Stay : Kiev and Odessa: one week
From the capital, Kiev, to the port city of Odessa, this week in Ukraine will allow you to discover the history, culture and gastronomy of the country
Summary of the stay
Best time to go
7 days
€ - Good and cheap
Detail of the stay : Kiev and Odessa: one week - 7 days
Day 1: Arrival in Kiev and visit of the city
Steps: Kiev
A stroll through the old town: visit the Cathedral of Saint Sophia, home to superb frescoes, which is undoubtedly the most beautiful religious building in the capital. Opposite, another place of worship, St. Michael's Cathedral, one of the oldest monasteries in Kiev. After the cathedral, head for Khreshchatyk, the city's main street, full of trendy shops, bars and restaurants. The avenue leads to the Independence Square (Maïdan Nezalezhnosti), the main stage of the country's political and social life in recent years, but also one of the most lively places in the city. Many concerts are offered throughout the year. Ukrainian ice cream and specialty shops offer you their best delicacies. On the same avenue, turn right at the ZUM department store - Galeries Lafayette made in Kiev -, walk down Volodymyrska Street. You will discover superb buildings dedicated to culture and art.
Day 2: Historical Kiev
Steps: Kiev
A few metres away are the Golden Gates (Zoloti vorota), the city's ancient ramparts dating back to the 11th century. Continue up to the Saint-André descent (Andriyvsky Ouzviz), the most artistic descent in the capital. At the very top of the alley, we arrive at Saint-André church and the medieval Richard the Lionheart castle. Further on, the Musée de la rue, dedicated to the history of the Saint-André descent and its inhabitants. Down the street, you can visit one of the most original museums in Ukraine - the house of the writer Bulgakov, where a talented scenographer has recreated the moods of the writer's various novels, as well as the different "atmospheres" of his life... Nicknamed the Ukrainian Montmartre, because of the many artists who exhibit watercolours and sculptures there every weekend, this street is full of sympathetic art galleries. Going down the street, you arrive in the Podil district, in Kontraktova Ploshchad, one of the oldest squares in the city where the oldest faculty in the country, the Mohyla Academy of Kiev, founded in 1632, is located.
MUSÉE DE LA RUE ANDRIYIVSKI OUZVIZ (МУЗЕЙ ОДНIЄЇ ВУЛИЦI) / ÉGLISE SAINT-ANDRE (АНДРІЇВСЬКА ЦЕРКВА)
Day 3: Religious Kiev
Steps: Kiev
Discover the capital's main boulevards (Shevchenko Boulevard and Khmelnytsky Boulevard) via St. Volodymyr Cathedral, the headquarters of the Patriarchate of Kiev. Before leaving Kiev, spend a day visiting the Pechersk Lavra, the Orthodox monastery built in 1051 by the monks Antoni and Feodosi. It is made up of many churches, one of which has a passage leading to the catacombs where the mummies of clergymen are buried. The descent into the caves is made by a very narrow staircase, in a solemn and spiritual atmosphere where everyone, equipped with a small candle, comes to lay his most dear prayer with the monks. After visiting the Laure, continue until you reach monument à la Mère Patrie (Rodina Mat'). Built in memory of the 1941-1945 war, this statue dominates the Dnieper River and reaches 102 metres.
LAURE DE PETCHERSK (КИЄВО-ПЕЧЕРСЬКА ЛАВРА) / MONUMENT À LA MÈRE-PATRIE (ПАМ'ЯТНИК БАТЬКIВЩИНА-МАТИ)
Day 4: Odessa
Steps: Odessa
A completely different atmosphere and climate in this elegant city on the shores of the Black Sea. Both a seaside resort and a seaport, Odessa is particularly charming and pleasant in summer. Deribasyvska Street, the city's main shopping street, offers endless walks.
RUE DERYBASIVSKA (УЛИЦА ДЕРИБАСОВСКАЯ)
Day 5: Odessa and museums
Steps: Odessa
The city is best known for its museums: the Archaeology Museum, which presents a superb collection of icons and ancient coins; the Literature Museum, which traces the lives of Russian and Ukrainian writers (Shevchenko, Chekhov or Pushkin) who lived or stopped over in Odessa; and, of course, the Navy Museum, which houses some treasures including original ship models.
MUSÉE ARCHÉOLOGIQUE (ОДЕССКИЙ АРХЕОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ МУЗЕЙ)
Day 6: Odessa port
Steps: Odessa
But the most interesting is the Potemkin staircase, named after the most famous episode of Eisenstein's film, The Battleship Potemkin, from 1925. It is also one of the best places in the city to admire the bay and the port. Odessa also has some of the most pleasant little beaches to rest from the visits and combine, for a few hours, swimming, sunbathing and idleness. Finally, you should not leave Odessa without visiting its Privoz market and tasting Jewish cuisine in one of the many restaurants that have made it their specialty, given the importance of this community.
ESCALIER POTEMKINE (ПОТЕМКИНСКАЯ ЛЕСТНИЦА)
Day 7: Return to Kiev
Back in the Ukrainian capital. Departure.
Ideas for holidays and week-end breaks Kiev (Київ)
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