History of the Hotel

Long ago, many centuries have passed since then, but an ancient legend has been passed down from generation to generation — a tale of what happened in the very heart of the Carpathians.

In those distant days, on the bank of the Prut River near Mount Khomyak, there stood a village. It was so long ago that no one remembers its name. A prince ruled over the village, though his name is also forgotten. The prince had a son — a true hero, strong, brave, and incredibly handsome. Everyone respected and loved him. Even the forest nymphs would run after him just to catch a glimpse of the beautiful youth. One of them fell in love with him with all her heart.

One day, as he went hunting in the forest, the nymph watched him from behind the trees. Suddenly, there came a terrible roar and the sound of hooves — a Tatar horde was advancing on the village. The brave youth drew his sword to fight, but the nymph, terrified that her beloved might perish, stepped out to meet him. She urged him to run to the village and warn the people so they could prepare to defend themselves. The young man obeyed her and ran back to the village. Meanwhile, the nymph rushed to seek help from the Mountain Lord.

The Mountain Lord took pity on the lovestruck nymph and decided to help the people. He removed his *koruna* (as the crown was called in those days) and cast it to the ground. Instantly, tall, impassable mountains rose up around the village. The Tatars were taken by surprise. By the time they managed to climb the heights, the Hutsuls (for that’s who the people were) were all ready to defend their land.

They repelled the Tatars and cast them down from the high cliffs. The enemies took one last look at the unscalable mountains and turned back home.

The youth fell in love with the brave nymph who had saved his village, and he married her. The people began calling her *Magura*. The young couple settled at the edge of the village in a cozy *filvarok* (a homestead or house, in our words).

Many years have passed since then, and countless other legends have been born. The village that the Mountain Lord surrounded with his *koruna* came to be known as Tatariv. It still exists today, embraced by majestic mountains. The forest where the nymph fell in love with the youth is still called the Maiden’s Forest (*Divochyi Lis*), and the most beautiful mountain nearby was named *Magura*. Today, in the village of Tatariv, there is a resort hotel called “Koruna,” where every *filvarok* is a journey into a beautiful Carpathian legend.

Whether it truly happened or not — who can say — but the magical aura of romance still lives on in *Koruna*, bringing loving hearts together.