A one day tour to one of the best tourist spot around the world might sound a bit absurd but in today’s busy world not everyone has the plentiful of time to get a few days of holiday, plan a trip and then kick back and relax. Think about a busy traveler who is tight on his schedule squeezed out a whole day free from meetings and business activity and wants to see most of the tourist spots at the place of his visit. For such small visit to any city in the world lets choose Ukraine’s capital,Kiev.
About Kiev
Kiev is the capital of Ukraine and also one of its largest cities. It is located on the Dnieper River at the north central part of the country. A scenic city with population of approximately 3 million people. It is the largest economic, political, educational and cultural center of Ukraine. It is also one of the finest places for tourism in Europe. A visit to this city can be one of the most pleasurable experiences in one’s life. The city boasts an interesting lifestyle and numerous historical and cultural monuments are situated here which is the real attraction of the city. Perhaps very few cities in the world have so many monuments like Kiev has: monuments, churches, museums, theaters. So many places to visit yet so little time in hand.
Getting around the city
Beforehand it should be mentioned that a foreign visitor must acquire travel visas. It can be easily obtained at Visa center in their native country. Start off by grabbing Kiev Tour Guide map book. It will help in getting to a location in a much easier and faster way. Point out the place that one has to visit and the taxi driver will get there in no time. Official company taxis and ‘gypsy cabs’ can be used for navigation. A ‘gypsy cab’ can be availed just by stopping the car and negotiating a price. A company taxi can be booked over a the phone. Buses can also be used for navigation. There are two types of buses, city run buses and trolley buses but these buses are always crowded during peak hours. Last but not the least is the Metro. It is one of the pleasures of Kiev as it is fast, clean and easy to navigate. There are about 50 stations with lines reaching to almost every place in the city.
Places to visit:
Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Cave Monastery)
Near Metro station Arsenal’na
It is one of the oldest monasteries and also the most important monasteries of Ukraine. The caves were dug out by priests who used to live there as hermits and later it was found in 1077 by ST Antoiny. It has two parts: the upper Lavra consisting of number of museums and the lower Lavra consisting of the caves.
St Sophia’s Cathedral
Near Metro Station Zoloti Vorota
It is the oldest church of Kiev and has the world’s biggest ensemble of frescoes and mosaics, including the Virgin Oran’s Mosaic. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Outside the gatehouse there is a statue of Bohdan Khmelnitsky, a historical figure responsible for the liberation of Kiev in 17th century.
St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery
Near St. Sophia’s Cathedral
Although destroyed during the Soviet era it is still a pleasant place to visit. It also contains mosaics like the St. Sophia’s Cathedral. It was renovated in 1997 and now the gold domes are one of the best places to visit on a Sunday.
Open-Air Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life
Near Vystavkovy Tsentr Metro station
The museum displays the lifestyle of people and how they used to live in different parts of Ukraine. It has six restored rural Ukrainian villages comprising of old huts, churches and mills. The whole place acts as a living museum.
A day may not be enough to fully enjoy everything Kiev has to offer but a whole day is still enough to visit the most crucial landmarks of the city. The city is full of surprises and one has to feel the exclusive appeal of this antique yet incessantly young city.
To enter Ukraine, depending what passport do you have, visa may be required. You may visit Visacenter web site to clarify this matter while preparing for your trip.