Wroclaw
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Thanks to the neighboring location, cities in Poland are one of the closest and easily reachable tourist destinations from Kyiv. With the coming of low-cost airlines like WizzAir and Ryanair, they became even more accessible. While Warsaw stays the main transportation center of Poland, Wroclaw with its small city charm is no worse when it comes to sightseeing and indulging in local cuisine. The city located on the Old River in the west of Poland is most famously known for the neat and colorful houses on the Market Square. This location often pops up on many travel accounts on Instagram. Another architectural marvel located on the medieval square is the old Town Hall, which is, in fact, the highest town hall in Poland.
The oldest historical district of the city, Ostrów Tumski, dates as far back as the 10th century and has famous landmarks like Church of St Giles and the Gothic Cathedral. Moreover, there are plenty of gardens and tiny parks in the area surrounded by the waters of the Old River. Wroclaw’s street food scene is incredibly rich: you can find pretty much everything from the usual burgers and hot-dogs to sweet waffles and crêpes. Those who want to indulge in Polish culinary wonders might try the famous pierogi, potato pancakes, zurek soup and polish cheesecake.
Kyiv-Wroclaw is one of the cheapest flights from the low-cost airline WizzAir. At the moment, the estimated ticket price is 30€. Ryanair also has a flight from Kyiv to Wroclaw with ticket prices starting from 35€.
Budapest
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Another destination close to Ukraine, Budapest is one of the places that come to mind for a quick weekend get-away. Just like Kyiv, Budapest is divided by a river — the Danube. The city is also easy to get around: the Old Town is located in the hilly area of Buda, while the flat Pest embraces the city’s most photographed landmark — Hungarian Parliament. Both sides of the city are connected by the 19th century bridge. The main pedestrian street, Váci, is perfect for shopping and relaxing on an open-air terrace in one of the city’s cafes.
Traditional Hungarian food is perfect for warming up on a chilly day: spicy Paprikás, Jókai bean soup, Újházy chicken broth and of course goulash are served in many spots around downtown. Apart from numerous churches and castles, Budapest is also famous for thermal baths — numerous tourists come here to relax in the Széchenyi thermal bath, built in 1913 and still working today.
Budapest is a destination that often has cheap flights from Kyiv: prices for direct flight Kyiv-Budapest from WizzAir start at 35€ in winter 2018-19.
Cologne
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Cologne, or Köln in German, is a center of cultural and tourist activity in the west of Germany. The city is best known for the huge, 144-meter gothic Cathedral that appears on nearly every souvenir. The Kölner Dom was opened in 1322 but the construction began even earlier in 1248. The UNESCO World Heritage Site attracts numerous tourists every year and especially in winter, when the Cathedral square hosts the festive Christmas market. Cologne is home for numerous art galleries and media hub centers like Galerie Artclub, Sculpture Park, OffArtCologne Galerie and others.
Those who want to indulge in fun experiences can visit the museum of Chocolate to learn and try everything about the delicious treat, or make a personalized perfume at the No. 4711 Eau de Cologne store. Germany is most famous for its beer — and Cologne even has its trademark kind called Kölsch. The best dishes to accompany the glass of beer are schnitzel, leberwurst and Himmel un Ääd ("Heaven and Earth") - a mixture of apples and mashed potatoes.
WizzAir offers best prices in October: one-way ticket from Kyiv-Zhuliany to Cologne that starts at 37€.
Copenhagen
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Thanks to the low-cost flights, the capitals of Ukraine and Denmark are now more securely connected and regularly experience a growing flow of tourists from both sides. The fairy-tale-like looking Copenhagen is larger than Polish Wroclaw, yet managed to preserve the same cozy vibe. One more similarity with Wroclaw is the colorful row of houses on Nyhavn that attracts tourists and photographers.
Families with kids often come here to spend a day in the Tivoli Gardens — the second oldest operating amusement park in the world, visited by Walt Disney himself. Fans of royal history appreciate architectural landmarks like Amalienborg, which is the 18th century rococo complex of palaces, or Rosenborg Castle, which hosts the crown jewels and has a large garden on its premises. Copenhagen is rich on street food: you will find everything from hot-dogs and burgers to the authentic open sandwich smørrebrød, frikadeller and, of course, a variety of seafood.
A direct flight from Kyiv to Copenhagen operated by WizzAir starts at 40€ for autumn 2018.
Lisbon
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Portugal’s capital is the perfect place to get lost and get away when the winter blues in Kyiv hit hard. The city’s coastal vibe doubled with relaxed pace of life make it perfect for a weeklong vacation. Lisbon is quite hilly, so those who aren’t used to walking might want to hop on one of the bright yellow trams that circulate around the city. Historic neighborhood Belém is full of museums, architectural monuments like Jerónimos Monastery and old finely designed houses. The medieval Belém Tower crowns the neighborhood. The residence of the president of Portugal is located here as well.
São Jorge Castle overlooking downtown is the most popular place to take pictures of the city vista. Fresh sardines, crab and rice, as well as Portugal's most famous pastry Pasteis de Nata are among the must-try foods here. Sintra located about an hour away from Lisbon is an often for a one-day tour: winding streets and the colorful Pena Palace attract visitors from the capital.
WizzAir’s flight to Lisbon from Kyiv is more costly that the other option but is just as popular: the price starts at 80€.
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Milan
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While Milan is largely known as the Italy’s shopping capital, in fact it’s much more than that. Take the city’s most prominent landmark — Milan Cathedral or Duomo. The huge Gothic cathedral with numerous details on the inside and outside is the third largest in the world. Milan is also home for one of the most iconic frescoes in the world — The Last Supper by Da Vinci, located in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Italian cuisine doesn’t really need an introduction: pizza and pasta can be found in any tiny corner of the country. Milanese specials include costoletta, a veat cutlet, and risotto alla Milanese, best topped with Aperol Spritz. Relaxing with a cup of classic cappuccino in the morning is another must-do in Milan.
Italian Ernest Airlines offer flights to Milan starting at 40€. You can choose between the city’s two airports: Bergamo and Malpensa.
Barcelona
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Barcelona has almost become synonymous with the same-named football club and Antoni Gaudí but like in many other cases, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Truly, the city’s most well-known landmark is the grand Sagrada Família church built in 1882. The art nouveau building soars 170 meters high. Another famous architectural wonder is Casa Batlló also designed by Antoni Gaudí.
To get into the true vibe of the city, wander in the Gothic quarter among the winding and narrow medieval streets full of bars and clubs. The pinnacle of local cuisine is located in La Boqueria market, which offers numerous kinds of fresh food. Catalan cuisine has classics that overcame the region’s borders: paella, tapas, aioli and escalivada are one of the most popular dishes here.
Low cost airlines Ryanair have a flight to Barcelona from Kyiv. The price starts at 50€.
Larnaca
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Those who crave shiny beaches and clear water may direct their attention to Cyprus. The francophone island is best to visit during May – September, as winters here are often cold and rainy. Larnaca has a delicate balance of natural spots like the Larnaca Salt Lake, Finikoudes Beach and MS Zenobia wreck site, especially popular among divers and places for historical sightseeing.
By far, the most famous landmark is the iconic Church of Saint Lazarus, built in the 9th century and containing the second tomb of the saint, who is believed to have risen from the dead. Christianity peacefully co-exists with Islam: Hala Sultan Tekke is among the holiest places for Muslims in the whole world. Cypriot cuisine is a feast for meat lovers: among the most popular traditional dishes are grilled kebabs soulvakia, marinated pork afella and grilled sausages shaftalia. Other famous dishes include halloumi cheese and hummus, long popular abroad.
WizzAir direct flight from Kyiv to Larnaca starts at 27€.
Tbilisi
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In the recent years, Georgia experienced a reawakening in tourism and infrastructure, making its sightseeing way more accessible for the travelers. Georgia’s capital Tbilisi has much to show starting from the ancient 4th century fortress to the modern nightclubs with the rich rave scene. Thanks to the convenient location, the main historical landmarks can be viewed in one day: the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, Bridge of Peace, Narikala fortress and Kartlis Deda are all located in 10-15-minute walk from each other. The more distant but just as beautiful spots can be reached by car: for instance, the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral - the Easthern Orthodox church built in the 11th century around the 4th century baptismal font.
Georgian cuisine is already incredibly famous in Ukraine: while the entry-level khinkali, khachapuri and kharcho are available in nearly all restaurant, try the lesser-known dishes like chicken soup chikhirtma, stewed kidney beans lobio or eggplant with walnut badrijani nigvzit.
At the moment, cheap flights Tbilisi-Kyiv are operated by Georgian Aiways and Ukrainian International Airlines. The ticket price starts at 120€. One more Georgian company, Myway Airlines, will launch flights from Boryspil starting October 2018 with the tickets from 69€.
Malta
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Located between Sicily and the North Africa, Malta has incredibly rich history with numerous influences that resulted in the unique vibe the country carries today. Its crystal-clear lagoons like Comino and Azure Widow lure in tourists from the entire region, while temples, fortresses and churches attract history fans. The most ancient landmark of the site is Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, a temple complex that dates back to 4000 B.C. and is included in the World Heritage Sites list.
Maltese cuisine is a historical fusion of Mediterranean, Sicilian, French and English culinary traditions, so it’s safe to say the local dishes are incredibly authentic and hardly found anywhere else. To name but a few, fish pie lampuki, beef olives bragioli and so-called widow’s soup are the usual items on the menu of local restaurants.
Ryanair’s direct flight Kyiv-Malta is one of the quickest sold-out directions. At the moment, the price starts at 80€.
Cover photo: unsplash.com.
The following list is the editor's choice.
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