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.
An orthodox church where the team who assassinated Heydrich made their last stand. A museum dedicated to the Nazi occupation, the plot to kill Heydrich and the brutal reprisals that followed is now located in the crypt where the assassins met their end. If you have any interest in this period of history then this museum is fascinating and very cheap. There is a plaque dedicated to the memory of the dead parachutists above the crypt window on Resslova, poignantly surrounded by bullet holes.
Resslova, New Town, between Karlova Nam and Jiraskuv Bridge. Nearest metro: Karlovo Namesti
It's not easy to find what was once the largest ghetto in Europe as it was completely obliterated by the Nazis in 1943. What you see in films such as The Pianist or Schindler's List was filmed in the
old town or in Krakow.
Now there are only rather poor looking housing blocks but nevertheless, it's interesting to walk around these streets as there seeems to be a sense of the past there.
The monument to the ghetto heroes is impressive in Soviet style and the remains of the gruesome Pawiak Prison are very moving. From there, you can easily walk back to the old town.
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