Ranger huts and tourist shelters for Verkhovynskyi National Park

Verkhovynskyi National Nature Park is one of the highest-elevation parks in Ukraine — its territory begins at around 1,000 meters above sea level. Rangers work in two-week shifts, as they must cover dozens of kilometers to reach their duty sites, part of the route running along mountain ridges.

Now, in three remote locations, they will be able to stay in newly built houses:

• Perkalaba (coordinates)
• Masnyi Pryslyp (coordinates)
• Chekhany (coordinates)

Construction details

Each building is fully autonomous: solar panels provide electricity, a wood-burning stove provides heating, and water is supplied directly from a nearby spring. Inside, there is a kitchen, bedrooms, workspaces, a shower, and a toilet.

The cost of one location — consisting of two 140 m² houses, solar panels, and a shed for equipment — is 140,000–150,000 euros.

The buildings were designed by German architect Jan Hülsmann, who has extensive experience working in Romania’s Maramureș region. During the design process, he studied archival photos of historic mountain shelters and traditional Hutsul homesteads (hrazhdy).

Since an environmentally responsible approach was crucial for us, all locations feature wooden windows, shingle roofs, and hemp insulation. The structures were built by local craftsmen.

Supporting tourism and science

The houses are located in remote areas with limited tourist infrastructure. They can serve both as a base for research expeditions and as mountain shelters for hikers. This also creates an additional source of income for the national park.

Read more about the high-mountain houses of Verkhovynskyi National Park in the article by Local History.