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Odessa or Odesa is the third largest city in Ukraine located in the south of the country, the administrative center of the Odessa region and the main naval base of the Ukrainian Navy. This city, standing on the shore of the Odessa Gulf of the Black Sea, is the largest commercial sea port of Ukraine.
The architecture of Odessa is represented mainly by buildings constructed in the styles of neoclassicism, modernism, postmodernism, constructivism in the 19th-20th centuries. The historical center of Odessa is listed in the preliminary UNESCO World Heritage List. Odessa is famous for its picturesque streets and yards. In the city there are a lot of monuments, including very unusual ones.
Odessa is one of the most important cultural centers of Ukraine. There are a lot of theaters and museums that have a long history. Many cultural figures were born and grew in this city: pianists Emil Gilels and Svyatoslav Richter, violinist David Oistrakh, singers Leonid Utesov and Valery Obodzinsky, composer Oskar Feltsman, actors, writers, artists.
5 reasons to visit Odessa
1. Odessa is a place of the sea and beaches. Certainly, the first thing that attracts tourists in Odessa is its fantastic beaches that are stretched for tens of kilometers along the Black sea side. Due to the Odessa Gulf, the high waves cannot almost be seen here, the shallow and sandy sea entry is perfect for the rest with children. The beaches in the city have fine amber colored sand and clean water. Absolutely all city beaches are equipped with showers, changing rooms, toilets and emergency services, and beach chairs and beach umbrellas are offered for the visitors’ comfortable rest. There are a huge variety of hotels, lodges, restaurants, snack bars, cafes, souvenir and beach shops along the city's beaches. The transport service is also carefully thought-out; you can easily take to any urban beach by public transport.
2. Discover unique yards. While visiting Odessa, you should obviously walk along its unique yards, which are located in the historical centre of the city and in Moldavanka district. As most of the houses in the city centre had been built before the revolution, almost all of Odessa's yards are two- or three-stored, closed and picturesque. Here you can plunge into the atmosphere of old Odessa, which it seems to be not affected by the time – Odessa yards in Moldavanka district have remained unchangeable since the mid-twentieth century. You can hear Odessa dialect and the smell of grilling fish from the open windows of shared apartments; in the yard you will see hanged out laundry, kids running around and men playing dominos.
3. Delicious food. Odessa cuisine is known throughout the world for its variety, spicery and lightness. An outstanding feature of Odessa cuisine is abundance of different kinds of fish from coastal zone and Black Sea mussels and rapa whelks. Delicious Odessa style fried goby, the tastiest collops made of fresh sprat, spurdog soup, grilles catfish, rice pilaf with mussels, stuffed fish – all these delicacies alone make it worth visiting Odessa.
4. Immerese in busy nightlife. This amazing city attracts many clubbers and party animals with its numerous night clubs, discos and bars. Most of Odessa's nightlife is located on coast under open air and is open during summer season only. The most popular summer clubs are BONO and IBIZA located in Arcadia beach. There are also many different night clubs working all year round 24 hours a day.
5. Try excellent shopping. Odessa is famous not only for its beautiful and clean beaches but also for its shopping. The wholesale market "7th kilometer" is the largest in Ukraine where people from all Ukraine and Moldova come to buy goods at lowest prices. One can find anything here – clothes, accessories and shoes ranging from luxury brands to cheaper Chinese stuff, leather and fur clothing at the most attractive prices, cosmetics, perfumes, household chemistry, everything for children, carpets, textile and much more. At a legendary market “Privoz” you can feel the authentic Odessa atmosphere. You can buy any kind of groceries here and its customary to negotiate the price and taste food. A visit to Privoz would be lots of fun and interesting experience even if you are not planning to buy anything.
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Kyiv or Kiev is the capital and largest city of Ukraine with - officially - approximately 5 million inhabitants. The city was founded on the banks of Dnipro River. The transliteration of the city's name from Ukrainian is "Kyiv", and this variation is now promoted in English language materials in Ukraine, international organizations and suggested for use in major English-speaking countries. The spelling of the city's name is a linguistic controversy, as it is argued by some that the long-established "Kiev" spelling is based on the Russian transliteration that was prevalent during the Soviet period and therefore is a reminder of Russian influence over Ukraine.
Kyiv is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, dating back to the 5th century, although settlements at this location existed much earlier. By the late 9th century, Kyiv had become the de facto capital of an emerging Eastern Slavic state. Between the 10th and early 13th centuries, the city reached its golden age as the capital of the first Ukrainian state known today as Kyivan Rus, (Rus-Ukraine). This state created the religious and cultural foundations for modern Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.
5 reasons to visit Kyiv
1. Relax in numerous parks and gardens. Kyiv is a very green city, with parks, squares and gardens in every district. However, locals’ favourites are the Hryshko National Botanical Garden and Taras Shevchenko Park. The former is known for its breathtaking panoramic views over Kyiv and amazing locations for picnics. Meanwhile, the latter is the central attraction that conveys the city’s lifestyle in the best way. There are mobile coffee shops, comfortable benches, street food stalls and students having a snack during their break. These places will make you feel like a local yourself.
2. Do inexpensive shopping. Surprisingly, a lot of mass-market shops in Kyiv are much cheaper than in any other country even though the collections are very similar. Thus, if you plan a trip to Kyivv, make a note that you can buy everything here you may need. At various shopping malls and thrift shops, you’ll find clothing and footwear from both local and internationally famous brands, as well as cosmetics and even gadgets.
3. Descend into the deepest underground station in the world. Despite the fact that there are only three underground lines in Kyiv (green, red and blue), it boasts a unique feature. The Arsenalna metro station is the deepest station in the world, descending 105.5 meters (346 ft) underground. The escalator for Arsenalna is also the longest one. Thus, don’t be surprised if your ears block while going down.
4. Buy Kyiv Cake as a souvenir. Another speciality of the city is Kyiv Cake. A favourite sweet treat of locals, it can be found in almost every supermarket. Its creamy taste is extremely delicious, and it’s hard to believe that it was created as the result of a mistake, when confectioners forgot to put an egg white in the refrigerator. Thus, the hazelnut meringue cake that we know today, with many layers of buttercream decorated with various creams and sprinkled with hazelnut, was born. It is often brought back as a souvenir from Ukraine.
5. Stroll the shortest main street in Europe. Khreshchatyk Street is the main street in Kiev, and it is quite wide but extremely short. Its length is just 1.3 km (0.8 mi). The locals’ favourite time is when traffic is suspended for holidays and weekends, so that pedestrians get an opportunity to stroll the central street of the city, pop into the numerous cafés and restaurants or do some shopping, all gloriously traffic-free.
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Chisinau is the capital of the Republic of Moldova, which got a new look in 1991, after leaving USSR. Positioned in the centre of the historic region of Bessarabia, Chisinau is a multi-ethnic city and the seat of some 36 university faculties as well as the Moldova Academy of Science, the social and cultural centre of the entire country. Chisinau offers architectural beauty and monuments of rare artistic value, which were mainly built during the Tsarist era with the help of virtuous Italian masters and after during the Soviet period.
Considered one of the most green cities in Europe, Chisinau is rich in architectural beauties of a rare artistic value. Hills covered in forests and peaceful valleys with vast fields of sunflowers surrounding the capital city.
5 reasons to visit Chisinau
1. Once in Chisinau you should visit Opera and Ballet Theatre and catch a show of one of the top ballet companies in Eastern Europe. The company has toured all over the world, from Tokyo to Johannesburg.
2. Interested in crafts and crafting, Chisinau Souvenir Bazaar is for you, as it is the city’s main artisan market. One can find handmade crafts, paintings and relics from the Soviet days. Price negotiating is acceptable.
3. Chisinau is a good place for food lovers. All over the Chisinau there are plenty of good places to eat that serves a large diversity of meals, from traditional to Oriental cuisine. You definetely should try mamaliga and Moldovan wine.
4. Moldova has an ancient history in the wine production. They started producing at it as far back as 3000 BC! Moldova still produces some of the best wines in Europe, despite being so little known at all. Great places to visit for wine lovers are Cricova, Milesti Mici and Purcari and etc.
5. There is no tourist tax around due to being a small industry but also due to the low number of tourists . So you won’t be needed to pay extra 3 euros or more just for visiting or staying in a specific area/ hotel. The fewer expenses, the happier the wallet!
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Lviv is a city with a special atmosphere, which more than half a century was ruled by the kings. This is city of coffee, a city of lions, a city of jazz, rain, chocolate, terraces and passionate tango. The heart of the city is Rynok Square, which has a 65-meter town hall. The observation deck was opened only in 2003. It`s open daily, that gives an opportunity to citizens and guests of the city both in the summer and in winter enjoy the beautiful view of the city.
Lviv history is as colorful and amazing as a city itself. It is filled with interesting events and outstanding figures. Today Lviv is more than 760 years old and it has lots of stories to tell you! City situated on the crossing of two profitable trade routes developed and flourished rapidly and became one of main trade centers of medieval Europe. Afterwards while being a part of different countries, Lviv borrowed some parts of culture and knowledge from invaders. Later on it transformed not only to an architectural gem, but also to the modern capital of scientific, spiritual and artistic life.
5 reasons to visit Lviv
1. Old city that's perfect for strolling. Lviv’s pedestrian-friendly Old Town still looks and feels like a slice of Central Europe, its welter of Catholic, Orthodox and Armenian churches attesting to a multicultural past. Centre of Lviv’s social life is the spacious Rynok or former market square, abuzz with outdoor cafés and surrounded by Renaissance mansions backed by a warren of courtyards. Nostalgia for the Habsburg era has been put to good use by the booming tourist industry, lending Old-Town nightlife a distinctly theatrical feel: you’ll see top-hatted staff ushering visitors into nineteenth century themed cafés, and frilly-aproned waitresses serving up frothy mugs of beer.
2. Carpathian Mountain magic. The peaks and pastures of the Carpathians may be a long way from central Lviv, but the lure of the mountains has always exerted a powerful influence over the city’s imagination. Spread over a forested hillside to northeast of the city centre, the Museum of Folk Architecture provides the ideal introduction to the much-cherished rural traditions of the Ukrainian southwest. The most spectacular buildings are the fairytale Carpathian churches, their belfries raised in pagoda-like tiers.
3. Beer with tradition. One of the interesting museums is the Brewery Museum, an entertaining display that tells the history of brewing from its origins to the present day. It’s attached to the Lvivskie brewery, a highly respected institution throughout both Habsburg and Soviet eras that continues to churn out local-recipe brews. And it’s far from being the only show in town: Stare Misto is a highly rated local private brewery supplying many of Lviv’s bars, and a number of the city’s pubs (notably Kumpel) brew their own excellent ales.
4. Death by Chocolate. During its Habsburg heyday Lviv’s cafés were famous for keeping the city awash with coffee, hot chocolate and ice cream. And judging by the number of coffee shops and patisseries clogging the city’s central boulevards today, it’s a tradition that is very much alive. Something of a local institution, the Lviv Handmade Chocolate café makes pretty much everything you might want from the brown stuff – you can drink it in any number of forms, eat it as a mousse, or buy bags of chocolate sweets in all possible shapes, sizes and flavours.
5. Ukrainian shirts. One of the most authentic souvenirs of any Ukrainian trip, the sorochka is a white smock embroidered with traditional folk motifs, still worn by locals on festive occasions. If you’re looking for the high-quality hand-embroidered version, head for the Old-Town souvenir and handicrafts market on the corner of Teatralna and Lesi Ukrainky streets. For a cheaper, factory-produced sorochka, browse the open-air stalls of the Krakivsky rynok (market), the city’s main source of fruit, veg and inexpensive clothes.