Find out more about Odessa

Odessa city being the administrative centre of the region of the same name with its over 1 mln. inhabitants population.

But the city’s main treasure is its inhabitants. Odessa is the only city in Ukraine which has so many nations living in it and having really great relationships with each other. From their very childhood, the Odessites are being brought up in the atmosphere of hospitality, warm-heartiness and wicked humour, that’s why no feuds have ever happened and will ever happen here. Moreover Odessa is one of the most beautiful cities in Ukraine. Thanks to the beautiful sanatoriums, beaches and recreation complexes, Odessa attracts a lot of tourists, especially in summer.

Since Odessa has got a lot of educational establishments, theatres, museums, libraries and other cultural and educational profile establishments, the city is known all over the world and is considered to be both the economical and the cultural centre of Ukraine.

Theatres of Odessa 

Museums of Odessa

Odessa Excursions: 

DERIBASOVSKAYA STREET

Deribasovskaya Street is the heart of Old Odessa, with shops ranging from the government meat store to the Levis outlet. During fair weather, Deribasovskaya is the sight for the best people watching, especially if you stop at one of the numerous cafes with outdoor seating; but after September, the wise go indoors. The City Park (Gorsad) near Preobrazhenskaya Street boasts dozens of craftsmen, strollers and musicians.

POTEMKIN STEPS

Built in 1837 and site of the famous baby carriage scene in Eisenstein's "Battleship Potemkin," the Potemkin Steps are the best place in the city to view the bay and busy harbors. Walk along the yellow-bricked Primorskjj Boulevard and note monuments to Aleksander I, Soviet generals and a British frigate which grounded off shore during the Crimean War. At the bottom of the steps is the city's brand new passenger ship terminal and convention center.
At the Primorskij Boulevard’s west end note the (pre-revolutionary) governor's palace, which incidentally was heavily damaged in 1854 when the British and French bombarded it. Count Vorontsov built a Grecian collonade which overlooks the harbor and also provides a fine view of the bay.
Next to the palace is the Tyoschin Most, a foot bridge built over a gorge by a Communist functionary in the 1950s either so his mother-in-law could visit him more easily or so she would not have an excuse to stay overnight, depending on which version of the story you choose to believe. The bridge is a traditional sight where newly weeds have their pictures taken.

FRANTSUSKIJ BOULEVARD

Once home to Odessa's wealthy merchants, Frantsuskij Boulevard now is home to numerous sanitoria, but the cobblestones and acacia trees are most reminiscent of Old Odessa.

THE CATACOMB TRIP

More than 400 km of catacombs are buried beneath Odessa. Both partisans and smugglers have used them over the years, and the part of the catacombs which resistance fighters used in 1941 is open to the public. Located some 35 km outside of town, the partisan catacomb bus leaves (as of this writing) daily from the bus kiosk across Volzhynskij street from the train station at 10 a.m., except weekends. An easier way to find the bus is to ask at the information window in the train station The trip takes half a day and costs 5 hryvnas for the Russian-language version. The bus is not air-conditioned.

PRIVOZ FARMERS' MARKET

The Odessa Privoz is one of the biggest farmers' markets in the world and rivals those in lstanbul and Mexico City. As the saying goes, you can find anything up to and including nuclear devices at the Privoz, but a better description is everything that is edible and in season in the ClS, plus a whole lot more. Although lanes are devoted to construction materials, clothes and consumer goods, the Privoz is best shopped for food. Beware of pickpockets. Haggling is expected, but a lower-stress approach is to comparison shop.

BEACHES OF ODESSA

Odessa beach, which actually is made up of several beaches running some 20 km or more, possesses a sea wall and small-scale eating and drinking establishments. During the summer, particularly the Lanzheron, Otrada and Delfin beaches are wall-to-wall people, but solitude seekers can find quiet by walking farther.
The cable car ride at the Otrada beach is fun and costs less than a hryvna. Besides sunbathing and swimming, you can rent paddle boats or rowboats usually for 2-3 hryvnas an hour. Arkadia beach is the largest and most developed. Check out the yacht club - open to the public - at the south end of Lanzheron beach where you can charter a boat with crew for $5-10 an hour. The best technique is to approach a likely-looking vessel and ask the young men how much they charge for their time. The steep hill dividing the beaches from the city is a green zone and usually closed to vehicle traffic. It is a favourite sight for picnics.

Visiting the museums and theatres, walking the old Odessa streets, feeling the salted smell in the air, going from the Black Sea - everything this helps the tourists to understand the main sense of Odessa people mentality, history of their traditions, the way of their thoughts. For many visitors, Odessa becomes the second home, because this city is able to unite different cultures, different nationalities and different languages.

Just contact our operator to order trip to Odessa or any Odessa excursion.