Kickin'
Kiev!
Tell your friends and family that you are visiting Kiev and you're likely to get askance glances. Despite successfully bidding for and hosting Euro 2012, the Ukrainian capital is still considered a travel destination reserved for the brave and foolhardy - a wild Eastern bloc backwater, quick to punish the naive tourist with monolingual officials, dilapidated infrastructure and appalling customer service. In some ways it is, and that's half the fun, but Kiev offers thrillseekers much more than a taste of Communist nostalgia. Read more
In this proud and ancient cradle of Slavonic civilisation, lie millennium old cathedrals, topped with glistening golden domes, sacred caves hiding the remains of mummified monks, and forested hills rising over the Dnieper river. Factor in the dynamic modern aspects of the city, such as the explosive politics, cuthroat commerce and the scintillating nightlife and all-in-all you're in for one hell of a ride!
If you're planning on coming to Kiev, for business or pleasure, then let Local Life be your guide. Whether you're keen to find out about the legendary events of the Orange Revolution in Independence Square, or you just want to get the lowdown on shopping, you'll find what you're looking for right here! As well as reviews on Kiev's best hotels, restaurants, museums, bars and nightclubs we've got tops tips on getting to and around the city, a guide to all the essential tourist attractions, the latest news and events, an incredibly handy online map and even a beginner's language section.
If there's anything you can't find on the site or want to know more about please get in contact. We want to create the best English language guide to Kiev (or Kyiv as it also commonly known!) and we really value your feedback and suggestions.
As long as you're travelling in the these Eastern lands why not drop in on our friends in Lviv, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Warsaw and Cracow to name but a few? Don't be the last person to discover the sensational cities of Europe's final frontier!
As Kyivans arrive back in town after their summer holidays in the Crimea, the city will breath new life - even as the leaves on the famous horse chestnut trees turn orange and brown and fall to the ground. Taras Shevchenko University will once more be refining the great young minds of the day, a new season will begin at the Opera House and theatres, and the daily grind will resume in full. It's a grind that tourists are at leisure to enjoy as they observe this dynamic city goes about its ever-fascinating business. With tourists unravelling the joys of New Europe one step east after another, it can only be a matter of time before When Ukraine dropped visa requirements in Autumn 2005 for US and EU citizens it's fair to say exactly witness a stampede of eager tourists piling into the country. Golden domes and ancient monasteries, Communist-era tower blocks and gargantuan Soviet statues, forested hills and riverside beaches Most striking of all however is the city's unbridled energy. Whether you're riding the metro, taking a sunday stroll along the bustling Kreschatyk boulevard, or sipping beer with the locals in Hidropark, you'll feel the rhythm of the city all around you. It's an enchanting melody!
No coach parties, no marauding stag parties and no tourist traps, Kiev has yet to be discovered by any but the most pioneering traveller - and yet it remains one of the continent's most fascinating cities, with its mix of ancient churches, expansive boulevards and gleaming skyscrapers. Bits are decaying, bits are brand new but the whole is waiting to be explored!