Dovbush Rocks

Dovbush Rocks

Dovbush Rocks is a group of rocky remnants up to 80 meters high, located in Dolyna district of Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine, 11 km southwest of the town of Bolekhiv, near the village of Bubnishche. The name of the rocks goes back to the leader of the national avengers – oprishkov Oleksa Dovbush.

General information

The Dovbush Rocks are a complex natural monument of national importance and are part of the Polyanitsky Regional Landscape Park.

The rocks consist of Yamnensky sandstone. The rocks were formed more than 70 million years ago at the bottom of a warm sea. The rock massif is about 200 meters wide, about 1 km long and oriented from west to east. The massif is located in the middle of a beech and spruce forest. The nature here is clean and close to pristine. Birds, animals and insects do well here.

In particularly damp or dark places, the rocks are green with moss and vegetation. A beech and spruce forest adds to the charm of the place.

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The relief of the rocks is so soft and rounded that the surface of some rocks, overgrown with short moss, looks like folds of heavy velvet, falling to the ground from a height of ten meters, or spread horizontally.

In some places, the rocks form entire vaults and gorges that look quite gloomy and bring associations with the dwelling of sorcerers or unclean spirits. In such gorges, the ground is hidden under the cover of last year’s leaves of autumn reddish color, which increases the sense of mysticism.

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The main group of rocks in a semicircle covers from the north and east of the inner area, on the west side bounded by a moat and obviously a defense rampart.

In addition to the main group of rocks, which surround the ancient dwelling, there are quite a number of individual rock towers in the surrounding forest.

Among them should be noted in the west the highest “Tulip” (up to 40 meters high), southwest of it – “Kukla”, as well as in the north, near the road, secluded “Windmill.”

These caves with benches, ladders, moats, ramparts-battlements, wells, unfortunately, and to this day not finally learned.

Climbing up the stairs to the rocks, from which opens a beautiful panorama of the Carpathian ridges, in the distance in the south west you can see in the distance in the south west of the mountain Klyuch, and a little to the right – Mount Parashka.

According to archaeological research in the X-XVII centuries BC on the Dovbusha Rocks there was a pagan sanctuary-observatory.

History

In the second millennium A.D. after the spread of Christianity on this place there was a small hermitage, and a little later – a watch fortress (one of the fortifications, which Yaroslav Osmomysl, according to the author of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, propped up the Ugrian Mountains), which withstood the Tatar-Mongol invasion and existed until the XVI century.

According to legends in the XVII-XVIII centuries near the rocks was one of the bases of the oprishki, including in 1743 – the camp of the detachment of Oleksa Dovbush.

Deforestation of mountain slopes in the area of Dovbush Rocks took place in the post-war years.

Tourism and sports

Dovbush Rocks are a popular place among rock climbers – there are many climbing routes of various difficulty categories on the rocks, and climbing competitions are regularly held.

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Dovbush Rocks are also a popular tourist destination.