Often dubbed “Europe’s last wilderness,” the Carpathians form a great arc at the continent’s heart, where the diverse peoples of the mountains reveal captivating views of their landscapes, their neighbors, and the wild world around them.

Europe’s last wilderness? A questionable claim, but a useful one. Like a great arc or horseshoe, the Carpathians lie at the geographic heart of Europe. A western borderland for Ukraine, a southern borderland for Poland, and traditionally a sheltering basin for Hungarians. In my travels, I crossed the mountains many times, to find out how Bukovinans, Hutsuls, Boikos, Ruthenes, and all the other, better known peoples of this region regard their peaks and ridges, the strangers who wander among them, the wildlife which shelters there, and the people in the next valley.?