Perhaps best known as the USSR’s trading powerhouse on the Black Sea, Odesa originally boomed in the final decades of the 18th century when great numbers of European entrepreneurs came to this corner of modern day Ukraine to seek their fortunes from the sea. Today, the city still rings with the energy and action one would expect of a major continental port town, often called the “Southern capital” of Ukraine.
Odesa is also something of a self-proclaimed sun city, and today visitors from all over Ukraine flock here in the summer to enjoy some of the most celebrated beaches in the country. If interested, join the locals at the popular spots at Dolphin Langeron and Otrada, while party lovers should not miss the hedonistic after dark vibe at the Arcadia sands.
At its downtown, the lingering architectural remnants of Odesa’s golden age make for some great sightseeing, and your Odesa tour guide will proclaim spots like the iconic Potemkin Stairs and the neo-baroque Opera House as the veritable ‘must sees’ of the city.