A series of tunnels dug under the city - the mines from which the stones for the city's construction were taken. The city is riddled with catacombs - normally the haunt of junkies and down and outs - but outside the city the catacombs operate as a museum.

These tunnels were used by partisans as a base to launch raids against the German and Romanian occupiers. The tunnels are dark and dank and still contain the personal belongings and equipment of the partisans who lived, fought and died there.

The walls are carved with graffiti that is either political or personal (and sentimental) and overall a visit is both a moving as well as interesting experience. It is only possible with a guided tour as the tunnels are confusing and it is easy to get lost.

Above ground is a rather down at heel museum with a few rusty weapons and some interesting, but faded, photographs. Sadly both the tour guide and museum captions are Russian language only.

The only way to get there is by an excursion bus from Odessa city centre. The buses leave at about 1000hrs from outside Odessa Railway Station - little old ladies in the square outside the station sell tickets and can be quite helpful (though generally they only speak Russian). The journey to the catacombs by minibus (included in the ticket price) takes about 40 minutes and the tour itself is about an hour.

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Built for the 1980 Moscow Olympics this cable car takes you down hill to the beach in Odessa. It is Soviet era, 1970's engineering and you have to hop onto what looks like an individual, oversized, rusty metal bucket hanging from a cable. It then takes you on a squeaking, jolting, wind blown ride down the hill, over the woods and to the beach. A nerve-wrecking five minute trip - what a blast! A great view, but you're so terrified you hardly notice.

On Francuski Boulevard, Odessa - on the number 5 tram line towards Arcadia. Ask or look out for 'Kanatnaya Doroga' ('Rope Road').

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A wonderful restaurant in the grounds of a Santorium along Fransuski Boulevard (take the number 5 tram towards Arcadia). An old summer residence of the rich and powerful that was incorporated into one of the many Soviet-era sanitoria in the city. Now it is renovated and operates as one of the best restaurants in Odessa.

The style is Csarist-era country house and the food is upmarket, fine dining versions of Russian/Ukrainian favourites such as borsch, pelmeni and shashlik. A perfect place to have a long summer lunch in the garden with friends - and don't forget their wonderful home made lemonade.

Francuski Boulevard, Odessa, Ukraine. Take the number 5 tram towards Arcadia and get off the tram near the 'Vash Sad' garden centre.

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Salieri is a new but wonderfully placed art-cafe in the heart of Odessa. An inconspicuous entrance opposite the Mozart hotel, the back opens up to a beautiful old courtyard recently renovated at the back entrance to the Odessa opera house. Meals are very good and reasonable prices - main courses for under £5. As always in Odessa, 75% of the menu is dedicated to alcohol! Just a wonderful place to go and relax.

Langeronoskay str. Odessa
or walk round the back from the left side of the opera house.

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This is the original immigrant quarter of Odessa (in past days mainly people from Moldova aka Bessarabia). Issac Babel set many of his famous stories here. It's about a 20 minute walk from downtown.

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IIf you’re looking for some good local beer, then try this bar – the name means ‘good beer’. It also serves other drinks of course, and very reasonably priced food. There are plenty of seats and it usually has a lively atmosphere, as it is populated by enthusiastic locals.

Jukovskoho 23

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Kulikovo Pole is a square and park just near the station. It is dominated by a 10 metre high statue of Lenin and still attracts communist demonstrations and many war veterans gather here on May 9 (Victory Day). The view down the tree-lined route towards the station is dramatic, taking in both Lenin and the silver domes of the Andryvska Podvore orthodox church. At the bottom end of the square, in Lenin Park, is a second hand book market where you will find Russian versions of classic novels mixed in with dusty copies of books with titles like: “Tungsten Bearing Manufacture in the Soviet Union - a Guide for Schools”.

Kulikovo Pole Square, near central station; www.essentialukraine.com

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The story of the Potemkin steps is told in Eisenstein’s famous 1925 film, Battleship Potemkin. The film depicts the 1905 revolution when the sailors of the battleship mutinied and sailed into Odessa to join a worker’s strike. The leader of the mutiny had been killed and his body was laid at the foot of the steps. As crowds gathered to pay their respects, tsarist troops rushed down and opened fire, killing some 2,000 people.

This sequence in the film is famous for its innovative editing technique and has ensured that the steps are Odessa’s main historic attraction. The view of the port from the top makes it worth climbing all 192 of them.

The steps climb from the seaport area to Primorsky at the top

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This can only be described as impressive, at the very least architecturally. It was built in 1824, has an Italian renaissance style façade and inside you encounter marble staircases and columns, a parquet floor, crystal chandeliers and stained glass windows. It’s definitely four-star and there’s even a casino if you’re into such things.

Primorsky 11;
www.ukraine.co.uk/londonsk.htm

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This 18th-century house, built for nobility, is now home to a very interesting selection of Ukrainian and Russian art. The exhibits range from 400-year-old icons to 19th- and 20th-century modernists and present day photographers. On the top floor, there's a selection of Soviet era propaganda art.
Strangely, there's also an artificial grotto beneath the building, imitating a cave complete with waterfall. Personally, I'd stick to the art.

Sofievskaya 5a;
www.odessaglobe.com/english/institutions/art-museum.htm

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A bustling farmers’ market near the station. People come in from miles around to sell their produce, usually at very low prices. The Privoz is a real slice of Ukrainian life. Priests can sometimes be seen blessing the food with holy water.

Privoznaya 14; open 6am-5pm; www.essentialukraine.com

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The late-19th century Austrian built opera house is a fine sight to behold from the street, assuming that the scaffolding from extensive restoration has now been dismantled. It’s a world-renowned venue and a major icon of the city, many people visit Odessa just to attend a performance of either opera or ballet.

Chaikovskovo
www.odessit.com/tours/tours/english/theater.htm

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