Trip Report: Ukraine
Visited in September 2017
Ukraine is a rather overlooked destination. This is probably mainly due to the fact that many people do not really know what the country has to offer for tourists. Sometimes, I even have the feeling that many avoid the country because they associate Ukraine with dull Soviet-style cities or radioactivity due to the Chernobyl incident.
This is a pity, because after two trips to this Eastern European country, Ukraine has joined my top5 in Europe (after having been to 45 of 47 European countries). The country really has a lot to offer and has other good arguments to attract travelers. Most of all, the country does not correspond to the image mentioned before that some people have in their minds when they think of Ukraine.
However, I often think that Ukraine’s self-marketing might not be the best. For example, during my last trip, the policeman at the passport control at Frankfurt airport asked me where I was going. When I said Ukraine, he asked incredulously, “by choice?” That someone would voluntarily travel to Ukraine seemed completely absurd to him.
Therefore, I would like to describe the other, the true side of Ukraine with this article, and why I like this country so much.
The classic Ukraine itinerary
Ukraine is the second largest European country after Russia. Fortunately, thanks to a good train network as well as cheap domestic flights, you can travel around the country relatively easily. The classic route travelers do in Ukraine includes Kyiv, Chernobyl, Kharkiv, Odessa and Lviv. Some add additional stops on their overland journey from one place to another.
Kyiv is for most the starting point of their Ukraine trip. The capital of the country is one of the biggest cities in Europe with cool sights, excellent nightlife and good gastronomy. It is also one of the cheapest capitals in Europe. Kiev has old charm and is full of beautiful buildings and cathedrals as well as some Soviet architecture houses. Compared to Moscow, the Ukrainian capital is more “westernized”, although not as modern.
I visited Kyiv in September 2017 and spent a long weekend there. I really loved almost everything about the city and it’s in my opinion one of the coolest cities in Europe. In addition, I did a day-trip to Chernobyl from Kyiv. This shortened my time in Kyiv, which is why I definitely have to revisit the city someday.
Ukraine’s most popular sight is without a doubt Chernobyl. The accident that happened in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is the most disastrous nuclear accident in history. It happened in 1986 just seven months after my birth. Nowadays, the nuclear power plant serves as a tourist attraction 100km North of Kyiv.
Most travelers who visit Kyiv visit Chernobyl, too. The nuclear power plant was already a famous dark tourist site in 2017, and since the same-named TV series, the hype has probably even increased. You can’t visit Chernobyl individually, you have to go with a tour. However, these tours are pretty cool, you can rent a Geiger counter and measure the radioactivity. Plus, you will have lunch in the Chernobyl canteen. Of course, you will also visit the ghost town of Prypjat, which is the best part of the tour.
What is interesting about Ukraine is how different the country is depending on which places you visit. Kyiv is in the center of Ukraine and feels partly European and partly Russian. In contrast, Lviv, in western Ukraine near the Polish border, doesn’t feel like an Eastern European city at all.
Lviv is the most “western” city of Ukraine. Since 1918, the city has belonged to four different countries, including the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Poland. Therefore, walking through the old town of Lviv, you might think you are in a Central European country.
Lviv was my second trip to Ukraine. I also liked the city very much, because it is not only beautiful, but also offers a lot of fun activities. Lviv may attract fewer tourists than Kyiv, but it is definitely worth a visit. Especially if you have been to Kyiv before and then see the contrast in Lviv.
While Lviv seems very “European,” the picture changes when you travel to the east of the country. In cities like Kharkiv, Russian is spoken predominantly and Plattenbauten are just as common as Orthodox cathedrals, which I did not see in Lviv. Ukraine is thus a seamless transition from Russia to Europe.
Another popular destination in Ukraine is Odessa in the south of the country. Odessa, also called the pearl of the Black Sea, is mostly famous for its parties until the early hours of the morning, but you can also see some nice architecture there. Although Ukraine is not famous for beach vacation, Odessa is the perfect spot for those who enjoy sand, waves and the sun.
Apart from the places mentioned above, there are other cities and small towns that are worth visiting. Besides, Ukraine offers enough opportunities to spend time in nature. For example, in the Carpathian Mountains, in the semi-desert Oleshky-Sands, in the steppe Askania-Nova or at the many lakes in the country, for example Lake Svitiaz, the largest and deepest of all.
Is it worth to visit Ukraine?
Ukraine is in my opinion one of the most underrated countries in the world. So, it’s definitely worth a trip. Of the five most visited places in Ukraine, I have now seen three. All these places were absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait to visit Odessa and Kharkiv soon.
So, what makes Ukraine such a special destination?
First of all, Ukraine is one of the cheapest, maybe even the cheapest country in Europe. The prices you see in Ukraine are sometimes reminiscent of those in Southeast Asia. For example, the Uber ride from the airport in Lviv to the city center cost just €3. Accommodation is also quite cheap. In Kyiv, a two-bedroom apartment in the most central location cost €20 per person per night. Of course, it’s even cheaper if you book hostels.
When it comes to food, you can easily afford fancy restaurants or really enjoy yourself in normal ones. In a restaurant of the middle price range you can order an appetizer, a main course and a drink for about €8. Here, too, it is of course possible to go cheaper if you make the effort to look for particularly inexpensive restaurants. A cocktail in a bar also rarely costs more than €3. I would say that Ukraine offers the best value for money among all European countries.
Admittedly, the price doesn’t play a big role for me when judging whether a country is great to travel to or not. It’s more of a bonus if an exciting country is also cheap. And Ukraine is exciting. I found both Kyiv and Lviv to be very fascinating cities with interesting sights and attractions. The Chernobyl trip, of course, is also an experience you won’t forget soon.
The locals do their part to make Ukraine a top tourist destination. Ukrainians are very friendly towards tourists. So if you think you will see the same grim faces in Kyiv or Lviv as in Moscow, you will be surprised. While in Kyiv there may be a language barrier, in Lviv practically all locals I met spoke English. It is the Ukrainians who give both Kyiv and Lviv a very cool vibe and make you feel comfortable.
Another advantage is that Ukraine is not yet as touristy as other European countries. As I already wrote in the introduction, I hardly encounter any advertising for tourism in Ukraine. This is a pity for Ukraine economically, because the potential would be there. Even the Balkan countries have now managed to become popular destinations for Western Europeans, from which Ukraine is still far away. However, the advantage for travelers is that the country is not as overcrowded as some other destinations in Europe.
In addition, there is the already repeatedly mentioned mixture or variety. You go from Kyiv to Lviv and have the feeling of being in a different country. Ukraine seems to combine the best elements of Europe and the East, which makes the country so fascinating.
It is difficult for me to criticize anything about Ukraine. But since I want to mention the good and the bad about every country I have visited, Ukraine has to take its turn as well. Fortunately, there are only two minor criticisms.
Ukraine can’t be blamed for the first one. But it is the weather. I was in Ukraine in July and September. While the weather was excellent on both trips, I imagine Ukrainian winters to be brutal and long. For this reason, the good travel season is limited to May through September and shorter than in other European countries, unless then you are quite cold resistant.
The second point are the Ukrainian drivers. Especially in Kyiv, I found the drivers to be a mixture of reckless and tired of life. It even happened that an Uber driver sped through the cobble-stoned city center at over 100km/h, while we discarded our atheism in the back seat. Fortunately, it was much more civilized in Lviv.
You see, I said there are only two minor criticisms. And to be honest, both did not really bother me.
Of course, six nights in Ukraine are not enough to draw a conclusion about the whole country. However, I enjoyed my two trips enough that I can’t wait to return.
Is Ukraine dangerous?
Last but not least, a question I was often asked when I went to Kyiv in 2017. Isn’t Ukraine dangerous? In 2017, Switzerland still issued a partial travel warning for Ukraine. After all, people are still dying in the war in the east, which has been going on for several years.
The answer to this question is a very clear No. While it is certainly not recommended to travel to the Donbass region, a large part of the country is exactly as dangerous or harmless as any other European country. Crime is also low, and in both Kyiv and Lviv you can easily walk around the city at night.
I was also frequently asked whether Chernobyl was dangerous. Logically, the tour operators deny it, but what else should they say. However, hundreds of people have been coming to this attraction every day for years and I am not aware of anyone getting any consequential damage from spending a few hours in this radioactive area.
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It will be interesting to see how Ukraine develops over the next few years. For example, whether the country will still remain rather “off the beaten path” in Europe or whether it will become more touristy over time. In the meantime, many Arabs have already discovered Ukraine as a destination and flight connections between the Gulf states and Ukraine are increasing.
It is also unclear how the conflict between Russia and Ukraine will develop. Russia has been perceived as a threat in Ukraine at least since the annexation of Crimea. It remains to be seen whether the annexation of Crimea will be the only threat or whether Russia will annex further parts of the country. And who knows how easily one can visit Ukraine after that.
These uncertainties are of course further reasons why Ukraine should not be missed. For this reason, I can only advise not to wait much longer to travel to Ukraine and experience the country in all its glory.
