Heading to The Shatsk Lakes: What You Need To Know

It is really not a problem to get to The Shatsk Lakes. If you are going by car, choose one of two available routes:

First, go to Lutsk along Zhytomyr Highway, and then go to Shatsk;
Go to Kovel along Warsaw Highway, and then head to Shatsk.

The distance from Kyiv to Shatsk amounts to about 570 kilometers.

If you decide to travel by train, go to Lutsk or Kovel, too (yet, it is probably easier to get to Kovel). Just at the exit from the train station, there are minibuses and buses heading to Shatsk and nearby resorts. For those who will decide to overcome the last segment of the road with as much comfort as it is possible, there are taxis available, waiting at the same place.

If you have decided to go there unexpectedly, and there are no tickets left, it isn’t a problem either. There are more than ten buses and minibuses leaving for Lutsk and Kovel every day. They depart from the central railway station and nearby bus station (known as яма [iama; “the pit”]).

The first thing that strikes after coming to The Shatsk Lakes is how pure the water is here. After a while, you find another remarkable advantage: tranquility. Even with an incredible number of tourists, here you can always find a quiet remote location. All visitors can choose various options for walks. In the recreation centers, horseback ridings are available; you can ride a boat or even a yacht, and rent a bike.

Depending on your preferences and financial capacity, you can select the nutrition and range of other services you like. There are some Soviet-style recreational establishments (though a few of them left), cozy cottages, and comfortable family-style hotels with all usual for such places services.

This place is suitable for people with any budget. Choosing an option of available housing here is not a problem at all. Everything depends on tourist’s desires: prices for rooms differ in the range from 50 to 500 UAH per day.

You can combine pleasure and usefulness and live in the sanatorium. For example, Lisova Pisnia is one of the most famous resorts of Ukraine, and its highlight is the emphasis on the complex herbal medicine.

You can come with your own tent and live in natural, almost wild conditions. Many people choose this option and don’t regret. It’s a great change of scenery and an amazing opportunity to get away from city life closer to the natural world. Such camping is available near Svitiaz and Pisochne.

The territory is very clean. It is well-maintained, with garbage bags, linked to trees, instead of boxes.

Another advantage of The Shatsk Lakes is their convenient location. The distance to Lublin is equal to just 150 km. So if you have a working visa, you should definitely go on a small tour. If you are not lucky with the visa, you can go to Belarus. Everything you need for this is Ukrainian passport (and the insurance if are going by car). The ancient city of Brest and the famous Bialowieza Forest are located very close to the border. The places are really very interesting, you don’t even have to doubt. To those who just want to relax and not to worry about anything, there are regularly organized tours and excursions.

The Shatsk Lakes do not offer a large selection of activities for clubbers. You will not find traditional resort clubs here. Svitiaz is a cozy place to rest.

For many, the great drawback is the lack of Wi-Fi. But it is definitely not the worst thing that can happen. Just relax and take some rest from the Internet and all the informational noise.

And by the way, don’t forget to stock up some warm clothes, just in case. It is raining here sometimes. So pack your bags and leave for Volyn!