European Cruise on the Dnieper River
One of your first port-of-call on the Black Sea is the amazing city, Odessa. Originally established by Empress Catherine II in 1794 to function as a naval fortress and to bolster the southern border, Odessa has grown into Ukraine’s fourth-largest city with a population of over one million people. Featuring a fantastic look at the harbour from the top of the Potemkin Steps, Odessa is one of Ukraine’s dearest cities. Amazing buildings with embellished facades line major squares and make marvellous backgrounds for the many wedding photo you will witness.
Ukraine is a captivating nation of contradictions that should attract far more travelers. The second largest country in Europe but only the forty-fourth largest in the world is domicile to 46 million people, more than three-quarters of whom are ethnic Ukrainians. It aggregates the old and the new, the rich and the poor, the religious and the secular, and infinite variations in climate and topography.
Also on the Black Sea, you will see both Sevastopol and Yalta. The former is a major naval fortress and is Ukraine’s biggest mercantile and fishing port. With over 1,800 monuments and memorials, the city is a authentic open-air museum. It is also home to a very realistic and arresting diorama depicting a 19th century Crimean War battle. Yalta is nested between rugged forested mountains and the dachas (summer homes) that embrace the Black Sea coast. It was the summer home for numerous Russian and Soviet elite, including leader Josef Stalin .
The magnificent palace at Livadia was the summer residence of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, the last of the Romanovs. As well, it was the location of the signing of the famous Yalta Treaty between Franklin Roosevelt of the United States, Winston Churchill of Great Britain, and Josef Stalin of the Soviet Union, which many historians regard as the commencement of the Cold War. A visit to the Crimea wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Bakhchisarai. Dating back to the 16th century and meaning “Garden Palace,” this Moorish-influenced grand palace with its slender minarets, is today known as the inspiration for the poignant poem by Alexander Puskin, “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai.”
Up the Dnieper River, the largest river in Ukraine and the third largest in Europe. Several absolutely heavy locks allow the Dnieper to be navigated by both commercial and passenger ships. Dams along the river are also an crucial source of Ukrainian hydroelectric power. First stop cruising up the Dnieper is the town of Kherson with opportunity to buy several local crafts, such as hats, blouses, paintings, and Matsurka dolls.
Final destination, the marvellously rich city of Kiev, is a fitting way to end a wonderful trip. The heartland of Ukrainian culture and home to the 2004 Orange Revolution, Kiev is a modern, yet ancient, city of over two million. Viewed the magnificent skyline of the statue of Mother Ukraine as well as the amazing copper-plated cupolas of the Orthodox churches coming into the harbor. The blue-and-gold onion dome of St. Michael and that of St. Sophia visible down a wide avenue are impressive in their splendor. The latter, a World Heritage Site, is home to the world-famous Caves Monastery, a immense series of tunnels and caves dominating the Dnieper River valley. The final visit on the itinerary is to Pirogovo, an authentic open-air Museum of Ukrainian Folk Architecture, Rural Life, and Folk Art.
