One of the highest lakes in the Carpathians, Nesamovyte, is located in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. Its name speaks for itself, so extreme sports enthusiasts can travel here. Find out all about the location, origin, flora, fauna and local legends surrounding Lake Nesamovyty

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Lake Nesamovyte, located in Nadvirna district of Ivano-Frankivsk region, is one of the highest in the Carpathians (1750 m above sea level). The hydrological body on the eastern slopes of Mount Turkul in the Chornohora massif is part of the Carpathian National Park. The origin of the lake is glacial.

What do we know about Nesamovyte?

The lake is 88 m long, 45 m wide, its depth varies from 1 to 1.5 m, and its area is 0.3 hectares. The water source is atmospheric water. Given the current temperature records, this might seem to pose a danger to Nesamovyte, but the alpine beauty is definitely not in danger of drying out (which, unfortunately, cannot be said about the water blooms – more on that later). It freezes in winter. The most picturesque part of the lake is the southern shores covered with boulders. Near the northern shores, the bottom becomes more muddy, and there are sandy areas. The southern and western shores are rocky, covered with particles of fallen rocks. Several streams flow from the lake – tributaries of the Prut River.

What flora and fauna can be seen here?

Alpine meadows, mountain pine and juniper grow near the shore. A big problem is the overgrowth of the lake with sedge in recent years – it covers 40% of the lake (the causative agent is a rare species of colonial algae for Ukraine). Fertile soil is being formed in the place of the overgrown parts of the lake.

There are no fish species in Nesamovyty, but there are frogs (even a frog listed in the Red Book!), newts (Carpathian and Alpine) and an incredible number of crustaceans. The area is also home to martens, red deer, wild boars, and brown bears. At certain times of the year, you can see white-toothed blackbirds, grouse, peregrine falcons, blackbirds and curlews, spotted salamanders, and grass frogs.

So biologists will definitely like this place!

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Top 4 legends of Lake Nesamovyty

1. It is Nesamovyte that affects the weather on the entire Montenegrin mountain range.

2. If you throw a stone into the lake, you can cause a terrible storm: a white rider on a white horse will appear and start galloping; where the horse kicks, large pieces of ice will break off the rocks, which will later fall as hail over the nearest villages.

3. The lake is connected to the sea by underground channels and sometimes it is also ‘stormy’ (that’s why it is called Nesamovyte).

4. If you wash yourself in Nesamovyte, you will find your happiness within a year; if you dive in, you will never meet your destiny.

How can you keep Nesamovyte safe while travelling?

1. In no case do not cut down the mountain pine – you can only collect branches.

2. Make fires properly – there are dozens of fires around Nesamovyty now.

3. The ‘golden rule’ of every eco-tourist is to clean up the rubbish.

4. Choose places for halts where tents will not harm the flora and fauna.

5. Be careful when visiting natural complexes.

6. Do not swim in the lake – firstly, it is a unique natural area; secondly, it can harm your health.

The lake is a nature conservation site! Save it for your descendants!

How to get to Nesamovyty?

By train:

If you decide to travel by train, you need to take tickets for one of the flights to Ivano-Frankivsk, and from there go to Verkhovyna (there is a checkpoint of the Carpathian National Park).

Verkhovyna can be reached by bus – use the booking system (here).

By bus:

You can find the current bus schedule, buy tickets and find all the necessary information for your trip here.

By car:

Use the map to create the best route:

– if travelling from Kyiv;

– if travelling from Lviv;

– if you are travelling from Ivano-Frankivsk.

Hiking route

1) Ivano-Frankivsk – Zelene – Lake Maricheyky on the Chornohora ridge – Mount Pip Ivan – Lake Nesamovyte

2) The route from the tourist centre ‘Zaroslyak’ (about 6 km long).

To book tickets, arrange insurance, create an optimal route according to your physical and aesthetic needs, please contact Visit Ukraine specialists (Telegram | WhatsApp). We guarantee that your trip will be unforgettable at every stage.

Photo: Verkhovyna.life

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