We will wake up in the center of Poloniny National Park, in the easternmost village in Slovakia. From Nová Sedlica we set out into the wilderness along the edge of the primeval forest of Stužica (UNESCO), which is the largest Slovak primeval forest with area of 615 hectares. Huge beech trees reaching up to the clouds,fallen trees, nature’s sounds echoing from the depths of the forest and the strong smell of wood that makes you certain of the mysterious atmosphere of this place. No photograph or video can truly capture the power of this magical nature.  You have to experience it firsthand. The spring of Stužica River, which erupts in this forest holds incredibly clean water, refreshes the lingering earthly scent around us. Later, we ascend to Kremenec (1207 m above sea level), the highest hill of Poloniny, where Trojhraničie, a geographical triangle linking Slovakia, Ukraine and Poland is located.

Today we start with the village of Zboj, which lies in the northeastern part of Bukovské vrchy, in the lap of beautiful Carpathian countryside in the Zbojský Brook Valley. From the southeast it borders with Ukraine and form the north with Poland. In the village, there is a military cemetery from the 1st World War, the mineral spring “Kvasna voda” and the first discovered cave in the region. Rožok Primeval Forest (UNESCO) forms the conclusion of the valley with wavy side ridges and several springs. The difficult accessibility of the site was likely to make a significant contribution to preservation of the forest. The main wood is the beech, only in the higher parts of the locality there is a rare mountain maple to be found. We will follow the route to the village of Uličská Krivé, where we visit the beautiful Greek-Catholic wooden church and continue along the meanders of Zbojský Brook. Its flowing waters form a habitat for a significant number of fish, of which almost half belongs to rare and endangered species.