Travel Focus on Ukraine
The report gives an insight into UK travel trends, with our latest issue focusing on ten of the destinations hardest hit by the economic downturn. This week we turn the spotlight on Ukraine.
The Travelnomics of Ukraine
Deep in Eastern Europe rests a large, strategically valuable nation that has been plagued by wars and invasions throughout its history. Ukraine is a fascinating country with a historically rich nature, having adopted customs and language from its previous overlords including Russians, Mongols and the Polish-Lithuanian Empire. The nation marked by injustice and controversy has now redefined its image emerging as beautiful, peaceful and free since its independence from Soviet rule in 1991 and more recently the 2005 Orange Revolution.
Ukraine bears the many scars with pride. Many castles remain in ruins, German bunkers can be found and explored and the many memorials to countless battles prove how much the people have stood up against. The ability to rise up, rebuild and display the unique onion-domed orthodox churches, Baroque palaces and Byzantine styling of the St Sophia Cathedral is awe-inspiring.
The culturally diverse country has much to offer from all corners of its boundaries: Yalta to the south, Lviv in the west, Kharkov in the east and of course Kiev, the capital, home of the gorgeous St Michael’s Cathedral and the celebrated Independence Square.
Between Lviv, the architecturally astounding city also known as the Florence of the East, Yalta, the seaside city on the Black Sea and Kiev, in the country’s heart, the Ukraine has much on offer to travellers of every description.