Winter
Ukrainian winter is very unpredictable. First, the temperature drops, and gets lower every day. Then, snowfalls begin though they aren't that heavy as in Russia or Austria. However, there are no snowless winters here.
The Carpathian Mountains protect us from the European climate. They stop European snowstorms, and wide steppes separate us from Russia. So the first snow comes here around New Year's Eve. Only then you can see children sledging on the streets. They built snow forts near the houses and play snowballs. However, major events take place in the villages — there people celebrate Christmas just as they used to celebrate it 200 years ago.
In major cities, there are free ice rinks in winter. Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Chernivtsi also have short ski slopes. However, for weekends, a lot of people still go to the Carpathians to ski and snowboard. There are several ski resorts here. The highest resort in the mountains is Drahobrat — perfect for extreme sports lovers, combining skiing and snowboarding between rocks and in the woods. The most famous family resort is Bukovel, with well-developed infrastructure and plenty of pistes both for beginners and professionals.
In winter, you can also go caving. The temperature in the underground labyrinth is the same for the whole year. Most of the caves are located near Ternopil and in Crimea.
