Odesa

Odesa (Ukrainian: Одеса, also transliterated Odessa from Russian: Одесса), is a seaport on the Black Sea coast of Ukraine. The city is home to over a million people (2015). Its chief attraction to visitors is the graceful old town, laid out on a grid pattern in the early 19th century, with its many churches, galleries and museums. There’s also a small beach resort. Reaching Bessarabia, and travel between Ukraine and Moldova or Romania, will usually involve a stopover in Odesa.

Odesa incorporates two other large ports, Yuzhne to the east and Chornomorske (formerly Illichivs'k) to the south. These have nothing of visitor interest, but Chornomorske is the terminal for Black Sea ferries.

Understand
"Odesa" is the spelling preferred by Ukrainians. The Russian spelling, "Odessa", is no longer commonly used in English.

History
There has been human settlement here since the earliest times; remains of a Hellenistic seaport circa 6th – 3rd century BCE are being excavated. In medieval times Crimea was an independent Tatar state, and in 1240 its Khan Hacı I Giray founded the settlement of "Hacıbey". This region later came under Lithuanian control, then was part of the Ottoman Empire between 1529 and 1792.

In the 18th century, under Empress Catherine the Great, Russia expanded rapidly south and came into conflict with the Ottoman Turks. The Ottomans were defeated in the wars of 1768-1774 and 1787-1792, and Russian control was cemented by the Treaty of Iaşi in 1792. The strategic value of this port was obvious - it had a huge productive hinterland, was ice-free, and gave access to the Black Sea and Mediterranean - and in 1794 the Empress founded the city and named it Odesa.

She had looked to her favourite, Potemkin, to develop this region, but he died in 1791 as did Catherine herself in 1796. The task fell instead to four foreigners: José de Ribas captured Hacıbey and convinced Catherine to develop it as a sea-port; the Duc de Richelieu was its first governor 1803-1814; the Count of Langeron, as a later governor, made it a free port; and Franz de Vollan laid out the city grid pattern, a novelty for its day.

From 1819 to 1858 Odesa was a free port. It boomed economically, becoming the fourth largest city of the Russian Empire, after Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Warsaw. It was a magnet for labour, creativity and outcasts from elsewhere, becoming very cosmopolitan, with its architectural hodgepodge of Italianate, Renaissance, Neoclassic and Art Nouveau buildings. During the Soviet period, it was the USSR’s leading port, with exports of grain, long-distance oil pipelines, and related industries.

These industries continued after Ukraine’s independence in 1991, and Odesa was again declared a free port and free economic zone, as defined by the World Trade Organisation. Culturally and economically, however, the city has suffered from the turmoil within Ukraine and conflict with Russia, and the resulting collapse in tourism. Much of it is grubby and down-at-heel, and many of its fine city blocks are in serious disrepair. Ever since the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia, however, Ukrainians flock to Odesa to soak in the summer sun at its sandy beaches while at the same time triggering redevelopment and building of new resorts and tourist facilities.

Talk
While Ukrainian is the country's only official language and spoken by most people in Odesa, the native language of the majority is Russian. Young people tend to know at least basic English; the more upmarket you go, the more fluent it gets. Almost all of the city's numerous colleges and universities teach Russian as a foreign language.

By plane
The closest operating airport is in Chișinău:



By train


From western and central Europe the simplest route is probably across Poland to Lviv. From Lviv there is a direct sleeper to Odesa (12 hr), otherwise travel via Kyiv (9 hr).

Trains within Ukraine are cheap and comfortable, but slow and infrequent. From Kyiv to Odesa the quickest is the Inter-city, leaving at 16:40 and taking 7 hr, cost 550 грн. The other daytime train leaves around 10:00 and takes 10 hr, cost 400 грн. There’s also a sleeper leaving at 21:00, 9 hr. From Odesa to Kyiv the Inter-city departs at 05:45, then there’s nothing till the 15:40 train, reaching Kyiv just before 02:00. The northbound sleeper departs around midnight. Other connections exist, but they are likely to involve changing trains in the small hours in the middle of nowhere.

Other destinations within Ukraine with at least daily direct service in summer include Kharkiv 15 hr, Lviv 12 hr, Chernivtsi 18 hr, Ivano-Frankivsk 17 hr, Khmelnytskyi 8 hr, Kovel 16 hr, Uzhhorod 19 hr, Vinnytsia 5 hr, and Zaporizhzhia 16 hr.

Trains are less frequent outside summer. For overall route planning and current timetables, the easiest website to navigate is Deutsche Bahn. To buy tickets within Ukraine, visit www.uz.gov.ua and remember to use Ukrainian spelling, e.g. “Odesa” and “Kyiv”. Booking online is strongly recommended as it will save hassle trying to negotiate your journey at a crowded foreign railway station. Inter-city e-tickets should be printed at home and are good to go, other sales are just a voucher which must be exchanged for a ticket before travel, at any mainline station within Ukraine.

All trains terminate at the main station,, in the Pryvoz area of town next to the bus stations and market. Ticket desks are obvious in the main hall, and any desk will exchange e-vouchers for tickets. Come at a quiet time and the place is relaxed and helpful, just watch out before queuing for the “technical break” times posted on each window. Turn up 15 minutes before the weekend express departs and it’s all a bit chaotic.

If you don’t care for what’s on offer at the café or currency exchange, stroll across the street to the bus stations, where there’s lots more. Pryvoz market is handy for stocking up for a long journey. Lots of marshrutkas and taxis outside, the centre is a 2-km walk north.

By bus
There are two main bus stations. Pryvoz, next to the railway station, is mainly for shorter trips, but long-distance services increasingly run from here. The Central Bus Station, 2 km west so it isn’t central, traditionally had most of the long-distance routes.

is really stations, plural; it’s a confusing jumble so you may have to hunt back and forth for your departure point. The original core of it is on Vul Vodoprovodna, 300 m west of the train station and adjacent to the market. Small buses and marshrutkas head to regional destinations such as Mykolaiv, Vylkovo and Belgorod Dnestrovsky every hour or two. They also run to Moldova, some directly through Tiraspol in Transnistria but most via Bessarabia and the Palanca border post. Odesa to Chișinău takes about 6 hr depending on border hold-ups and costs 350 грн each way.

This original station is too cramped for big modern coaches, so it's extending east in a new but haphazard collection of coach stops all the way to the railway station. There’s no centre to this or signage, just ask anyone who seems to be waiting with luggage. Ecolines buses run from Starosennaya ploshchad (square) to Kyiv (7 hr), Minsk (21 hr), Moscow (24 hr), St Petersburg (30 hr), to the Baltic States, Poland and west Europe. Find timetables at www.ecolines.net. Autolux buses also run from here to Kyiv and direct to Boryspil Airport, 7 hr. Their website autolux.ua is only in Russian and Ukrainian, so you need a Cyrillic keyboard to use it.

is at 58 Vul Kolontayivskoi, 2 km further west. Traditionally this was the departure point for long-distance coaches, but timetables indicate these nowadays mostly depart from Pryvoz, as coach stands there have expanded. Check your ticket carefully for where you ought to be.

bus schedule from Kharkiv, Kyiv and Lviv to Odesa.

By car
The main highways are mostly in good condition and well-signposted, with adequate filling stations. With your own car, if you see traffic braking ahead of you, slow down, it's either a speed bump, pothole or police trap. You can cycle - the going is level - but it won't be fun, and unsafe at night.

Hitchhiking is also an option, see page on Ukraine: getting around.

By boat
There are ferries several times a week to Batumi and Poti in Georgia (48 hr), and to Istanbul Haydarpasa in Turkey (27 hr). For schedules, prices and tickets see www.ukrferry.com. The ferries run all year and take vehicles; indeed trucking is an important part of their business, as so many travellers nowadays fly. This network of ferries serves other Black Sea ports (eg Sochi, Samsun, Varna & Constanta) but usually without direct sailing to Odesa.

The ferry terminals are at Chornomorske (formerly Illichivs'k) 20 km SW of Odesa, on the NE bank of the river. Reach them by marshrutka from central Odesa.

Walk
The north end of the central city grid is compact and parts are pedestrianised, so enjoy it on foot. Most of the main sights are here.

It's too far to walk from the centre to the beach or airport, or to the bus and railway stations if you've much luggage.

By public transport
The city public transport consists of trams, trolleybuses and marshrutkas. Usually there's a conductor on board who'll collect your money and issue your ticket & change; there's no system of pre-purchase or of validating the ticket, unlike Kyiv. If there's no conductor, pay the driver on exit.

One of the tram routes, with tourists can find useful is number 5. It runs from the bus station area to the Arcadia Area, passing "Starokonny Rynok" (knows for flea markets), Moldavanka area, Privoz Market, Railway Station, Musical Comedy Theater, and many of the city beaches on its route.

Passengers of route 5 can transfer to a trolleybuses of route 5, 7, 9, which will take them to the city center; trolleybus 10 to seaport area, and trolleybus 14 to airport. It's also possible to transfer on trams of routes 3, and 12 at the Preobrazhenskaya street stops which will take a tourist to Deribasovskaya street.

Transferring on routes 10, or 21 take tourist all the way to Tiraspolskaya square transport hub which is still close to Deribasovskaya street.

Trams 3 and 12, can be even more useful for tourists. They run all the way of Preobrazhenskaya Street, which in one of the major transport arteries of Odesa. On their route, they pass by Deribasovskaya Street, Gorodskoy Sad, Sobornaya Ploschad' (Cathedral Square) Tiraspolskaya Ploschad' tram hub, (transfer for routes 10,15,21) and Privoz Market area. Then route 3 switches east to Railway Station, and its route still continues, while route 12 turns west to Moldavanka section of Odesa. En route, this line crosses a few trolleybus routes, which run through city center.

Because those routes are highly demanded, they are often overcrowded.

Route 28 runs the same was as route 5 in city center, however passing the Theater of Musical Comedy, it runs North toward Schevchenko Park, and Lanzheron Beach. In Moldavanka, it uses different route toward different terminal than tram 5.

Marshrutkas are the main mode of transport, as they cover a lot more ground. They pick up anywhere (wave your hand) and set down anywhere (holler to the driver).

Tickets
Single ride tickets in trolleybuses and trams cost 8 грн, in funicular — 10 грн, in buses — 15 грн, in marshrutkas — 15-20 грн.

Schedules
Schedules are available on EasyWay and Google Maps.

By car
You don't really want a car in central Odesa. But finding your way around isn't difficult because of the grid system, and the main streets are clearly signed, your main concern will be security and parking. Check ahead for options with your hotel, they may have their own. Parking is permitted except where specifically restricted. You may be approached by a guy demanding 5-10 грн - pay up cheerfully, and think of him as security rather than parking attendant.

Note the roadworks mentioned above, with congestion and diversions.

By taxi
Taxi is the easiest way of getting around the city. Some popular taxi companies include:



By scooter
Kick scooter is a funny way to shorten your time while getting around the city.



By bike
You can rent bicycle using one of the following companies:



See


The core of Odesa, with all the main sights, is the city grid stretching from Pryvoz in the south to the Potemkin Steps in the north, and with the 2-km-long Vul Yekaterynynska (Catherine Street) as its spine. You’ll probably arrive in Pryvoz as all modes of transport funnel into here. This area is grubby but sights include the (next to the bus station) and the Panteleymonivska monastery (just head for the huddle of onion domes). Spare a look for the railway station even if you’re not travelling by rail. There are eating places and decent accommodation nearby, handy for late-night arrivals or early departures.

Head north along any of the main streets, and for the first km you’ll wonder why you bothered coming; then after Vul Zhukovskoho the prospect improves. Another couple of blocks and at last you see the grandeur wrought by all those 19th-century entrepreneurs. But much of it has been neglected since independence, so even on the finest avenues there is dereliction and decay.

For a pleasant walking circuit, start from the magnificent rebuilt Orthodox Cathedral on Soborna Sq, and drift north through the City Gardens into Havanna St. Bear left into Gogol St, where Gogol's own house, number 11, is yet another sad example of dereliction in an otherwise upmarket avenue. This brings you onto the pedestrianised promenade. It’s not on the shore, but beyond here the land falls away steeply, and there are views over the docks and sea. Turn right and cross (Mother-in-law bridge), the footbridge over the valley that descends to the docks. On the other side, try to ignore the kitsch cod-Grecian pillars, but admire (now a performance space, so look artistic yet not too weird, the babushka will probably let you in). Continue along Primorskiy Boulevard to the, in a toga yet, at the head of the Potemkin Steps. Continue to the end of the boulevard and you'll see the city hall. Turn inland and a short block brings you to the Opera House on Lanzheronivska St. Return to your starting point either along this street or adjacent Deribasovskaya St, which has most of the cafes and restaurants. This walk is especially charming early evening, when the fine façades still show their colours and the tumbledown bits are softened by dusk.

The Historic Centre of Odesa was listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2023.

Museums
Odesa’s museums and galleries have staggered closing days, so you don’t have the “Monday problem” common in many European cities, with everything shut. However there’s not much labelling in English. If an afternoon deciphering Cyrillic labels feels like hard work, your best bet is the Museum of Western and Eastern Art.



Do



 * Walk the old town. As well as the circuit described above under "see", the attractive streets also branch west, along Sofia and Pastura Streets.

Odesa beaches
Most of the city waterfront, except the port territory, forms a beach zone. All of the beaches are located at the eastern edge of Odesa. The most popular beaches are the following: listed according to their distance from city center.

Buy
Go to the Pryvoz market by the station - one of the biggest in the ex-USSR. Lots of cheap vegetables and fruits. Try the pakhlava - the Ukrainian pronunciation of baklava.

Be aware, if you're going to buy anything but food in the market (and sometimes with food also), that Odesa is significantly harder in bargaining than anywhere in Russia or Ukraine. Prices several times the regular price without any signs of trying to budge is often, moreover, unlike most bargaining places sellers would often be unfriendly. The tactic extends to anyone not from Odesa, so having a guide from elsewhere may not help.

Check Flea Market - on Moldavanka district, around "Starokoniy rinok". Simple people sale here old knick-knacks and trinkets. Here you can buy an original souvenir of the Soviet era like postcards, military stuff etc. The market is only open on Saturdays and Sundays in the morning. It is customary to bargain here, although experienced traders will not be able to significantly reduce the price. At the same time, some rare things can be bought very cheaply.

Eat
There are lots of cafes and restaurants in Odesa, with more and more opening each year. The prices are quite affordable, if you come from the west. Expect to pay 70-100 грн for a lunch in a cafe and around 200 грн in a restaurant. Some restaurants can be of course very expensive, so take a look at the menu before ordering. In the warmer times of the year you can find lots of outdoor sitting areas in the cafes, with blankets usually available to keep you warm in the evening.

The 'fast food' on the street is tasty and if you don't speak Russian or read Cyrillic is much more accessible as you can just point at what it is you want. Menus are usually only in Russian, but you may try to ask for an English menu for you (ask in Russian for "menu po angliyski"). If they don't have one, either have an idea of what you want before you sit down or be prepared to randomly pick something from the menu. It's possible that waitresses can also speak basic English, try to ask for recommendations.

Food from street vendors, especially at the open air markets, should be approached with the same caution as you would display anywhere. It can be fantastic, or not. There are many supermarkets in Odesa that have high quality foods that you can buy as an alternative. There are several McDonald's restaurants in the city (str. Deribasovskaya 23, Privokzalnaya square 1a).

Generally, if you're looking for a place to eat, try to pick one in the city center that looks nice but not too expensive. There are lots of places for what could be called "middle class" with enjoyable atmosphere and good food, but random picking can of course lead to bad food and bad service.

Avoid eating Oriental or Indian in Odesa. They mostly don't have good cooks, the food you get is not authentic and priced heavily.

Drink
The beer served in the south of Ukraine is outstanding and goes excellently with the hearty food. A beer in a restaurant will usually cost around 80-120 грн for local beers and 160-240 грн for imported brands. There are several breweries in the area nearby Odesa, but they are usually not very popular in the restaurants. However, there is a small restaurant-brewery right in the "City Garden" near Deribasovskya, their beer is rather good and they have an English menu. Just look for a sign that says Hausbrauerei (German for Home Brewery) and tell them you just want to have a drink at the bar unless you want to have dinner there of course.

Long-lasting traditions of wine production in neighbouring Moldova and Crimea make Odesa an excellent place for wine lovers. Must taste: Negro de Purcari, Pino and famous sweet Kagor from Moldova, Massandra Portwine and Muscat from Crimea.

In the big supermarkets and in shops with alcoholic drink specialization you can find a full assortment of alcoholic drinks from beer to absinthe and from local brands to world famous brands.

In non-alcoholic drinks here is a large quantity of various brands (foreign: Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Fanta, Sprite, BonAqua etc.; national: Obolon', Bon-Boisson, Prem'era, Kuyal'nik, etc.; local: Kristall, Green Star, Dana, etc.).

The nightlife of Odesa in summer is concentrated in the 'Arcadia' district, some 8 km away from the city center. In Odesa you have to pay to enter a club, the rates are around 70-80 грн as of June 2011, but can be higher in particular clubs. A taxi to Arkadia should cost 40-50 грн; beware of the taxi drivers who are waiting for you when you leave Arkadia at night, their tariffs are super-high and they can be rude and intimidating. Call a taxi or walk 500 meters further where you can negotiate a much lower price. To get from Arkadia at night to the central part of the city would be 40-60 грн, to Tairovo or Cheremushki - 70 грн.



Sleep
Accommodation is plentiful in Odesa and ranges from renting a small room from a local resident to registered hostels, to the more expensive hotels. But "expensive" is a relative term - with online booking and avoiding peak periods, you can enjoy top accommodation here for less than you'd pay for a chain hotel in the English Midlands.

Budget
If you enter by train you will be immediately approached by one of the many locals in an attempt to get you to rent a room from them. This may end up being a small not so well constructed (but basically clean) one-room structure located in their garden. It may also not come with a shower with running water, instead consisting of a small outdoor cabinet with a tank located above it, which your host will fill with hot water upon request. Additionally the local accommodation will most likely have a squat toilet. For those uncomfortable with using a squat toilet, the facilities at the McDonald's near the train station make for a good substitute. Nobody speaks English or German (even the most basic talk). This makes the negotiations very difficult! In July–August most budget hotels are fully booked. The total price for your garden residency will usually not exceed 400 грн and in the summer it is more than sufficient. The hostels in the city can be booked online or you could try your luck and just drop in.

Stay safe
Apart from being known as a touristic city near the seaside, Odesa is also known as a city that was home to a school of pickpockets. Neverthless, there are still 'szahrayka' (groups of criminals) at work. They work in groups of two or more, mostly standing close together in crowded places (tram 5 is quite a popular place). Usually, one of them distracts the victim while the other ones steal his/her valuables. Stay alert, don't get confused and hold your wallet, phone and passport tightly.

If you have lost anything, report and restrict everything that has been stolen as fast as possible. If this is ID and bank cards, you need to lock a card first and then restrict ID with your banks. If there was also a phone, lock in that order: card, phone, ID. If you had automatic fill-up of sections, change the passwords for your e-mails and other sites. Then, find your consulate, go there and fill the form for stolen ID or passport. You can ask for a temporary passport there as well.

Always carry your passport (or a good colour photocopy) with you. The police in Odesa, as in all of Ukraine, are corrupt and constantly on the lookout for tourists to harass with the aim of fining them for breaking some imagined rule or law. Use common sense and caution around rowdy groups and drunks in city, unless you speak good Russian.

Be very careful in the Arkadia district at night, as it might be not safe in the darker areas. Arkadia is an area with many night clubs. Since these clubs attract visitors, scammers lurk around the neighborhood. Try to be with someone who knows the clubs and the places and speaks Russian.

Male travelers should be aware of clip-joint scams, usually being approached by one or two female suggesting going to Palladium night club, which has been known to extort foreign men using violence over overpriced alcohol or drinks that were or never ordered. Local police are paid off on this and there will be no help if you are to be cornered in such clubs.

Women on Tinder and Badoo (Ukrainian popular) are often semi-professional prostitutes who, even when not working for clip joints, still earn commissions by luring foreigners into buying drinks at legitimate cafe establishments. Always be on high alert and do not go along to their suggested place.

There are also shell game scams on the main pedestrian Derybasivska street (вулиця Дерибасівська).

By the City Park, Potemkin Stairs and Opera House, avoid the pigeon men. They will either have on their arms or a nearby pole multiple pigeons and try to encourage you to have your photo taken with them for an ever escalating fee.

Consulates

 * 🇷🇴 Romania

Go next

 * Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi (Akkerman Fortress), frequent bus (line 560), 2 hours. Most buses also stop in Shabo (famous wine).
 * The other must-see destinations within Ukraine are Kyiv and Lviv, both about 9 hr by train.


 * Nearly all buses from Odesa to Kyiv (350-450 грн ticket) make a stop at the small town of Uman, which is 273 km from Odesa. The place is famous thanks to a huge National Park - Sofia (Sofiyivka Park), and also for the tomb of the Chasidic Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.


 * For Moldova, take a marshrutka from Pryvoz bus station, say 6 hr. Mostly these run via the Palanca border post to avoid crossing Transnistria. However in summer 2017 this area was calm, and traffic was passing freely on the direct road Odesa-Tiraspol-Bender-Chișinău.


 * For Romania, the simplest route is to Chișinău, then by bus or train to Bucharest. An alternative, especially if you want to explore the Danube delta, is to take a bus or marshrutka to Reni. This is about 5 km from the Moldovan border at Giurgiuleşti - if you're lucky the bus-driver might continue to the border for a few more hryvnia. Walk across the border into Moldova, get your passport stamped, then walk or hitch 2 km through Moldova to the border with Romania. Galați, the first town in Romania, is another 8 km.


 * Crimea was a popular next destination, but has been under Russian control since its seizure and annexation in 2014. Public transport is suspended and travel warnings have been issued by most Western nations.