Lonely Planet Ukraine

As we have now all sadly realised, history didnt end around 1989, and thats doubly true in Ukraine. Having only appeared on the map in 1991, the country has managed two revolutions and a Russian invasion already, and fighting in the Donbas is ongoing. History ancient and recent is all around you in this vast land, whether it be among the Gothic churches of Lviv, the Stalinist facades of Kyiv, the remnants of the once-animated Jewish culture of west Ukraine or the ubiquitous Soviet high-rises.

Outdoor Fun

A diverse landscape obviously throws up a whole bunch of outdoorsy activities from mountain biking and hill walking in the Carpathians to bird spotting in the Danube Delta, from cycling along the Dnipro in Kyiv to water sports in the Black Sea. But if the idea of burning calories on hill and wave has you fleeing for the sofa, rest assured that most Ukrainians have never tried any of the above, but love nothing more than wandering their countrys vast forests, foraging for berries and mushrooms or picnicking by a meandering river.

KOBBY DAGAN / SHUTTERSTOCK

by Marc Di Duca, Writer

Is it the feeling of being elsewhere but still in Europe, the bizarre Soviet legacy, the countrys raw history, the unexpected travel experiences, the locals openness or the stories tall and true of life under communism? Or is it the star-dusted nights in Myrhorod, the Nutcracker at the opera house in snow-bound Kyiv, empty churches on rainy autumn Wednesdays in Lviv or the endless train journeys across the steppe in the company of Gogol? I suppose its all the above and volumes more that have me returning to this magical Slavic hinterland time and again.

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The apostle Andrew is said to have climbed this to erect a cross and prophesy the rise of Kyiv. Today its the haunt of artists, who install their canvases on this cobbled Montmartre-like street, which in true decadent style Kyivites call Andrews Descent. Packed with souvenir stands selling all sorts of junk, the