Kyiv Polytechnic Institute Park
Also called simply the ‘KPI Park’, this location seems to have been created to exist in autumn. The park is filled with numerous bushy trees that first create beautiful autumn foliage of different colors, attracting locals for photo shoots, and then shed their leaves, creating huge crunchy piles. KPI Park is located right near the Politekhnichnyi Instytut metro station and numerous bus stops, so it’s easy to reach from different points of the city. The park embraces 13,5ha and takes about half an hour to explore.
The grand stairs in the middle of the park lead to the main campus of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, built in 1898. The building is often called a ‘Kyiv Hogwarts’ for the same magical vibes. Another interesting location near the park is the Japanese Cultural Center, located in the library of Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. The building hosts the largest in Ukraine and one of the biggest in Europe Foucault pendulum.
Praha restaurant by the water
Praha restaurant located in a 10-minute drive from the city center is one of the most popular autumn date locations in Kyiv. The reason is quite simple — the restaurant lies on the green territory of VDNG and looks straight out of a fairytale with orange foliage. The terrace set on the lake is often completely booked for weekends, so make sure to book in advance.
The location has a vast lake with black and white swans, bushy forest and an old mansion, where the restaurant is located in. The menu offers dishes from European and Mediterranean cuisine. Besides, starting at 7 P.M. guests can enjoy live music concerts.
Holosiivskyi National Nature Park
While Mariinskyi Park stays an unbeatable fall date classic in Kyiv, we offer to consider a more imaginative spot. Holosiivskyi Park is located near the Expocenter of Ukraine, so the Vystavkovyi Tsentr metro station will be the closest public transport stop. This location is a true nature paradise that lies in Kyiv borders: locals, tourists and couples often come here to enjoy the fresh air away from the busy streets. The park’s territory embraces more than 45 square kilometers riddled with unique and sometimes rare trees, bushes and flowers, that’s why it’s not overcrowded no matter the day and provides the much needed a big city intimacy.
In autumn squirrels, swans, and twittering birds often interact with people, so you may take some food to feed them beforehand. Moreover, there are three bike rental spots located near the Expocenter of Ukraine in case your beloved one enjoys cycling on fresh air.
Buddha-bar
Buddha-bar on Khreshchatyk is an establishment with a reputation of one of the most popular chill-out places in Kyiv. With a surface area of 1400 meters square, this place can welcome over 350 guests. The restaurant is located on the first floor with the Bar-Lounge on the second. The VIP area located on the third floor offers a good view over the entire establishment and privacy for couples who often come here to dance the night away.
Cuisine at Buddha-bar is a savory blend between the Eastern and Western dishes. The dining here is accompanied with a particularly warm atmosphere, thanks to the subtle and captivating musical tracks played by the resident DJ.
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Kyiv Opera House
Sure enough, autumn in Kyiv isn’t always full of sunny and warm days but it doesn’t stop couples from enjoying their time in the multiple indoors locations. One of them is the Kyiv Opera House built in 1867. The interior of the National Opera of Ukraine astonished citizens way back in the 19th century and continues to do so nowadays: marble stairways, large Venetian mirrors and red velvet armchairs are one of the many notable things it the building’s interior.
The repertoire includes works by Rossini, Donizetti, Cimarosa, Puccini, Ravel, Bizet, as well as the creations of the famous Ukrainian and Russian composers: Lysenko, Gulak-Artemovsky, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky and Prokofiev. If you’re not the one for opera and ballet, there’s a chance to see the backstage of the theater: Kyiv Friendly Tours offers a tour where you will see how stage decorations are made and stored, where artists wait for the call to go on stage and, of course, where the beautiful costumes are kept. The tour starting times are flexible.
The Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko Museum of Arts
Autumn is the perfect season for museum dates and the vast art collection gathered by loving couple Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko is just the location. The Khanenko family bought art, sculpture and historical artifacts from art auctions in Italy, France, Spain and Germany. The museum became public after Bohdan’s death in 1917, established thanks to Varvara Khanenko. The collection of the museum consists of 25 thousands of exhibits and is considered to be the biggest foreign art collection in Ukraine.
The 'Western' wing of the museum is packed with priceless antique furniture, ancient Greek sculptures, porcelain and ceramics. Masterpieces like ‘Portrait of Infanta Margarita’ by Diego Velazquez, ‘Portrait of a Patrician’ by Gentile Bellini, ‘Madonna and Child’ by Giovanni Bellini and others. The legendary Goya’s graphic series – ‘Disasters of War’ and ‘Caprichos’ – also form a part of the collection. The four most ancient Christian icons that were preserved in Eastern Europe are located here. Often Khanenko Museum hosts live music concerts that can also be a good idea for an autumn date.
Pushcha-Vodytsia
Last but certainly not least; the classic Kyiv autumn date is taking a tram to Pushcha-Vodytsia, the historic and natural neighborhood. This green area is the perfect place to get away from the urban noise and pollution without leaving Kyiv. Moreover, the road to Pushcha-Vodytsia is just as romantic as the spot itself. The most popular and iconic way to get to the neighborhood is taking the tram #12, which goes through the forest and provides astonishing views. The tramline was founded in 1900 and ever since provides a getaway for Kyiv dwellers.
Tram #12 starts its way on Kontraktova Ploschcha and goes through several historical neighborhoods of Kyiv like Podil and Kurenivka. The ride takes about an hour. Many locals advice to get off at the “Park Pushcha-Vodytsia” stop and grab some nuts for numerous squirrels that live here and are very enthusiastic to meet the humans.
Photo sources: Taras Verkhovynets, Sarycheva Olesia, Havoc / Shutterstock.com, unsplash.com, Facebook pages of locations mentioned above. All images belong to their rightful authors.
The following list is the editor's choice.
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