Travel

Last weekend, I traveled to Western Ukraine where I spent an entire week visiting a bunch of different regions and cities. I spent a couple of days in the following cities: Lvov (Lviv), Uzhgorod, Mukachevo and a small city called Beregovo near the Ukranian-Hungarian border.

Western Ukraine is completely different from Central, Southern, and Eastern Ukraine. First of all, the language that’s spoken regularly is Ukrainian—and not Russian that’s predominant in Southern and Eastern parts of the country. Although it sounds crazy, while Ukrainian is the official language, it’s by far not the most spoken language in the country—Russian is.

Second of all, the people in Western Ukraine are also very different than the people in other regions. During my travels there, I noticed lots of families, lots of traditional culture that I didn’t notice as much, obviously, in the capital and other regions of the country.

Up until World War II, Western Ukraine belonged to different countries neighboring Ukraine: Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania. In fact, Lviv (Lvov) used to be a Polish city. After the Soviet Union won WWII, Stalin moved the border westward, gobbling up existing lands and making all of those cities that used to be foreign countries, effectively part of Ukraine.

Lviv and the rest of the region

Lviv is the most important city in the region and is typically the stopping point for people who’re planning their trips to other parts of the region. There are fast trains (Intercity) operating from Kiev, which take about 5 hours or so. After that, you can continue to cities like Mukachevo, Uzhgorod or Poland.

Lvov is entirely different from other Ukrainian cities. In fact, in many ways, it feels like I’m in a completely different country. The rest of Ukraine has a decidedly Soviet feel, but Lviv feels like stepping across the border to neighboring Poland or Slovakia. Most of the streets are narrow and the entire city has a pleasant coziness to it that other Ukrainian cities do not have.

The center of Lviv is littered with a large array of restaurants, eateries, cafes, and bars of all kinds. Beer is an especially big part of Lviv, with amazing, world-class breweries all throughout the center. When you’re there, be sure to check out the “Pravda brewery” for some great local beer and tasty food.

The restaurant scene is also pretty good. I had all kinds of great food, starting from tasty Georgian dumplings (хинкали) ending in awesome burgers from a recently-opened burger joint.

The only problem with Lviv is that it’s a relatively small city. Two full days is more than enough to get a general feel for the city and understand what the city is all about. In my first full day, I walked all over the city and probably within several hours found myself returning to the same main square over and over again, albeit from different streets.

If you’ve seen all there’s to see in Lviv and ready for something new, I recommend exploring a city like Uzhgorod. Uzhgorod is a much smaller city (pop. 112,500) but it has a lively downtown area replete with nice cafes and restaurants that serve great local food as well as nice ice cream.

Uzhgorod is a very green city, replete with lots of trees, gardens and other greenery. Its beauty is compounded by the fact that there’s a river that runs through the city (Uzh) and that makes the city even more aesthetically pleasing.

Since Uzhgorod is smaller than Lviv, you don’t need much more than about 1-2 days to cover everything in and about the city. I would say one full day should be enough, but give yourself an extra day just to be sure you’re not in any rush and feel you’ve gotten a solid sense of the city.

My favorite parts about Uzhgorod were the various eateries serving local cuisine, the picturesque little streets of the city, and the very traditional Ukrainian restaurants that you’d be hard pressed to find even in the capital of Kiev. In fact, there was one such restaurant that was about 15-minute car ride from the center that served authentic Ukrainian food that was one of my favorite parts about the entire trip.

Deeper into Western Ukraine

From Uzhgorod, you have several options to further explore Western Ukraine. One option is to head down to Mukachevo, a small city that’s more or less of a hub between Uzhgorod/Lviv and other smaller towns. Mukachevo is a small city with a few main streets. It was pretty lively when I visited in May, with lots of young people, old people and families hanging out and enjoying themselves. The main problem with the city is that it shuts down at around 10 pm and so there’s nothing to do after that.

On the other hand, if you just want a small city to relax and chill out, it makes for a perfect stopping point.

I would say even one full day is too much for a city such as Mukachevo. I arrived in the afternoon and left the following morning at 5 am. After exploring the city for about 3-4 hours, I got a good sense of what the city is like and felt good about moving on to different destinations.

One of my favorite cities, where I spent an entire 3 days, was Beregovo, a small city close to the Hungarian border. I found the city interesting for several reasons. First of all, it’s the only city that I visited in the region that has signs in two languages: Ukrainian and Hungarian.

Hungarian is an interesting language, that’s unrelated to pretty much anything else, so it was cool to see it all kinds of signs written in Ukrainian, which I can understand and Hungarian that’s completely illegible to anyone who wasn’t born in Hungary (or hasn’t tried to seriously study it).

It was also pretty cool to hear Hungarian all around, in cafes, restaurants, and out and about on the streets. Even though I know like one or two words of Hungarian, I can immediately recognize the accent and know when Hungarian is being spoken. It was also pretty cool to go into some small shop and hear the owner of the shop speak Russian with a Hungarian accent. It felt like being in Hungary, but yet still being able to speak Russian and Ukrainian without resorting to English.

Another great thing about Beregevo—and why most people choose to visit this city—is because there are various thermal baths that you can visit. These complexes with different pools in them. There are jacuzzi type areas where you can enjoy very warm water (40 C) to more moderate but still pleasant water in one of the larger pools (36 C – 37 C).

I was there at the end of April/beginning of May, so it was the perfect spring weather, not too cold and not too hot, making it perfect for spending most of the day spending submerged into nicely warm water.

They say that this water that comes from the earth is also very therapeutic, helps to alleviate all kinds of ailments such as arthritis, bad knees, and other problems. I suppose there’s some truth to that because many of the people there were on the older side and an older couple I spoke with told me that they make frequent trips to this resort (every year, or even several times per year) and they found that it helps them to stay better and delay the onset of aging.

I liked Beregovo for all the reasons above, and it’s definitely a city I could see myself returning to. I even found a nice Hungarian restaurant that served one of the best pizzas (among other things) that I tasted in all of Ukraine. It’s a city that I can see myself spending perhaps up to a week, just walking around, enjoying the Hungarian/Ukrainian food and just enjoying a complete difference pace of life than I was used to in Kiev and other big cities.

When it comes to the thermal baths, I probably wouldn’t go there unless I was visiting with a girlfriend or a wife. It’s not a place to go if you’re single with several guys; I mostly saw couples there, so it would weird to go there if you’re in a group of several guys.

One problem with Beregovo that I noticed isn’t directly related to the city itself, but has to do with logistics: it’s a city that’s hard to get to from other parts of Ukraine, especially Kiev. Not only do you need to take a train from Kiev to one of the major cities (e.g., Mukachevo or Lviv), but you also need to another train or bus to Beregevo. So, in total expect to spend an entire day in transit getting to the city.

However, even with the enormous amount of time you need to get into the city, I still would definitely consider a city for a visit. I would just break up the long trip into several parts: a stopover in Lviv or Uzhgorod where I would spend the night before continuing over to Beregevo by bus.

So, there you have it, a rough guide to my favorite cities and towns in Western Ukraine. If you’ve been thinking about visiting, definitely don’t delay and check it out as soon as possible. It just might be something that you’re looking for.

Of course, this trip would be much better if you bring along a cute Ukrainian girl. The easiest way to meet one is through our highly-recommended site, Ukraine Date. Read our review here or check out the site.

While I love Ukraine to death, there’s one thing that I absolutely detest: flying on Ukrainian International Airlines (UIA). It’s Ukraine’s flag carrier, and it absolutely sucks.

I first flew UIA from Kiev to Odessa many years ago. Even for such a short flight (45 mins), the experience was pretty rough.

Since then, I have flown UIA to many destinations, both inside Ukraine, around Europe, as well as to America.

Here are some things I don’t like:

The service

While it has certainly gotten better over the last several years, it definitely leaves a lot to be desired. There’s still this feeling that UIA’s flight attendants are complete robots that don’t really care about your experience and well-being.

On many occasions, I have requested an extra water or tea only to be refused that they can’t do it.

Furthermore, it’s rare that the flight attendants are actually friendly. Most of them appear like they hate genuinely hate their jobs and are projecting this mystery out on you.

Verdict: don’t expect much service.

The food

Perhaps the food has improved since Soviet Union times, but I wasn’t taking many flights back then, so I can’t really compare.

But, compared to other airlines, it seems like UIA is trying to save a lot of money by serving you poorly-prepared food with tiny portions.

The portions are smaller than I remember on any other airline. Each meal is about one or two spoon fulls and after you’re done, you’re hungry in 20 minutes tops.

Moreover, while other airlines are constantly innovating and creating memorable dishes (even in coach), UIA is serving completely boring and uninspired food.

Verdict: Bring your own sandwich.

The airplane

This is my biggest beef with UIA. I’m not a huge man (5’9”, 188lbs), but whatever I do, I just can’t completely fit into the seats.

The seats are just too damn narrow!

So, when the food comes and it’s time to eat, I can’t extend my elbows far enough in order to eat the food with the utensils.

I feel as though if I continue eating, I will eventually start eating from the neighbor’s table, out of fish little plate instead of my own.

Thus, I’m forced to sit sideways while eating, a rather painful experience that I don’t remember ever doing on other airplanes.

Verdict: don’t be a grown man

Why do I keep flying UIA?

Probably because I’m some kind of a masochist. The actual reason is that UIA usually has the lowest fares to American cities, where I often fly for business.

That, and it’s usually the only direct flight out of this charming Eastern European country.

Then again, you’re much wiser and smarter than me, and if you want to do yourself a favor, don’t fly UIA and pick a better carrier like Lufthansa or Air France.

Ever since Crimea became under Russian control in 2014, Odessa became Ukraine’s premier—and pretty much only—beach destination. It’s where everyone tries to go at least once during the scorching summer in order to escape the unbearable heat.

Is it a city you should also put on your radar? In this article, we’ll discuss all of this and more.

Orientation

First of all, there are two parts to Odessa, at least which are of importance to visitors. There’s the scenic downtown, arguably one of the most beautiful in Eastern Europe, and the beach area along with its beach bars, nightclubs, etc.

The downtown

The downtown area is worth a visit all in itself. It’s simply gorgeous and definitely gives other cities a run for its money—not only in Eastern Europe but in the richer Western Europe as well.

There are tons of

In terms of the beach area, opinions differ, but words such as “glamorous” or “scenic” don’t really come to mind.

The beach

Odessa has a relatively large coastline, containing tons of different beaches which are frequent by different people. The closest beach from the city itself is called Lanjeron; to reach it simply walk eastward from the center, and sooner or later, you’ll get there.

As you head south along the coastline, you’ll get to such beaches such as Otrada, Arkadia (see below), and a bunch of other beaches

Beach bars

There are a couple of very popular nightclubs that every local knows about: Ibiza and Ithaca. During the day, there’s a pool area and a beach area. So, you can rent a beach chair or an entire tent either near the pool or closer to the water.

Since the water isn’t always very clear and the sand isn’t exactly powdery white (we will get into that later), it’s probably better to do so near the pool.

Of course, these are premium areas, so not only do you have to pay for the chairs, but there’s also a fee for entering the place itself.

Once you’re on the property, you can order drinks and food, and whatever else your heart desires.

The prices are rather steep. I don’t remember the exact numbers, but they were also higher than elsewhere.

There are other beach bars, all catering to a different demographic with different services and prices. The last time I visited Odessa, I actually stayed in a quaint beach bar near the southern part of the city. It was much chiller and calmer than the other party beach bars and matched what I was looking for perfectly.

The women

Alright, so I won’t keep beating around the bush. Most of you are probably came on this page expecting me to talk about women.

Apart from what has already been covered here, Odessa’s women are some of the most beautiful and sexiest in the entire country. I suppose they have the sun to thank for that.

They’re tanned, have great bodies and are always wearing the latest threads. I’ve even heard that fashion starts in Odessa and is later adopted by the rest of Ukraine.

But, easy they’re not.

It’s not possible to arrive in Odessa for a weekend (or even a week), meet a bunch of women and have sex with them quickly.

If you want something to happen with women, you would need to factor in at least a couple of weeks (a month is even better).

Plus, the city is overrun with Turkish men, so the local women definitely know why male tourists come to the city. (And it’s not to look at the fine architecture).

That means you really need to know what you’re doing or at least be living in the city for a while.

Odessa – livable city?

I guess the jury is still out on this one. Is Odessa a livable city is a question that I’ve been asking myself for as long as I’ve been in Ukraine.

I suppose the biggest downside of the city is that beyond the scenic downtown (which really isn’t that big) and the beaches there really isn’t much to do.

The locals don’t speak much English. They’re also not very friendly, or at least as friendly as in other parts of the country.

The beaches aren’t anything to write home about. The sand (or rocks) can get very coarse in some places and you have to get pretty lucky to see clear water. (When I spent a week there, most of the time the water was green due to other water debris).

Then, when you happen to venture outside the main center, you’ll quickly realize that Odessa is very poor. There are neighborhoods with broken down homes, entire blocks without street lights.

Essentially, once you live downtown, you immediately get a feeling that you’re truly in a third world country.

Then, outside the summer season, the city turns grey and it rains a lot. While it doesn’t get as cold as in the capital, it’s still not the same city as it was during the summer.

While I can see myself spending a month or two in the summer, I could never live there in the winter.

All of this gives Odessa a decidedly provincial city feel.

When you’re in Kiev, you actually feel that you’re in the capital, but when you’re in Odessa, you really feel that you’re in some city on the edge of the country.

Final thoughts

For the reasons above, I really can’t recommend the city as a base outside the summer months. It’s just too small and provincial to give you a decent quality of life that you would have if you lived in a bigger city like Kiev.

However, what do I know? Maybe you’ll visit and immediately fall in love with the city and view every con listed in this article as a pro.

Is Odessa worth it? There’s really only one way to find out.

Like all European countries, Ukraine has four basic seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn (fall).

The weather can be categorized as extreme. The summers are rather hot, typically reaching temperatures upwards of 30 to 35C; the winters can be rather cold, typically reaching temperatures upwards of -10 to -20C in some areas. Then there are two brief seasons in the middle—spring and fall—that appear out of nowhere and disappear as quickly as they appeared.

Ukrainian winter typically starts around the end of October or the beginning of November. It lasts until around the end of March or the beginning of April. The first week of May usually marks the official beginning of spring; there’s a week-long holiday where people travel to relax, mostly to the countryside.

By the end of May and the beginning of June, temperatures start to gradually climb signaling the start of the summer.

Where to go in the summer

June, July and August can be scorchingly hot in almost every city in Ukraine, especially in the Eastern and Southern parts of the country.

This is a great time to visit and explore the country, but I would mostly recommend spending a few days in a land-locked city such as Kiev or Dnipro and then head down and enjoy the beaches of Odessa.

While Kiev is great in the summer, I don’t particularly love its climate. It can get super hot and muggy, so much so that you’re always sweating regardless of where you go. Plus, you can’t really escape it; there are no beaches nearby. That’s why making a quick trip to Odessa is always a wise choice.

Another good option for the summer is to head out to Western Ukraine and spend time in the mountains. As soon as you climb above sea level, the weather cools down and becomes much more bearable. Once you’re there, you can rent an entire cabin for the summer and enjoy the beautiful countryside, the healthy food, and the fantastic air while everyone else is suffering in the cities.

Where I spent my summer

One summer, instead of spending it in Kiev, I went and lived in another city in a different part of the country. While living there, one weekend I took a trip with my girlfriend to a nearby little town. It was one of those country-style inns with a restaurant. There was even a small pool to cool down.

In the area, we were surrounded by private homes, many of them had pools. At this point, I realized that spending a hot summer in one of those houses with a pool wouldn’t be such a great idea. Unfortunately, I realized this at the beginning of September just as the temperatures started to climb back down and taking a dip in the pool was no longer a very enticing thought.

The summers are also great for dating because everyone is enjoying the weather and themselves, especially if they’re relaxing by the pools or beaches of Ukraine’s coastal cities.

Spring and autumn are great

I personally think that the best time to visit Ukraine would be either the spring or the autumn. Eastern European spring is absolutely gorgeous. The weather goes from cold, rainy and cloudy days to warm and sunny days. People’s moods and behavior changes. The birds are chirping. The flowers are blooming.

On the other hand, coming in the autumn while probably isn’t as pleasant as in spring is still a nice time to visit. The end of August and the first several weeks in September is actually a great time to visit the country. The temperatures have cooled down so that it’s no longer unbearably hot but still not yet cold. This makes it ideal for exploring Ukraine’s cities and countryside.

What about the winter?

Personally, I hate it when it’s cold and I need to put on twenty layers of clothing before stepping outside. Never mind the snow everywhere, the slush and the ice. In fact, the worst days are those that are extremely sunny; it seems the sunnier the winter day, the colder it’s outside.

I remember spending a winter in Kiev and, for the most part, the temperatures weren’t that bad. It was mostly hovering around 0C with an occasional -5C or so. But, then, the week of the New Year’s, it had suddenly dropped to -20C and -30C. That lasted for around ten days. That meant as soon as you step outside, you immediately feel cold—regardless of how many layers of clothing you put in.

Not fun in the least.

Fortunately, that didn’t last the entire winter and temperatures quickly went back to -5C or so, which was a bit more bearable.

There are people who actually enjoy the deep winter. Some find it “romantic” sitting at home, enjoying a hot beverage while watching the snow slowly fall on the city. I’m certainly not one of those people—give me a tropical beach anytime—but I understand where they’re coming from.

If you do choose to come in the winter, I have one piece of advice: make sure you stay in the center of the city which is replete with beautiful buildings and timeless architecture. Don’t stay outside the city center which is typically full of rusty Soviet-era buildings and broken roads.

Staying in the beautiful city center makes the winter much more manageable.

Of course, one option is to skip the winter altogether. I know many younger Ukrainians leave the country and go overseas, to countries like Thailand and Bali. Of course, that means leaving your jobs for a couple of months and then either finding a new one when you get back or begging your old boss to take you back.

Another option is to suck it up, buy some good clothes and stay for the winter. After all, Russian cities in the north have it much worth. And, given everything, Ukraine’s winter is pretty manageable.

Final thoughts

I would give anything if Ukraine’s climate was similar to Barcelona’s or Rome’s: long warm summers and short and mild winters. Of course, it would be even better if it closer to Medellin, Colombia’s with its permanent spring, but then it wouldn’t be Ukraine and instead some other country.

Instead, the existence of all four seasons gives you a chance to experience four different types of Ukraine. And, if you come with the right expectations, you shouldn’t be disappointed regardless when you make that trip.