My fingers and hands begin to get cold,” says Vira an elderly woman who fled the Donetsk region and is now seeking shelter in Ivano-Frankivsk “I’m worried about my relatives who are still at home - my son is still living where there is fighting what I feel is deep in my soul and it immediately brings me to tears or worrying about their loved ones in conflict zones usually don’t consider their mental health say Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) psychologists the psychological consequences of the current conflict can seem invisible but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there our mental health teams across the country are raising the alarm on the worrying psychological symptoms they are seeing “Many children we’ve seen who have experienced bomb blasts suffer from insomnia bed-wetting and nightmares,” says Oksana Vykhivska who often find themselves alone after being separated from loved ones are constantly anxious and break down into tears.” Our teams have been providing mental health support in shelters for displaced people MSF conducted over 1,000 individual and group mental health sessions in Ukraine We have observed that people suffer from intense fear Our teams have held consultations with displaced people in Berehove are isolated; having been separated from their neighbours and relatives who were their support network Meanwhile children often pick up on the stress that adults around them are feeling “One issue we deal with is trauma-related stress,” says Vykhivska people’s memories of hiding in basements during heavy shelling could be triggered by words or scenes that are reminiscent of the original trauma.” “We also see people with a lot of anxiety-related symptoms such as insomnia and constant worrying about the future,” she says “People who normally are not affected are now stressed.” “Struggling with the fear of death” Kateryna had to flee her home in Irpin with her mother when their village was attacked They were evacuated and are now living in a shelter in Mukachevo in the far west of Ukraine Kateryna sees an MSF psychologist becauseshe has suffered from panic attacks since escaping her village “One of the things I’m struggling with is the fear of death,” she says “I’m scared that I will fail to do something or that I’ll do something wrong and won’t make it and it prevents me from doing anything.” These reactions are not unusual when living through war MSF mental health activity manager in Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia Our teams here visit shelters where hundreds of thousands of people have escaped the heavy fighting in the east and south of Ukraine psychologists try to stabilise patients by identifying the issues they are facing “We try to help our patients to regain some level of control in a very uncontrollable and uncertain situation by understanding and expressing what they feel,” says Villa “We try to reassure them that stress sleeplessness are normal reactions to this abnormal situation.” “It’s vitally important that people can express and exercise their feelings and emotions after facing traumatic situations,” she says these emotions can snowball and become more severe.” MSF psychologists work with children who have been evacuated from conflict areas 375 children participated in group and individual mental health sessions here Children show symptoms from the trauma they have experienced both before and during their evacuation some wet their beds,” says Kucheriaviy Valerii psychologists have different practical methods they work through with the children One is making paper birds; children cut them out and fold the wings while putting their positive emotions and thoughts into this process “I recommend they sleep with this bird; it can help calm them down,” says Valerii While MSF is providing mental health support and additional training to psychological staff in medical facilities across Ukraine “We need to see an urgent increase in mental health services across the country,” says Vykhivska “Both the national health system and other organisations need to ensure that the response to mental health needs and the resources behind it reach the most vulnerable people where people are often cut off and lack access.” It is crucial this support is provided to people where they are and that it involves close collaboration with communities so that everyone who needs help receives it our mental health teams provided 839 individual mental health consultations and 156 groups consultations for adults and children across the country The most common symptoms our psychologists see are chronic stress as well as bedwetting and nightmares for children our teams have provided over 100 mental health trainings to healthcare providers across the country to support those who have been affected by the war UKRAINE — When Lidia Wolanskyj purchased a home and plot of land west of Kolomyia she said she hoped it would offer a sanctuary from urban living and a bit of retirement income That retirement home has now become a literal sanctuary for Ukrainians seeking shelter from an ongoing invasion of the country by Russian forces She came across a house with stable and a summer kitchen outside the town of Yaremche “I found the house of my dreams,” she said “It’s surrounded by the mountains and there’s a creek on the property.” Wolanskyj converted a former stable and summer kitchen on the property into a guest house up to four guests can enjoy the cozy mountain cottage The last two summers have been fully booked People in the path of the oncoming Russian military forces fled to the west either to other parts of Ukraine or out of the country entirely Wolanskyj opened her home and guest house to people displaced by the attack Wolanskyj has lost track of exactly how many people have passed through her home and guest house nine adults plus a few children were staying in the two-bedroom cottage during a blackout due to fears of Russian air campaigns at the time the 10 adults were huddled over a candlelight for dinner “It was like we were living in another time,” Wolanskyj said a family from Kharkiv consisting of a mother “The building next to theirs got blown up,” Wolanskyj said “They weren’t waiting for their building to be blown up.” The family is paying some rent to offset utility costs Wolanskyj said it isn’t near the income she would have gotten from tourists Her income from writing and translating has dried up too Wolanskyj said she has heard that some Ukrainian homeowners have gotten a bit of support and help by people booking their Airbnbs paying and then canceling without asking for a refund She said she doesn’t need that kind of support “I don’t want to make money from the war,” she said She asks that people who do want to support Ukrainians support Plast “None of us are in dire straits here,” Wolanskyj said Wolanskyj also has some income from the garden and fruit trees on her half-acre property she said she has no plans to leave Ukraine She spent 10 days of April in Rochester visiting her sister It took her nearly three days to get back home because commercial flights do not go directly to Ukraine right now She never entertained the thought of not returning Best in Travel is here! Discover 2025’s destinations The 30 best countries, cities and regions to visit in 2025 Plan your trip with Elsewhere, by Lonely Planet See where a Lonely Planet Membership takes you Subscribe to our weekly newsletters to get the latest travel news, expert advice, and insider recommendations Explore the world with our detailed, insightful guidebooks Stay ahead of the curve with our guidebooks Uncover exciting new ways to explore iconic destinations Every month, we release new books into the wild Search Search Close search menu Explore Best in Travel 2024 Africa Close menu Countries Antarctica Antarctica Close menu Regions Asia Asia Close menu Countries Australia & the Pacific Australia & the Pacific Close menu Countries The Caribbean The Caribbean Close menu Countries Central America Central America Close menu Countries Europe Europe Close menu Countries Middle East Middle East Close menu Countries North America North America Close menu Countries South America South America Close menu Countries The sun sets over ski tracks and pine-tree forest in Bukovel Ukraine's biggest ski resort © Volodymyr Goinyk / Shutterstock Ukraine’s Carpathian mountains – with their mesmerising foggy peaks stunning summit views and traditional cuisine – remain a widely unexplored area for international travellers skiers from all over the country flock to the numerous resorts to hit the pistes and enjoy the après-ski atmosphere There are plenty of options to choose from and the prices are extremely affordable From top-notch mega resorts to cosy villages with only a few tracks here are the best options for skiing in the Carpathians this winter Ask a Ukrainian about the best-known ski resort in the country and chances are the answer will immediately be Bukovel This enormous ski complex is a winter sports powerhouse boasting 63 pistes for all types of skiers It offers the highest level of facilities and plenty of things to do including skating as well as a myriad restaurants and hotels a few high-end clubs and even a bowling alley There’s a full hire service so you don’t need to worry about getting your gear to Ukraine. It’s a huge place crowded with both ski pros and beginners, celebrities and foreigners coming for a great winter experience and ultimate fun. Add the fantastic panoramas of the surrounding mountains and you get arguably the top ski resort in Ukraine right now A picturesque little town sandwiched between spectacular mountains, Yaremche is one of the oldest and most beautiful winter destinations in Ukraine. Developed infrastructure, many fascinating natural sights and proximity to other resort towns of the region make it a perfect gateway to the wonderful world of the Carpathian mountains While its skiing offer of two slopes is relatively modest it makes a good home base for skiing runs in nearby Vorokhta and Yablunytsya which offer an affordable alternative to pricy Bukovel sample the delights of the local Hutsul cuisine such as banosh with brynza (a kind of polenta with salty cheese) and traditional mushroom soup at Krasna Sadyba restaurant If you’re looking for a truly wild and authentic ski experience, Drahobrat would be the best pick Drahobrat is the highest ski resort in Ukraine at 1300 meters with a total of nine tracks of great quality The adventure starts from the very beginning: in order to reach this resort you have to use either trucks or specially equipped off-road vehicles due to difficult road conditions snow chains for your tyres are recommended Make sure you check the weather conditions beforehand and plan your trip carefully The good news is that the high elevation means snow can last until well into spring All transport to the resort starts at the small village of Yasinya But the effort is fully justified once you arrive and find yourself surrounded by the pristine natural beauty of the Carpathians Easily accessible thanks to direct train connections to Lviv and beyond and boasting a variety of ski tracks and relatively good infrastructure Slavske is the golden middle of skiing in the Carpathians this village surrounded by stunning mountain scenery is a perfect choice for a relaxing break Ski enthusiasts will be delighted to find plenty of tracks of all difficulty levels, suitable for beginners and pros alike. There are four major mountains with skiing possibilities – Trostyan, Vysokyi Verkh, Politekhnik and Pohar. Zakhar Berkut ski resort on Vysokyi Verkh provides a combination of good service and quality The above resorts are all fairly close together, clustered within an hour or two of the Carpathians' UNESCO World Heritage-protected beech forests in villages and towns that were initially best known for their spas and healthy air. 250 kilometers to the northwest, but still well within the Carpathians, is a more recent addition to the Ukraine's ski offerings –a resort called Play full of family-friendly amenities When you aren't hitting the slopes or dining on organic Ukrainian fare in Play's eco-restaurant U Hospodaria you can learn more about the ancient Boykivskoy and Hotsylskoy cultures at the on-site museum Ukrinform has learnt this from the organizing committee of the International Hutsul Festival which will be held in Yaremche from July 21 to 29 "We expect about 2 thousand people to attend the Hutsul Festival Hutsuls from all Ukrainian regions and from Romania Moldova and Canada will come to the festival," the organizing committee informed While citing and using any materials on the Internet links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and the website of a foreign media outlet Materials marked as "Advertisement" or with a disclaimer reading "The material has been posted in accordance with Part 3 of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine "On Advertising" No 1996 and the Law of Ukraine "On the Media" No 2023 and on the basis of an agreement/invoice Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421