Dovbush Rocks
Dovbusha Rocks are unique sandstone cliffs in the western part of Ukraine near the town of Bolekhov. The rocks are a natural monument of national importance.
The name of the rocks was given to honor the memory of Olek Dovbush, the Ukrainian Robin Hood, who attacked the estates of rich landowners, Polish gentry, and moneylenders with his squad. They gave the property they obtained in this way to poor peasants, and they also burned all the documentation so that tenants and moneylenders could not demand money from the peasants.
The rocks were formed over 70 million years ago at the bottom of the sea, later the sea left, and rains and wind formed bizarre remnants of Yamna sandstone. The rock massif stretches for 1 kilometer and is about 200 meters wide. Dovbush rocks are surrounded by forests of beech and spruce. The pagans were the first to choose this place in the 17th and 10th centuries BC. Their sanctuary was located here. As Christianity spread, a small monastery was built in the rocks, and after that a guard fortress was built, which withstood the attack of the Mongol-Tatars and ceased to exist only in the 16th century. In the rocks you can see 3 caves hollowed out by monks, there are also fragments of an old well and a protective moat. According to the legends, there is a secret cave in the caves, closed with a stone. It opens if you say the right word. Dovbush kept treasures taken from the rich in it. The cut-down caves are characterized by smooth rectangular shapes, in some artificial cavities of rooms are visible, there are steps.
There is a tambourine-like stone on the rocks. According to legend, during the raids of the Mongol-Tatars, the inhabitants of the local village ran to the mountains in the hope of hiding, but they were overtaken and all killed. Only the girl survived, who asked the rocks for protection, they parted and hid her, and boulders rained down on the Tatars. Now, when the invaders come to these possessions again, the rocks part, and a girl comes out of them and beats a tambourine, notifying of enemies.
Dovbusha rocks are very popular among climbers, and several routes of varying difficulty have been laid out for them. The rocks are scattered throughout the forest, and their height reaches 80 meters. Almost every rock or boulder has its own name: Sail, Battleship, Windmill, Tulip, Book, Char, Doll. The name of the rocks is inspired by their shape, for example, an Austrian resembles a naked girl in its shape, a bun is a large round stone that looks like dough.
You can try the food from the Carpathian cuisine in the local log cabins, which serve delicious dishes, where you can recharge your phone, and ride horses in the summer. Dovbusha Rocks is a very beautiful natural landmark of Ukraine, which will remind you of ancient legends and fairy tales.
