Polonyna Runa, Mountain summit in Transcarpathia, Ukraine.
Polonyna Runa is a summit in Transcarpathia that stands at 1482 meters and features a wide, flat ridge across the top. Mountain meadows cover the peak itself, and beech forests cloak the surrounding slopes down from the ridge.
Shepherds have grazed their herds on these mountain slopes for centuries, establishing pastoral traditions that shaped Carpathian agriculture and land use. The ridge remains a landmark of this enduring relationship between people and the mountain landscape.
Shepherds in the nearby villages continue to make sheep cheese and wool goods using methods passed down through generations. This craft remains woven into the daily life of mountain communities around the summit.
The summit is accessible via marked trails starting from either Lumshory or Lypovets villages, with spring through autumn providing ideal hiking weather. The wide ridge allows hikers to choose between different routes and find resting spots along the way.
The northern and eastern faces drop away steeply in dramatic cliff formations, and one of these rocky areas hosts an ornithological reserve called Sokolyne Rocks. This reserve protects birds of prey and other mountain bird species that nest and hunt across these cliffs.
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