Tucked away in the upper reaches of the Playska River, northeast of the village of Brustury, this reserve protects one of the few surviving stands of Swiss stone pine (cembra pine) in the Ukrainian Carpathians — a relict species that has clung on here for centuries. It's a destination for travelers who want to walk among truly ancient forest.

Covering 248 hectares, the reserve shelters island-like groves of cembra pine over 180 years old, with some specimens reaching 280-300 years. Spruce forest mixed with silver fir, beech and the occasional sycamore maple fills out the landscape, while the forest floor is rich with ferns and bilberries, and rare orchids appear in summer. The atmosphere is wild and quiet, with a distinctly untouched mountain feel — snow-blanketed in winter, lush and alive with birdsong (including capercaillie) in the warmer months.

• Brustury village — head northeast along the Playska River valley, moderate difficulty, timing depends on the chosen trail
• Can be combined with nearby protected sites within the same forest complex

• Protected area — logging and damage to the cembra pine stands is prohibited
• Wildlife includes Carpathian red deer, lynx, brown bear and the alpine newt, a protected species
• Boundary markers and an information board were installed in 2017-18

Few places in the region let you stand beneath cembra pines older than 250 years — a living remnant of the ancient Carpathian forest.