Tourism in Ukraine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ukraine attracts more than 15 million tourists every year (17.6 million in 2005), primarily from Eastern Europe, but also from Western Europe and USA. It has long been a tourist destination for many people dating back to the middle of the 19th century.^{[citation needed]}
Ukraine is a destination on the crossroads between central and eastern Europe, between north and south. It borders Russia and is not far from Turkey. It has mountain ranges - the Carpathian Mountains suitable for skiing, hiking, fishing and hunting. The coastline on the Black Sea is a popular summer destination for vacationers. Ukraine has vineyards where they produce native wines, ruins of ancient castles, historical parks, Orthodox and Catholic churches as well as a few mosques and synagogues. Kiev, the country's capital city has many unique structures such as Saint Sophia Cathedral and broad boulevards. There are other cities well-known to tourists such as the harbour town Odessa and the old city of Lviv in the west. The Crimea, a little "continent" of its own, is a popular vacation destination for tourists for swimming or suntaning on the Black Sea with its warm climate, rugged mountains, plateaus and ancient ruins. Cities there include: Sevastopol and Yalta - location of the peace conference at the end of World War II. Visitors can also take cruise tours by ship on Dnieper River from Kiev to the Black Sea coastline. Ukrainian cuisine has a long history and offers a wide variety of original dishes.

Since 2005 citizens of the USA, European Union, Canada, Switzerland, Russia, other former CIS countries no longer require a visa to visit Ukraine for tourism purposes.

[edit] Cities

• Kiev - The historical capital of Kievan Rus' and modern Ukraine on the river Dnieper. Ancient churches, broad boulevards, beautiful landscapes and a variety of cultural facilities make it fascinating destination.
• Lviv - old city in the west of country, with its medieval old town and unique architecture with Polish and German influences.
• Odessa - a harbor town on the Black Sea with a mixture of different cultures, including Jewish, Armenian and Greek.
• Yalta - a health resort on Black Sea, where the peace conference took place.
• Sevastopol - a port city on the Black Sea coast of Crimean peninsula.
• Simferopol - the capital of Automomous Republic of Crimea, on the Salhir River. It is a manufacturing, commercial, and transportation center located in a productive agricultural region. Products include canned fruit, flour, machine tools, and electric equipment. The site of Simferopol' was occupied by the Scythian settlement of Neapol from about the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD. The modern city of Simferopol was founded in 1784, when Russia was in control of the Crimean Peninsula. It was built near the Tatar town of Ak-Mechet. Population (1998 estimate) 341,000.
• Chernihiv - medieval city.

[edit] Landscapes

• Crimea - tropical climate, famous bathing resorts and mountain landscapes.
• Carpathian Mountains - impressive mountain landscapes with skiing and hiking possibilities, spas with cold and hot springs.
• Azov coast - bathing resorts.
• Dnieper - cruises.
• Sofiyivsky Park, located in Uman, Ukraine.

[edit] External links

• Discover Ukraine — Tourism information from U.S. Peace Corps volunteers serving in Ukraine
• Welcome to Ukraine
• Photos from Ukraine