mountain air, soaked with the aromas of pine and deciduous forests, fills the body with energy and health. In Manyava you can see in all its glory the nature of the Carpathians sung by writers and poets, but this is not the only thing the ancient village is famous for.
It is believed that the first inhabitants of the present-day Manjava appeared in the distant V-VII centuries — people were attracted by the beauty of the local nature and forests rich in various animals. For centuries the locals were engaged in farming and cattle breeding, but the XVII century opened a new chapter in the history of this place. In 1606 a male monastery was founded here, and for two centuries it remained the most influential monastery in Western Ukraine, to which more than five hundred monasteries were subordinated. Such an attraction of the Carpathians as Maniavskiy skete is known far beyond the borders of the country, it is visited not only by ordinary tourists, but also by famous people — French actor Gerard Depardieu, M. Saakashvili and many other famous personalities in the past and in the present have visited it. This very attraction is rightfully considered to be the calling card of Manyava, but it is not the only thing you can go to this lost in the Carpathian Mountains village for.
Among the natural pictures that can be seen in Manyava, almost every one of them can be called a masterpiece — here, wherever you look, there are picturesque mountain panoramas everywhere, no less breathtaking views appear in the ancient fairy-tale forests, which have preserved not only their beauty, but also their pristine purity. However, the most famous natural attraction of the village is the waterfall, located in the forest about 7 km from the center of the village. It is the highest waterfall in the Ukrainian Carpathians, according to different data its height is from 14 to 20 meters. Another amazing natural treasure that Manyava is famous for is the Blessed Stone and the healing spring that flows from under it. It is believed that it was here that the first monks settled under the stone, whose spiritual heritage later became a significant contribution to the development of the Maniava Skete.
What else can the mysterious Manyava please its guests with? In addition to the most famous sights — the Skete, waterfall and Blessed Stone, here you can visit the unique in the whole country «Museum of Brown Bear», «Museum of the Carpathian Forest Dwellers», and there are plenty of opportunities for recreation for every taste. Those who prefer modern conveniences can stay in a tourist complex, those who want to plunge into the local color will easily rent accommodation from hospitable locals, and those who seek maximum unity with nature, can stay right in the forest and camp. The nature of Manyava is not only beautiful, but also generous — forest berries, mushrooms, healing springs will give health to all who come here.