26 best sights in Odessa

Odessa is a beautiful city located on the Black Sea coast. This is the cultural and resort center of Ukraine, where well-maintained beaches and parks coexist with narrow streets and original architecture.

Who and why should come to Odessa

Odessa is a city that has mixed many cultures and peoples. Tourists come here to admire the architecture in the neo-Byzantine style with obvious Greek notes. In the center of South Palmyra there are original buildings decorated with columns, porticos, loggias, and stucco. Cultural monuments tell about the heroic past of the city and about the people inhabiting this region.

In summer, the warm Black Sea coast attracts beach lovers to Odessa. There are many sanatoriums and tourist establishments in the city and its environs. The entire coast from Longeron to Kovalevsky’s dacha is a continuous well-maintained beach. Healing air, sea, sun, yacht trips and water rides await guests here.

Odessa is called a cultural center for a reason. Interesting festivals are regularly held here. In July, an international film festival opens at the Opera House, where film premieres are shown. In August, the Odessa Tap festival starts at the central venues. In autumn, guests are invited to musical and literary events.

Arriving in Odessa with children, you should definitely go to the dolphinarium, circus, water park, visit entertainment centers, ride a cable car.

An integral part of the rest in Odessa is shopping. There are a huge number of shops, boutiques, bazaars, where it is easy to buy original jewelry, rare books, souvenirs, clothes and shoes. The market on Preobrazhenskaya Street, the Seventh Kilometer outside the city and, of course, the legendary Privoz are very popular.

Historical landmarks and architecture

Fortress Khadzhibey

In 1793, Suvorov ordered to rebuild the defensive fortress Khadzhibey, destroyed during the war with the Turks. It was quadrangular in shape, surrounded by walls, but did not fulfill its protective function for long. After 20 years, the fortress ceased to be of strategic importance.

The Powder Tower and part of the wall with arches have been well preserved to this day. A popular attraction can be seen in Shevchenko Park.

Catacombs

In the famous catacombs, shell rock was once mined for the construction of houses. Because of this, a network of tunnels with a length of 3 thousand kilometers was formed near Odessa and in its environs. Half of the maze is poorly explored.

Locals believe that smugglers’ treasures and other artifacts are stored there. You can view the catacombs only as part of an excursion — it is easy to get lost and die alone in the narrow dark dungeons. Tourist entrances are located near the villages of Nerubayskoye and Usatovo. Visitors are shown the tunnels in which partisans lived during the war.

Transfiguration Cathedral

The largest Orthodox church in Odessa rises on Cathedral Square. The temple, built at the end of the 18th century in the style of classicism, was looted and destroyed during the revolution. At the beginning of the 21st century, a new cathedral was erected, which is a copy of the original.

Rare icons, paintings and church utensils are kept inside the white building with beautiful windows, domes, and a chapel. On the territory of the temple is the tomb of the Vorontsovs.

Palace of Counts Tolstoy

The architectural monument consists of a two-story mansion of Count Tolstoy and a small building for the exhibition of paintings. In Soviet times, the House of Scientists worked in the palace, now a museum is open there.

Having come on a tour, you can see the interior decoration of the halls, the piano that belonged to the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt, Venetian mirrors and fragments of silk fabric used for wall upholstery, as well as paintings.

Holy Assumption Monastery

The construction of the Holy Assumption Monastery began in 1824 and lasted almost 100 years. Large and small buildings were gradually added to the architectural complex. Under the Soviet Union, the monastery did not work for a long time, but then a theological seminary was opened in it.

Tourists come here to touch the religious shrines, see the 53-meter bell tower, walk through the shady monastery park.

Shah Palace

The majestic two-story building, located on Gogol Street, looks more like a medieval castle. It was rebuilt several times, so different architectural styles were mixed in its appearance.

Before the revolution, the house was rented by the Persian Shah — because of this, the locals called the palace «Shah». The building is immersed in greenery and surrounded by an old fence. You can admire the architectural monument only from the outside — there is an office of a large company inside, and they are not allowed to go there.

Cultural attractions and museums

Museum of Western and Oriental Art

The Museum of Western and Oriental Art is located in the Abaza Palace on Pushkinskaya Street. This is a rich collection of European porcelain, ceramics and jewelry. The art gallery presents paintings by Caravaggio, Khals, Strozzi, as well as works by Tibetan, Japanese, Indian artists.

Opera theatre

The architectural masterpiece was erected according to the project of Thomas de Toman in 1887. A two-story building with a wide dome in the Viennese Baroque style is the decoration of Odessa and is printed on city postcards. Inside you can see paintings, stucco with gilding, statues.

Isadora Duncan danced on the stage of this theater, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky conducted, Fyodor Chaliapin sang. The auditorium of the Odessa Opera House has amazing acoustics, providing maximum audibility in the farthest corners.

Museum of Numismatics

This is the first Ukrainian museum covering the history of the coinage from antiquity to the present day. Its funds contain coins minted in ancient Scythia, the Bosporan kingdom, and the Russian Empire.

Employees maintain contact with foreign museums and are engaged in research work, thanks to which the collection of coins is constantly replenished.

Novikov Palace

In the center of Odessa, next to the City Garden, stands the palace of the merchant Ilya Novikov, the owner of the rope factory. The house was built in the late Renaissance style, which has Italian touches. After the restoration, the interior decoration of the rooms was completely restored. Now there is a local history museum.

Tourists are shown expositions:

• «Old Odessa»;
• «Culture of Odessa»;
• «Twin Cities».

In the courtyard there is a bronze bust of Catherine II and ancient tools.

The Wax Museum

Near the Opera House there is a Wax Museum of Baba Ooty, opened in 1998. The permanent exhibition includes statues of famous people from different eras. Visitors can see here the figures of the founders of Odessa, writers, poets, singers.

• Copies of Catherine II, Boris Godunov, Emelyan Pugachev await guests in the Tsar’s Hall.
• In «Hollywood» wax sculptures of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Angelina Jolie are squeezed out.
• The «Children’s Room» contains fairy-tale characters: Shrek, Batman, pirates of the Caribbean.

In the museum, you can make your own wax figurine and take pictures with the exhibits.

Museum of Interesting Science

This is the first interactive museum in the south of the country. It contains 8 expositions dedicated to science. All exhibits can be touched, turned on, taken apart. The museum was created to familiarize people with chemistry, physics, astronomy, and biology.

Adults and children can study the processes taking place in the body, admire the starry sky, and conduct various experiments here.

Notable monuments and buildings

Vorontsov colonnade

The symbol of Odessa is the white rotunda, which rises in the historical center of the city on Primorsky Boulevard. It is part of the Vorontsov estate. The colonnade, made in the style of the Tuscan order, consists of two rows of 10 columns, mounted on a stepped plinth.

It was built on a hill with a gorgeous view of the sea coast, port and surroundings.

The Potemkin Stairs

The architectural monument was erected in the 19th century by order of Count M.S. Vorontsov as a link between the sea and the city. Staircase designed by F.K. Boffo, consists of 10 spans and 192 steps. A two-meter-thick parapet is installed on both sides of it.

From above, a gorgeous view of the Odessa Bay and the sea harbor opens. It is easy to go down the wide staircase from the monument to Duc de Reschilie to Primorskaya Street. A funicular has been built nearby for everyone.

Teschin bridge

A pedestrian bridge 10 meters long connects Primorsky Boulevard and M. Zhvanetsky Boulevard. Reception This reinforced concrete structure does not have intermediate supports — if you stand a little in one place, you can feel how it vibrates slightly. Newlyweds have a tradition: to come to this bridge and take pictures.

Until recently, each couple tried to attach a “lock of happiness” to the fence. But when there were too many of them, Teschin’s bridge began to collapse. As an alternative, a heart-shaped installation was installed nearby, on which the lovers began to hang their lucky locks.

Monument to the orange

A bronze monument depicting an orange with a figure of Emperor Paul I and a trio of horses stands on Zhvanetsky Boulevard. The composition is set in the center of a small area paved with paving stones and tells about a significant historical event.

In 1800, funding for the construction of the port was discontinued. To appease Paul I, the inhabitants of Odessa sent him 3,000 oranges. This helped restore the emperor’s loyalty and saved the port. In memory of this, the city cast such an unusual monument, spending about 1000 kg of bronze on it.

Parks and entertainment

city ​​garden

The park, founded in 1803, is located on Deribasovskaya Street and is a real open-air museum.

Famous Odessa monuments are installed here:

• Leonid Utyosov;
• Kise Vorobyaninov;
• the twelfth chair;
• Ostap Bender.

After reconstruction in 2007, a musical fountain, a rotunda, new flower beds and a granite chessboard with full-length figures appeared in the garden.

Shevchenko Park

Shevchenko park is located on Marazlievskaya street. At the main entrance on a high pedestal stands a monument to the poet. There are always a lot of people on shady alleys. People come to ride bicycles, go in for sports, have fun on the rides in the amusement park.

Swings for every taste are installed here: roller coasters, a 45-meter high Ferris wheel, electric cars and boats.

Beach «Otrada»

The easiest way to get to Otrada beach is by cable car from the upper station on French Boulevard. During the trip, you will see a magnificent panorama of the city. In summer, relaxing on a clean, well-maintained beach guarantees a lot of positive emotions.

There are water rides for adults and children, cozy cafes, sun loungers. Music plays on the seashore, people have fun and dance until late at night.

Rope park

In the Victory Park there is a complex of attractions for outdoor activities. An obstacle course was created from nets, ropes and logs, rising to a height of more than 2 meters. You can spend the whole day there climbing ropes and conquering easy or difficult routes.

Visitors can fly on a bungee over the pond, go rock climbing, jump from a height on a dynamic rope.

Dolphinarium

Dolphinarium «Nemo» is open on Lanzheron beach. It operates all year round, regardless of weather conditions. Having bought tickets, people get to a fascinating show with the participation of friendly dolphins, fur seals and beluga whales.

A course of dolphin therapy is available for a fee. An oceanarium operates on the territory of the complex — about 200 species of marine life and reptiles live in its aquariums.

Interesting places

Deribasovskaya

Deribasovskaya street is the heart of Odessa. The best restaurants, cafes and shops are concentrated here. It is pleasant to walk along the cobbled pavement at any time of the year. At the beginning of the street, guests are greeted by a monument to De Ribas, a famous architect and founder of the city.

Near the City Garden stands a statue of the famous pilot Alexander Utochkin. On a small round platform you can see the bronze 12th chair from the novel by Ilf and Petrov. It is believed that if you sit on it and make a wish, it will surely come true.

Seaside boulevard

This is one of the central streets of the city. Tourists and locals love to walk along the pavement lined with paving slabs and stones. Huge chestnuts, lindens, oaks grow along the boulevard, benches and hexagonal lanterns are installed.

Palaces lined up on both sides of the street accompany travelers to the very Central Square, where the monument to Duke rises. The duke, cast in bronze, stands on a marble pedestal, on which there are bas-reliefs on the theme of justice, agriculture and trade.

Duma Square

This small square is a symbolic place for Odessa. The city hall is located here. The building, built almost 200 years ago, is decorated with white columns and statues. On top of it is a round clock.

Every half an hour, the mechanism sounds a melody from Dunayevsky’s opera «Odessa, my native city.»

Avenue of Stars

On Lanzheronovskaya Street, you can see an interesting attraction — the Avenue of Stars, dedicated to the residents of the city. It appeared in 2014 and quickly became popular among tourists. The list of stars immortalized on the pavement is constantly updated.

Among famous personalities: Kira Muratova, Mikhail Zhvanetsky, Anna Akhmatova, Lyudmila Ginzburg.

Bringing

Privoz is a popular attraction in South Palmyra. The oldest market in the city was founded in 1828. At first, imported goods were traded there from ordinary carts and wagons, then special buildings and shopping arcades were built.

Today Privoz is a huge modern market where you can buy absolutely everything. There is always the freshest products at affordable prices.