Image by eFesenko / Shutterstock

Odesa

Odesa is a city straight from literature – an energetic, decadent boom town. Its famous Potemkin Steps sweep down to the Black Sea and Ukraine's biggest commercial port. Behind them, a cosmopolitan cast of characters makes merry among neoclassical pastel buildings lining a geometric grid of leafy streets.

Immigrants from all over Europe were invited to make their fortune here when Odesa was founded in the late 18th century by Russia's Catherine the Great. These new inhabitants, particularly Jews, gave Russia's southern window on the world a singular, subversive nature.

Having weathered recent political storms, Odesa is booming again – it now substitutes for Crimea as the main domestic holiday destination. It's a golden age for local businesses, but it puts a strain on the already crowded sandy beaches.

Explore Odesa

0

Latest Stories from Odesa

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Odesa.

  • Street

    Prymorsky Boulevard

    Odesa's elegant facade, this tree-lined, clifftop promenade was designed to enchant the passengers of arriving boats with the neoclassical opulence of its…

  • Landmark

    Potemkin Steps

    Fresh from a controversial renovation, which changed its original outlook, the Potemkin Steps lead down from bul Prymorsky to the sea port. Pause at the…

  • Street

    Vul Derybasivska

    Odesa's main commercial street, pedestrian vul Derybasivska is jam-packed with restaurants, bars and, in the summer high season, tourists. At its quieter…

  • Museum

    Museum of Odesa Modern Art

    The war in the east and regular political strife give Ukrainian artists a lot of here-and-now material to reflect on, and the result is often brilliant,…

  • Theatre

    Odesa Opera & Ballet Theatre

    The jewel in Odesa's architectural crown was designed in the 1880s by the architects who also designed the famous Vienna State Opera, namely Ferdinand…

  • Beach

    Route of Health

    The dystopian Soviet name has stuck to this 5.5km stretch of sandy, rocky and concrete beaches that form the city's recreational belt. Packed like a…

  • Architecture

    Falz-Fein House

    City tours inevitably stop near this portly art nouveau house with two atlantes holding a sphere dotted with stars, a depiction of the universe as if seen…

  • Museum

    History of Odesa Jews Museum

    Less than 2% of people call themselves Jewish in today's Odesa – against 44% in the early 1920s – but the resilient and humorous Jewish spirit still…

  • Museum

    Pushkin Museum

    This is where Russia's greatest poet, Alexander Pushkin, spent his first weeks in Odesa after being exiled from St Petersburg in 1823 by the tsar for…

  • Beach

    Lanzheron Beach

    Perhaps to copy Brighton Beach, New York – where half of Odesa seems to have emigrated – the authorities built a boardwalk at the beach closest to the…

  • Architecture

    Passazh

    The opulently decorated Passazh shopping arcade is the best-preserved example of the neorenaissance architectural style that permeated Odesa in the late…

  • Museum

    Odesa Fine Arts Museum

    Located in the former palace of Count Pototsky, this museum has an impressive collection of Russian and Ukrainian art, including a few seascapes by master…

  • Statue

    José de Ribas Statue

    José de Ribas, the half-Catalan, half-Irish illustrious gentleman who built Odesa's harbour, is honoured with a statue at the eastern end of vul…

  • Statue

    Duc de Richelieu Statue

    At the top of the Potemkin Steps on bul Prymorsky you'll find the statue of Duc de Richelieu, Odesa's first governor, looking like a Roman in a toga.

  • Beach

    Arkadia Beach

    Reconstructed to resemble the glitzy resorts across the sea in Turkey, Odesa's main fun zone shines like a mini Las Vegas and remains crowded with…

  • Church

    Panteleymonivska Church

    Near the train station you can't help but spy the five silver onion domes of this Russian Orthodox church, built by Greek monks with stone from…

  • Museum

    Archaeology Museum

    Occupying a purpose-built, neoclassical edifice in the historical heart of the city, this half-renovated museum contains a fairly rich collection of…

  • Notable Building

    Vorontsov Palace

    The semiderelict Vorontsov Palace, at the western end of bul Prymorsky, was the residence of the city's third governor. It was built in 1826 in a…

  • Gallery

    Museum of Western & Eastern Art

    This mid-19th-century palace houses a collection that's both rich and eclectic – apt for a cosmopolitan port city like Odesa. Classical Italian and Dutch…

  • Notable Building

    City Hall

    Located at the eastern end of bul Prymorsky, the pink-and-white colonnaded City Hall originally served as the stock exchange. The cannon here is a war…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Odesa.

  • Activities