Kyiv

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Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

Saint Sophia Cathedral Kyiv, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

Saint Sophia Cathedral Kyiv, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

About Kyiv

Golden domes above the Dnipro, chestnut-lined boulevards and cobbled lanes tumbling down to the river port: Kyiv is one of Europe's oldest cities and the capital of Ukraine. It spreads across steep wooded hills on the right bank of the Dnipro, with newer districts reaching far across the river.

Founded more than 1,500 years ago according to tradition, Kyiv became the centre of Kyivan Rus, the medieval state from which Ukrainian history flows. Its 11th-century Saint Sophia Cathedral and the cave monastery of the Pechersk Lavra are together a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while the Golden Gate recalls the medieval city walls. Later centuries added baroque churches, grand 19th-century avenues and Soviet monuments.

The Upper Town around Saint Sophia and Saint Michael's connects by funicular and the winding Andriyivskyy Descent to Podil, the historic merchant quarter by the river. Expect varenyky, borscht and excellent coffee. Because of the war that began in 2022, check current travel advisories and local rules before any visit.

Best seasonMay-June and September, when parks are green and days mild

Ideal stay3 days

ArrivingLong-distance trains to Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi station; check current advisories first

Kyiv Has So Much to Discover: 12 Highlights

Temples and Shrines 4

Saint Sophia Cathedral Kyiv, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

Saint Sophia Cathedral Kyiv

Built in the first half of the 11th century under Prince Yaroslav the Wise, Saint Sophia is one of the great monuments of medieval...

Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

Kyiv Pechersk Lavra

Founded in the 11th century by monks who lived in caves above the Dnipro, this vast monastery complex grew into the spiritual hear...

St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery

With its sky-blue walls and gleaming golden domes, this monastery is one of Kyiv's most photographed sights. The original medieval...

St Andrew's Church Kyiv, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

St Andrew's Church Kyiv

Perched on a hill above Podil, this elegant baroque church was designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli in the mid-18th century, with turq...

Landmarks 3

Golden Gate Kyiv, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

Golden Gate Kyiv

Built under Yaroslav the Wise in the 11th century as the main entrance to the walled city, the Golden Gate survives as ruins that...

Mother Ukraine Monument, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

Mother Ukraine Monument

Towering over the Dnipro's right bank, this enormous stainless-steel statue of a woman holding a sword and shield was unveiled in...

Maidan Nezalezhnosti, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

Maidan Nezalezhnosti

Kyiv's main square sits on Khreshchatyk, the city's broad central avenue, and is dominated by the tall Independence Monument toppe...

Neighborhoods 2

Andriyivskyy Descent, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

Andriyivskyy Descent

This steep, winding cobbled street runs from St Andrew's Church down to Podil, lined with colourful old buildings, small galleries...

Podil Kyiv, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

Podil Kyiv

The low-lying district by the Dnipro has been Kyiv's trading and craft quarter since medieval times, and its grid of streets is no...

Viewpoints 1

Kyiv Funicular, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

Kyiv Funicular

Running since the early 20th century, this short funicular links Mykhailivska Square, beside St Michael's Monastery, with Poshtova...

Food and Drink 1

Bessarabsky Market, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

Bessarabsky Market

At the end of Khreshchatyk, this handsome covered market hall from the early 20th century is one of the oldest in the city, its st...

Arts 1

National Opera of Ukraine, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Ukraine

National Opera of Ukraine

Named after the poet Taras Shevchenko, Ukraine's national opera house occupies an ornate neo-Renaissance building from 1901 on Vol...

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Photo credits

Photo: Rbrechko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Rbrechko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Rbrechko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Jorge Láscar from Australia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Maks Karochkin from Moscow, Russia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

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Photo: Tanya Dedyukhina, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

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Photo: Maksym Kozlenko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photo: Tim Adams, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

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Photo: Maksym Kozlenko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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