Odessa Attractions

Odessa attractions are many and we have listed a few of them here. This is the most important and the most interresting places to visit. We will add more sights and pictures continously.

Odessa Architecture

The architecture of Odessa  will remind you of  French and Italian architecture from the late 19th century and the early 20th century. Have in mind that Odessa has always been a great port of trade and the city got influenced by many different cultures over the years. Rich business men and factory owners had their mansions and palaces built to show their wealth.  

Take a stroll down Primorsky Boulevard and Frantsuzsky Boulevard and you will see many extraordinary beautiful buildings. 

The Potemkin stairs

The Potemkin Stairs or Potemkin Steps is named after Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin a Russian statesman and a favourite of Catherine II. The stairs are even more famous for the movie "Battleship Potemkin" which is an old propaganda film about the uprising of the battleship crew in 1905. This is described more in the Odessa History page.

The legend says that in order to recieve great luck in life, you should walk down and up the 192 steps in your bare feet, discovering how the ground and the air changes as you come close to the sea and vice versa.

The construction of the stairs begun in 1837 and were finished in 1841. It was a gift to the city from the Odessa leader Vorontsov. The architect was F. Boffo.

From the top of the Potemkin Steps you have a great view of the sea port and the Black Sea.

The Odessa Opera House

The Opera House is off course one of the most popular buildings to see in Odessa. 
The building is described in more detail in the Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater page. 

Odessa Churches

Odessa has many churches and cathedrals. Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral is the largest Orthodox Church in the city. It was destroyed by Bolsheviks in the thirties and has now been restored.

Odessa Parks

Odessa has many beautiful green areas and parks where you can relax and enjoy a break from the hectic city life. The most famous parks are the City Garden, the Sobornaya Square and the Shevchenko Park.

The City Garden is a beautiful lounge and it is centrally located beside the famous Deribovskaya Street. It is decorated with flowers and a fountain in the middle. Several benches makes this park a popular place to sit and relax or just sit and look at the many people walking through. 

The Shevchenko Park is located near the Lanzheron Beach and is a very beautiful and recreational park named after the great Ukrainian poet Shevchenko. The park has several monuments that are worth a look. One of them is the Monument to the Unknown Soldier in Odessa. It was raised in memory of those who fell in battle during the Second World War. The fire that is eternally burning at the bottom of the monument reminds the people about the great sacrifices of the defenders of the city.

The Shevchenko Park is also housing several amusement activities such as go-cart and paintball.

After about a 10 minute walk on Deribasovskay Street you will see Sobornaya Square that houses the impressive looking Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral. Sobornaya Square is a pleasant location to take in the scenery while sitting on a bench.

Primorsky Boulevard

This is one of the most beautiful boulevards in Odessa. It has newly been restored with new surface and while they where digging they found an old settlement which is now on display under a small glass pyramid. Primorsky Boulevard has many old and beautful buildings. One of these are the famous hotel Londonskaya.

The building with an opctial illusion

If you walk south of Primorsky Blvd you will find a short street called Vorontsovsky. There you will find this odd building which seems to be only to be a facade (almost like something from a movie set). It seems that the building has no connecting wall at the end. This is off course only an illusion.

The Catacombs

Back in the Turkish days, Odessa was built on a network of tunnels. They say that pirates, smugglers, refugees from the Soviet regime and people running from the law has taken shelter in these catacombs during the time of history. The catacombs are believed to be over 299 kilometers in length and have over 160 exits. Some exits even lead into the cellars of old houses in the city. There is no precise map of this tunnel system. To enter the catacombs you should go with a trustworthy guide.
Ask for tours at your hotel or just take a look at this guide telling you about the catacombs: