There are many accommodations at the Shatsk Lakes — from tent camps to cottages and guesthouses — but they are concentrated in a few places: Hryada, the villages of Svityaz, Pulmo, and Melnyky, and in Shatsk itself. Where you stay determines what kind of vacation you will have: lively and with all conveniences nearby, or quiet, forested, and unhurried. Below is what each of these places offers and how to choose accommodation so as not to be disappointed.
Hryada
The Hryada tract on the eastern shore of Svityaz within Shatsk is the largest cluster of resorts at the Shatsk Lakes. Here are dozens of holiday bases with cottages and rooms, cafes, rental of catamarans and SUP boards, and beaches along the entire shore. The advantage of Hryada is that everything is at hand: water, food, entertainment. The downside is that it is crowded and noisy, especially in July and August, and prices are higher than in the villages.
Village Svityaz
The village on the shore of Svityaz, home to about 1,800 people. Here is a renovated central beach with a promenade, a lyceum, shops, a post office, and also the Petro-Pavlivskyi Monastery. Accommodation includes resorts, cottages, and rooms with locals. Nearby is the Hushove tract with sandy beaches and forest, so the village is popular with families with children. The national park itself rents wooden cottages on the shore of Svityaz and has a tent camp in the forest near the lake.
Shatsk
Shatsk is an urban-type settlement with over five thousand residents and the center of the community. There are supermarkets, a bus station, a hospital, so living in the settlement itself is convenient for those who come for a long stay or with small children. Accommodation in the center of Shatsk and on the outskirts is usually cheaper than on the shore, and it is just a few minutes by car to Svityaz. On the southwestern outskirts, there is a small beach on Lake Velyke Chorne.
Pulmo
The village of Pulmo, home to about 1,400 people, lies between Svityaz and Pulemetske Lake. There are fewer resorts here than on Hryada, and the vacation is quieter. The village has the Church of St. Nicholas, built in 1896. Pulmo is in the border zone, so you must carry documents with you and travel only on permitted roads.
Melnyky and Pisochne
Melnyky is a village eight kilometres north of Shatsk, between lakes Pisochne and Krymne. On the shore of Pisochne there is a sanatorium, holiday bases, and a tent camp of the park, while in the village itself rooms and houses are rented out. It is quiet here, the water is the clearest among the Shatsk lakes, and the pine forest reaches right to the shore. Those who seek peace more than entertainment often stay here.
Types of accommodation
- Holiday bases — cottages or rooms, often with a private beach, gazebos, barbecues, and rentals. Most of them are on Hriada and in the village of Svitiaz.
- Cottages and estates — separate houses for families or groups, usually with a kitchen. Convenient if you are travelling in groups of five or six.
- Private sector — rooms or summer houses in local residents’ homes. The cheapest option; you will have to cook yourself or eat in cafés.
- Boarding houses and sanatoriums — with meals provided, and sanatoriums also offer treatment. Suitable for those who don’t want to worry about cooking.
- Tent camps — official places for tents with toilets, water, and fire pits. Setting up a tent in the forest or on the shore outside these areas is not allowed.
With or without meals
Meals are mainly offered by boarding houses, sanatoriums, and some bases; in the private sector there is usually only a kitchen. There are plenty of cafés on the shore of Svitiaz, and on the beaches you can buy vareniki, pampushky, and fish. If the ad says “all inclusive” or “with meals,” clarify how many meals a day are provided and what else is included in the price: beach, parking, rentals, tourist tax.
How to choose accommodation
- Ask how many metres to the water and whether there is private access to the beach. “Near the lake” in an ad can mean anything from a hundred metres to a kilometre.
- Request recent photos of the beach: in hot years the water of Svitiaz recedes and the shore changes.
- For trips with children, consider shade, fenced territory, playground, and mosquito nets on the windows.
- Check if there is parking: driving a car to the water in the national park is prohibited.
- Read reviews from the last season and don’t send full prepayment to strangers, especially if you are rushed by “the last free room.”
When to book
It is best to book accommodation in advance for July and August — during the peak season there are few free places and prices are highest. In June and September there is a wider choice, prices are lower, and the water is still warm. The most expensive is to live right on the shore of Svitiaz, cheaper in the centre of Shatsk and neighbouring villages. About the beaches of each corner of the lakes — in the article “Beaches of the Shatsk Lakes”, and about holidays with little children — “Shatsk Lakes with Children”.
Remember that the Shatsk Lakes lie close to the border: documents may be checked at the entrance to Shatsk, and men should have a military registration document. More about the region — in the article “Kovel District”.
More about the trip — in the guide Shatsky Lakes, as well as how to get to Shatsky Lakes and the best time to visit.
