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Ukraine’s first Mountain Centre will be developed at the summit of Mount Vysokyi Verkh (1,242 m above sea level) in the Carpathians. The new multi-functional visitor hub will be part of the GORO Mountain Resort currently under development in the Slavske community, Lviv region. The project team has already unveiled the architectural concept, with construction scheduled to begin in summer 2026.
The Mountain Centre will become one of the resort’s key public spaces and a central infrastructure hub at the summit. Similar facilities are an integral part of leading European mountain resorts, serving as places where visitors can transfer between lifts, relax, dine, spend time with family, or attend events.
The complex will be built on the site of outdated infrastructure from the former Zakhar Berkut resort. Its development will help reorganize one of the most visited points of the mountain area, transforming the peak of Vysokyi Verkh into a year-round public destination.
The Mountain Centre will be connected to the Welcome Centre—a multi-functional complex located at the entrance to the resort, featuring ski pass offices, equipment rental and storage, a ski school, shops, cafés, and a restaurant with a panoramic terrace. Visitors will be able to reach the summit via a gondola lift or two chairlifts.
“GORO is being built from the ground up, which allows us to integrate modern infrastructure from the outset—such as the Mountain Centre, Welcome Centre, and a gondola lift, which is unprecedented in Ukraine and still relatively rare in this format even at European resorts. We aim for projects like this to make Ukraine more visible globally and to establish a new point on Europe’s tourism map. At the same time, we are creating a new, year-round experience for visitors, making this destination near Slavske attractive both for Ukrainians and international guests,”said Volodymyr Harazd, CEO of GORO Mountain Resort.
The two-story building will have a total area of approximately 5,800 sq m. A landscaped public space with viewing areas and art installations will be created around the complex at the summit.
The Mountain Centre will include:
Lower level: a cultural and creative space with a трансформable conference hall featuring natural light, designed for events, presentations, workshops, and educational programs.
Ground level: a gastronomic food hall with professional kitchens and seating for around 1,000 guests, optimized for high-capacity service during peak hours.
Upper level: a chef-led à la carte restaurant with 150 seats and panoramic views of the Carpathians.
The complex will also feature a children’s area, ski school, medical point, technical facilities, and service areas.
Adjacent to the building, a slope-side lounge bar with a terrace of over 1,000 sq m will provide an open-air relaxation space.
The architecture of the Mountain Centre is designed to respond to the challenging mountain terrain and wind conditions. Its mirrored glazing allows the building to blend into the landscape, reflecting the sky and mountain slopes and changing appearance depending on weather, light, and season.
The Mountain Centre will operate year-round and serve as a focal point for a variety of visitor experiences.
Winter: the heart of the resort’s ski life, where visitors can take breaks between runs, warm up in restaurants and cafés, or gather in a spacious après-ski area.
Spring: a popular destination for прогулки, гастрономічні events, and small outdoor festivals.
Summer: a starting point for hiking trails, trekking маршрути, and cycling routes, with panoramic terraces offering views of the Carpathians.
Autumn: one of the best vantage points for experiencing the region’s landscapes and seasonal transformations.
Overall, the Mountain Centre is designed not only as an infrastructure facility, but as a new public space for the Carpathians.
Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2026, with opening planned for 2028—following the launch of the Welcome Centre and gondola lift in 2027. Construction of the Welcome Centre began in October 2024 and, as of March 2026, is approximately 40% complete.
GORO Mountain Resort is a year-round destination being developed by OKKO Group since October 2024 in the Slavske community, Lviv region. The first phase covers 127 hectares and includes:
10 ski slopes
100% artificial snowmaking coverage
a gondola lift and two chairlifts
Welcome Centre and Mountain Centre
five hotel complexes with over 1,100 rooms
Once the first phase is completed, the resort will be able to accommodate up to 5,000 skiers simultaneously and up to 1 million visitors annually.
OKKO Group is the owner, investor, and developer of the project, with international consultants ILF Group and PKF Hospitality involved in its development.
The total investment is estimated at approximately $1.5 billion. The project is expected to create over 6,000 jobs by 2030 during the first phase, and more than 25,000 jobs upon full completion.
Over the next 10 years, tax contributions to budgets at all levels are projected to reach between UAH 3.5 and 7.5 billion, with total tax revenues over 15 years estimated at around UAH 10 billion.
agency