Bukovel

Bukovel was developed from the early 2000s on forested ridges above the village of Polianytsia and is now by a wide margin the biggest ski area in Ukraine, with something over sixty kilometres of piste, a large lift network and a resort village of hotels built alongside it. Snowmaking covers most of the runs, which matters because natural cover at these altitudes is unreliable. In summer the lifts run for walkers and bikers and a lake at the base is used for swimming.

What you actually see

• The piste network - over sixty kilometres of runs across several ridges.
• The snowmaking - the system the season depends on in warm winters.
• The summer lifts - gondolas running for walkers and mountain bikers.
• The base lake - an artificial lake at the resort used in summer.

When to go

December to March is the ski season, at its most reliable in January and February. June to September is good for walking and biking. New Year and school holidays are extremely busy and expensive.

Honest expectations

The development is large and charmless, and the forest clearance it involved is visible. Prices at peak are high for what is offered. Warm winters depend entirely on the snowmaking, and some seasons are poor.

Nearby

Yaremche is down the valley, and Dragobrat is over the ridge in Transcarpathia.