# Solotvyno: salt lakes of Zakarpattia, treatment and prices > Solotvyno: salt lakes of Zakarpattia with a concentration like the Dead Sea. When to go, how to get there, prices for lodging and entry, treatment with brine and mud. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/solotvyno/ - Language: en - Published: 2026-10-17 - Categories: Nature, Leisure, Ukraine, Swimming, Lakes, Relaxation --- In **Solotvyno** the water holds your body on the surface all by itself, with no effort at all: the salinity of the local lakes reaches about 200 grams of salt per litre, and drowning in brine like this is physically hard. This village in the south of Zakarpattia is called Ukraine's Dead Sea, and the comparison here is not advertising hype but a matter of concentration: the real Dead Sea has a higher figure, around 300 grams per litre, yet in terms of buoyancy and healing effect the difference for a holidaymaker is almost imperceptible. ## What the salt lakes of Solotvyno are and why the water pushes you up Solotvyno lies in the Tiachiv district of Zakarpattia region, right on the border with Romania: across the Tysa river stands the Romanian town of Sighetu Marmatiei. Salt was mined here as far back as antiquity, and industrial mines operated for centuries. When the deposits were exhausted and the workings flooded, lakes formed in their place with water of the same concentration as underground. The most famous of them is named Kunigunda. It was around a group of such reservoirs that the resort grew up. The water in them is thick and heavy to the touch, lying on your back and reading a book works in the literal sense, but diving is a bad idea: the brine eats at your eyes and stings any scratch noticeably. ### How salty the water is compared with the sea Body of waterSalinity (approximately)What it means in practiceBlack Sea18 g/lfamiliar sea water, holds you weaklySolotvyno lakesabout 200 g/lyou lie on the surface without movingDead Seaabout 300 g/lmaximum buoyancySo **Solotvyno** is not "almost the Black Sea" but an entirely different kind of bathing: the Black Sea has roughly ten times less salt. That is exactly why children are brought here, so they can learn to stay afloat without fear. ## Do they really heal people here and what does the brine help with Solotvyno's healing reputation was not built out of tourist brochures. The brine, the sludgy bottom mud and the local microclimate are traditionally used for joint diseases, rheumatism, psoriasis and other skin conditions, as well as for some gynaecological problems. The effect comes from a combination: take a dip in the lake, smear yourself with black mud from the bottom, let it dry in the sun and rinse it off. A separate chapter is speleotherapy, treating asthma and allergies underground, in worked-out salt chambers. The allergology department opened in Solotvyno back in 1968, later grew into the Ukrainian Allergology Hospital, and the underground wards lay at a depth of about 300 metres. An important caveat here: after the flooding and collapses of the mines, underground speleotherapy has effectively stopped, and the hospital has switched to surface methods. If you are coming specifically for the salt cave, call the facility in advance and check what really works today. And to be honest: the lake brine has contraindications. With acute inflammation, serious heart problems, high blood pressure or oncology, self-treatment with salt and sun can do harm. This is not "just salty water" but a load on the body, so with chronic diagnoses it is worth consulting a doctor first. ## When it is best to go to Solotvyno The bathing season here is short and tied to the warmth. The water in the shallow lakes warms up more slowly than the sea, so it is genuinely comfortable to go in from somewhere around mid-June to early September. The peak falls on July and August, when Zakarpattia is reliably hot. The warm run-up to the season, the end of May and the first half of June, gives emptier shores and lower prices for lodging, but the water is still bracing. September is the opposite: fewer people, while the lakes still hold the summer warmth, and this is often the smartest choice for those who dislike crowds. In winter nobody comes to bathe, leaving at most treatment at the facilities. ### Briefly about the seasons PeriodWeather and waterWho it suitsEnd of May, Junewarming up, water still cool, few peoplethose saving money and disliking queuesJuly, Augustheat, warm water, maximum people and pricesfamily beach holidaySeptemberwater still warm, the crowd has thinnedcalm bathing without the rush## How to get to Solotvyno Solotvyno stands in the far east of Zakarpattia, so the journey here is longer than it looks on the map. From Uzhhorod it is about 165 kilometres along a mountain and valley highway, meaning by bus roughly three to four and a half hours depending on the service, not "an hour, as the crow flies". The most convenient option is the train. Long-distance trains pass through Solotvyno station, in particular from Kyiv and Lviv, often paired with the Rakhiv direction, so you can lie down in the evening and wake up almost at your destination. If there is no direct service for your dates, the classic scheme is this: get to Mukachevo or Uzhhorod, then change to a bus or a regional train heading towards Rakhiv. By bus from neighbouring Rakhiv the trip takes about an hour. - **By train** straight to Solotvyno station (Kyiv, Lviv, through Zakarpattia) means the fewest transfers. - **Via Mukachevo or Uzhhorod** plus a bus or local train if there is no direct service. - **By car** the highway runs along the Tysa, scenic, but budget time for the mountain stretches. ## How much a holiday in Solotvyno costs Prices here are more affordable than at seaside resorts, and that is part of the appeal. Entry to the developed lakes in the 2026 season stays roughly within the range of 100 to 200 hryvnias per person, and a sunbed or umbrella is usually paid for separately. There is also a "wild" shore with no infrastructure, where entry is free, but there is neither a shower nor a lifeguard. Lodging spreads across budgets widely. A room in the private sector starts at roughly 300 to 500 hryvnias per person per night, while a room at a holiday base or a small hotel more often runs from 1000 to 1500 hryvnias. All these figures are fluid and depend on the season, so check the current rates directly before your trip. Expense itemApproximate range, 2026Entry to a developed lake (per person)100 to 200 UAHRoom, private sector (per person/night)from 300 to 500 UAHRoom, holiday base or hotel (per night)from 1000 to 1500 UAHWild shore with no servicefree## Who Solotvyno will not suit This is not a postcard resort. The village keeps its industrial and border face, run-down in places, with the shadow of old mine collapses, and a traveller looking for a polished resort zone with a promenade and restaurants will be disappointed. People come here for something specific: heavy healing water, mud and cheap wellness, not for the gloss. Do not plan an active water programme here: in the over-salted water you cannot swim front crawl or dive, and your eyes sting from the splashes. Families with very young children should also be careful, because the salt eats at the tiniest scratches. And remember the medical side: the brine is a healing resource with contraindications, not just an exotic pool. If you are coming for the first time and your main goal is to bathe in the "Ukrainian Dead Sea", pick July or September and a developed lake with infrastructure. But if wellness for your joints or skin is what matters most, it makes sense to plan several days in a row and arrange things with a sanatorium facility in advance, while also checking what state underground speleotherapy is in now.