Shypit Waterfall

Shypit drops in tiers of about fourteen metres in total down a rock step below the Borzhava ridge, in beech forest above the village of Pylypets. It is the best-known waterfall in Transcarpathia and an easy walk from the road, which is why it is busy. Flow depends on the season: it is strong through the spring snowmelt and much reduced by late summer. The site has long been a gathering point for informal summer festivals.

What you actually see

• The cascade - about fourteen metres falling in tiers over a rock step.
• The beech forest - woodland along the stream on the approach.
• The Borzhava slopes - the ridge rising above the valley behind.
• The pools - basins below the drops, very cold in any season.

When to go

April to June, during and after the snowmelt, is when the fall runs hardest. By August it is much reduced. Autumn colour in the beech woods is the best time for the walk.

Honest expectations

In late summer the flow can be disappointing. The path is crowded at weekends and lined with stalls. The rocks around the pools are slippery.

Nearby

Borzhava ridge is above, and Pylypets village is below.