Europe's Frontier: Moldova & Ukraine

Fly to Chisinau, transfer to hotel.

This morning we set out on foot from our hotel for a walking tour of the
Moldovan capital. Although the city dates back to 1420, a huge earthquake in
1940 destroyed most of the historic centre, while WWII accounted for most of
what was left. Chisinau was then rebuilt in a Soviet-style, leaving a city
dominated by Brutalist buildings, but there are some quirky gems including
the now abandoned Winter Circus, Triumphal Arch and the bell tower of the
Nativity Cathedral. The central market is another highlight. First opened in
1825, it has been the centre of life in the city ever since. It's worth
braving the crowds for lovely fresh fruit, nuts and wine. 
Heading out of the city we stop for a traditional home-cooked lunch in a
small farmstead. From here we visit the beautiful, isolated hilltop Orhei
Monastery dating back to the 14th century. Our final stop before returning to
Chisinau is the Milestii Mici Winery, home to the largest wine cellar in the
world. Here we will drive down into the cellar in the tour bus, past hundreds
of barrels of the ‘holy drink’ as it’s known locally. We will try
several varieties of wine and learn about the fascinating history of oenology
in this far corner of Europe.

Our destination for today is one of Eastern Europe's strangest. Transnistria
is a self-declared republic occupying a narrow strip of land in the east of
Moldova. A microstate, it is officially only recognised by the people who
live there. Yet they have their own currency, postal service and border
force. The region harks back to the days of the USSR and is staunchly
pro-Russian, although it gets little financial support in return. There are
photo-worthy busts of Lenin all over the city. No trip to Moldova is complete
without seeing Transnistria.
In the late afternoon we transfer to Odessa on Ukraine's Black Sea Coast.
Journey time is about 2 hours however the border crossing between Moldova and
Ukraine may take some time. 

This morning we wake up in Odessa, Ukraine’s third largest city, on the
Black Sea coast. A warm water port, Odessa has had a short but turbulent
history. When founded in the 18th century Russia's Catherine the Great
invited immigrants from across Europe to come and make their fortune in
Odessa, thus creating a thriving multicultural city of Jews, Turks,
Armenians, Italians, Germans and Poles. With the outbreak of WWII this
population diversity would sadly be its downfall. In more recent times the
city has had its problems especially during the 2014 revolution, but now the
city is booming once again. Its beautiful tree-lined avenues and seaside
boulevards are a perfect place to relax and see a different side to Ukraine.
The ornate opera house and Potemkin Steps are architectural must-sees.

After a city tour, we enjoy free time, before boarding the overnight sleeper
train to Lviv.

We arrive early into Ukraine's cultural capital Lviv, stopping at our hotel
for breakfast and to store our luggage.  We will try to secure a number of
of day rooms so you can freshen up but please note this is not always
possible.  We then head out for a morning walking tour of this beautiful
city, before enjoying free time in the afternoon. We recommend climbing the
clock tower of the town hall for a panoramic view of the old town. 
Lviv's UNESCO listed old town easily competes with the likes of Krakow and
Vilnius in terms of charm and history. It's full of colourful townhouses,
fine churches, cobbled streets and cosy cafés. Ukrainian cultural identity
is stronger here than anywhere else in the country, but with a wonderful mix
of Polish, Jewish, Hungarian and even Armenian history thrown into the mix.
Lviv really is a delight and surprisingly untouched by mass tourism.

This morning we board the train to Kyiv (journey time 8hrs approx.),
Ukraine's mighty capital city and home to over 2.5 million people. The
Ukrainian capital seems to have hardly left the news in recent years, sadly
for all the wrong reasons, but its citizens are made of strong stuff and are
keen to show their beautiful city to the world. 
There will be some free time in the evening to enjoy the city or take dinner
on the capital's most famous street, Khreshchatyk.

This morning we enjoy a walking tour of Kyiv's main sights, including Maiden
Square, the site of the revolutions of 2004 and 2013. As well as St. Sofia
Cathedral and the Monastery of St. Michael Archangel. 

The afternoon is free for you to enjoy this fascinating city at your leisure.
You may choose to visit the Pechersk Lavra Monastery with its complex of
caves housing mummified nuns. While the National Museum of the History of
Ukraine in the Second World War gives you a macabre, Soviet perspective, it
also offers great views of the city. 

Our tour ends after breakfast. Alternatively, you may choose to stay another
day for a guided tour of Chernobyl and the abandoned town of Pripyat.

One of the most well-known events in Soviet history occurred at the
Chernobyl nuclear power plant, 130km north of Kyiv in April 1986. Here
reactor No.4 exploded, spreading lethal radiation, first over the town of
Pripyat and later large swathes of Europe. Many see this event as the
beginning of the end of support for the USSR in Ukraine.

This tour takes you to the heart of the exclusion zone; you will see the
power station and the abandoned town of Pripyat, frozen in time, like a scene
from an apocalyptic future. Our expert guide will lead you safely through the
area and tell the story of one of recent history’s most notorious
disasters. This is a long day leaving the hotel at about 08:30 and returning
to Kyiv at about 20:30, but certainly worth staying in Ukraine another day
for. (Details and prices are in the Money Matters section of the trip notes).