UKRAINE PORTS & CITIES
UKRAINE PORTS & CITIES
| Odessa | Sevastopol | Yalta |
Odessa
Black Sea Cruise to Odessa, for the Famous Potemkin Steps - Ukraine
Just a 10-minute walk from Odessas cruise dock are the Potemkin Steps, famous forever since that memorably dramatic crowd scene in Eisensteins film 'Battleship Potemkin'. Just 192 long steps but they remain an impressively evocative image of Odessas colourful past as a major cultural centre on the Black Sea coast. It has long been a popular seaside resort, too, but it is its heritage that makes Ukraines Odessa so popular with cruise visitors with the 19th century five-domed Russo-Byzantine Uspensky Cathedral a particular feast for the eyes, along with the Italian baroque-style Opera House. This 19th century icon is home to the renowned Odessa Ballet while its ornate interior includes a remarkable ceiling decorated with scenes from Shakespeare plays. You can also visit several lavish palaces and excellent museums and see the monument to poet Alexander Pushkins time spent in exile in the city in the 1820s.
Sevastopol
Black Sea Cruise to the "Majestic City" of Sevastopol - Ukraine
Cruise the Crimea a truly wondrous and enchanting peninsula, which has been at the crossroads of civilization for 3,000 years. Cruise to the Crimea's second largest city, Sevastopol, which means "majestic city" in Greek and certainly deserves the name. Situated on hills overlooking Sevastopol Bay, the city boasts impressive architecture, beautiful gardens and attractive squares and boulevards. Founded in 1783 as a naval fortress and a firm stronghold in the southern portion of the Russian Empire, Sevastopol is a treasure trove of historic monuments. During the Crimean War of 1853-56, the Russians were under siege here for 11 months. Although not the most decisive operation of the war, it was near here that the "Charge of the Light Brigade" took place, later immortalized by Tennyson. During WWII, the armies of Sevastopol fought valiantly earning the prestigious designation "Hero City."
Yalta
Black Sea Cruise to Yalta, Its Medieval Past Literally Stares you in the Face - Ukraine
A mixture of medieval and modern history makes Ukrainian Yalta one of the most stimulating calls on any Black Sea cruise itinerary. Yalta's Medieval Past can be seen in the imposing and turreted Swallows Nest castle overlooking the port but you will need to visit the White Palace of Livadia to evoke one of the most important events in modern history. Built in Italian Renaissance-style for Tsar Nicholas II in 1911, this was where Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill met towards the end of World War II to draw up their controversial map of post-war Europe. There are also tours from Yalta to Stalins dacha (originally Alexandar IIIs summer house) but, within 12th century Yalta itself you can visit several other palaces and museums, including one dedicated to the writer Chekhov.
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