If you’re looking for a truly unique travel destination, try Kiev. This Ukrainian capitol is home to centuries of history and culture. After Ukraine became an independent country in 1991, Kiev in turn became a popular tourist location for both European Union travelers who don’t need a visa to enter the country, as well as travellers from across the globe.
If you’ve never thought about visiting the Ukraine, here are five reasons to add Kiev to your next travel itinerary.
1. Ukrainian Easter Eggs
Where better to get pysanky, the traditional name for the intricately dyed Easter eggs traditional to Ukraine culture, than in Ukraine’s capitol city? These eggs are sold throughout the city, so look for a few special designs to take home with you. Or, if you prefer, take a class and learn how to dye pysanky yourself.
2. Ukrainian cuisine
Traditional Ukrainian cuisine is full of warm, comforting foods such as the thick beet and vegetable soup known as borshch, and the unique Ukrainian variation of pierogis known as varenyky. Don’t forget to taste the local sheep cheese and the delicious meringue Kiev cake.
Kiev is a cosmopolitan city, so you’ll want to combine your traditional Ukraine culinary explorations with a foray into modern Kiev cuisine, which, like all other urban city centers, includes Asian traditions and new twists on old favourites. Five-star hotel Hyatt Regency Kiev, for example, is home to the can’t-miss fusion restaurant Grill Asia. You haven’t truly experienced Ukrainian cuisine until you’ve tasted both borshch and the Ukranian take on popular Asian dishes like Nasi Goreng.
Also, while we’re on the subject: yes, you can get authentic chicken Kiev in Kiev, but as chef Viacheslav Gribov told NPR, few chefs still make the original recipe that made the dish famous. The dish is actually French, despite its name, and is not considered a fashionable food to eat, since a cheap, mass-produced version is now a staple of Ukraine fast-food restaurants and convenience stores. Be aware that asking for chicken Kiev in Kiev is like going to Paris and asking for French fries.
However, if you can find a restaurant serving the real thing, go for it — it’ll be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
3. The Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine
Take a short day trip to Pyrohiv, a village located just south of Kiev, and visit the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine. This 370-acre museum contains over 300 pieces of folk architecture from across the country, including several beautiful windmills. Learn more about traditional Ukraine life and culture by viewing architecture, textiles, clothing, ceramics, woodwork and other folk art from each of Ukraine’s unique cities and regions.
4. The M.M. Gryschko National Botanical Garden
Spend an afternoon touring Kiev’s Botanical Garden, home to 13,000 types of plants, trees and flowers from across the globe. The garden is itself divided up like a globe, grouping plants common to various regions of the world together and helping the visitor understand how different climates and soils help to grow different varieties of trees and flowers. The garden also includes 350 individual varieties of orchids.
5. Kiev museums
In addition to the National Botanical Garden, there are two museums you need to visit while you are in Kiev: the National Art Museum of Ukraine, which is dedicated to displaying and promoting Ukrainian art, and the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. Plan to spend a full day in the latter museum, which contains over 15,000 historical artifacts relating to Ukraine’s involvement in World War II. It is a must see both for World War II buffs as well as people who want to understand Ukraine’s unique history.
