Europe
Golden domes, Carpathian villages and wide steppe down to the Black Sea.
Ukraine is Europe's largest country entirely within the continent, with a deep and layered history. Kyiv's golden-domed St Sophia's Cathedral and the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery are UNESCO-listed, Lviv has a café-lined old town with Austro-Hungarian architecture, and the Carpathian Mountains hold wooden churches and highland villages. Odesa's grand streets lead down to the Black Sea.
The country has been at war since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022; travellers should check their government's current travel advice before planning any trip. In ordinary times, rail was the backbone of travel and food centred on borscht, varenyky and rye bread. Climatically, late spring and early autumn are the most comfortable, and winters are cold and snowy.
May, June, September.