Primorsky Boulevard
The city's bay-facing showcase greets seafarers with an array of whitewashed colonnaded buildings. Fresh from a Russian-funded spruce-up, the boulevard is…
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Sevastopol
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all travel to Crimea. Please check with your relevant national government.
It's easy to understand why the Russians were keen to reclaim this town more than any other chunk of their lost empire. Orderly and clean as the deck of a ship, with whitewashed neoclassical buildings surrounding a cerulean bay, it has everything most Russian cities lack.
Even when it was controlled by Ukraine, most locals were linked to the navy in some respect and maintained a strong allegiance to Moscow. This resulted in a peculiar cultural microclimate, similar to Gibraltar's. It was no surprise that the locals were at the forefront of what they call 'the Russian spring' and the rest of the world calls 'the annexation of Crimea'.
A favourite playground for military-history fans, Sevastopol is also attractive to those with no interest in weapons and uniforms. Simply put, it is the most pleasant Crimean city – civilised and easy-going, but largely bypassed by the recreational mayhem of Crimea's southern coast.
Explore Sevastopol
- Primorsky Boulevard
The city's bay-facing showcase greets seafarers with an array of whitewashed colonnaded buildings. Fresh from a Russian-funded spruce-up, the boulevard is…
- MMikhaylovskaya Battery
A massive piece of fortification seen across the bay from central Sevastopol, the battery served as a hospital when the Russians withdrew to the northern…
- Cape Fiolent
The southernmost tip of Sevastopol municipality is a spot of a rare, Le Grand Bleu type of beauty. But this aesthetic pleasure comes at a cost – an 800…
- KKhersones
The ruins of the ancient Greek city founded in 422 BC are of great significance to local visitors. This is the place where Volodymyr the Great was…
- PPanorama of Sevastopol's Defence
The focus of Sevastopol's wartime memories, this is a circular building, its inner wall covered in a mammoth-sized painting. Supplemented with 3D props,…
- BBlack Sea Fleet Museum
Full of ship models and Crimean War snippets, this small museum is visually impressive, even though all inscriptions are in Russian. The upper-floor…
- EEagle Column
The Eagle Column commemorates Russian ships deliberately scuppered at the mouth of the harbour in 1854 to make it impossible for enemy ships to pass.
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Sevastopol.
See
Primorsky Boulevard
The city's bay-facing showcase greets seafarers with an array of whitewashed colonnaded buildings. Fresh from a Russian-funded spruce-up, the boulevard is…
See
Mikhaylovskaya Battery
A massive piece of fortification seen across the bay from central Sevastopol, the battery served as a hospital when the Russians withdrew to the northern…
See
Cape Fiolent
The southernmost tip of Sevastopol municipality is a spot of a rare, Le Grand Bleu type of beauty. But this aesthetic pleasure comes at a cost – an 800…
See
Khersones
The ruins of the ancient Greek city founded in 422 BC are of great significance to local visitors. This is the place where Volodymyr the Great was…
See
Panorama of Sevastopol's Defence
The focus of Sevastopol's wartime memories, this is a circular building, its inner wall covered in a mammoth-sized painting. Supplemented with 3D props,…
See
Black Sea Fleet Museum
Full of ship models and Crimean War snippets, this small museum is visually impressive, even though all inscriptions are in Russian. The upper-floor…
See
Eagle Column
The Eagle Column commemorates Russian ships deliberately scuppered at the mouth of the harbour in 1854 to make it impossible for enemy ships to pass.
Guidebooks
Learn more about Sevastopol
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