Połonina Borżawa is one of the wildest and most unspoiled ridges in the entire Eastern Carpathians — broad grassy alpine meadows, deeply carved valleys, and an almost complete absence of tourist crowds. If you are looking for mountains that feel genuinely remote and raw, this is the place.

The range stretches roughly 25 kilometres across the Zakarpattia region of Ukraine. Above 1,200 metres the beech forests give way to open 'polonyna' — a characteristic Carpathian landscape of rolling high-altitude grasslands that glow green in summer and golden in autumn. Wide, sweeping ridges offer a real sense of space and freedom, while conical summits are visible from great distances. Sheep still graze the meadows, shepherds' tracks crisscross the slopes, and the air carries the scent of wild herbs. It feels like a landscape untouched by time.

• Stoy (1,677 m) — the highest peak in the range, commanding views in every direction; a radar station stood here until 1995.
• Velykyi Verkh (1,598 m) — the point where all three main ridges converge, making it a natural panoramic crossroads.
• Mahura Zhydivska (1,516 m) — a long south-eastern ridge offering sweeping vistas across the Carpathians.
• Plai (1,334 m) — home to an active meteorological station and a broadcasting relay tower.

• Best season: June–September — polonyna meadows are at their finest; October for golden autumn colours.
• Base towns: Volovets and Mizhhirya — the two main gateway towns on the edges of the range.
• Trail difficulty: moderate to demanding — trails are partly unmarked, terrain is open, and weather can change rapidly.
• Getting there: by car via Mukachevo or Khust; buses run to Volovets and Mizhhirya from Uzhhorod.

A gas pipeline runs right across the ridges — a quiet reminder of Soviet-era infrastructure you may stumble upon unexpectedly in the middle of an open meadow. The range is sometimes classified as part of the Bieszczady, which would make it the highest section of that entire chain.