Where to stay

The Shevchenkivs'kyi District is perhaps the best neighborhood for a historic Kiev experience. Here you can explore museums and galleries as you listen to the tolling bells from surrounding Orthodox churches. From a hotel in Podilskyj, one of the city's oldest areas, you can ramble down narrow streets with historic buildings housing trendy new cafés, bars and restaurants. Stay near a delightful park and the final resting place of Ukraine's most famous sons and daughters in the post-industrial Solomyanskyj neighborhood.

With the Dnieper River flowing by and the countryside not too far away, Kiev is a surprisingly ideal destination to get outdoors. Experience all that the Dnieper has to offer by staying in the Dniprovs'kyi District, where some hotels have ice diving in the winter months. Alternatively, Obolonskyi boasts a quay with a lovely pedestrian path, and also a golf course. Lush, grassy areas are accessible from accommodation in Sviatoshyn, a neighborhood packed with pre-Soviet summer villas, parks, and museums. Even in the center of the city, the Darnytskyi District has many reservoirs and green spaces within walking distance of most hotels.

Get immersed in contemporary cinema and literature in the central Pechers'kyi District. Alternatively, nestled in between Kiev's two biggest neighborhoods, the small area of Bessarabka boasts a collection of remarkable Art Nouveau buildings, a famous market, and some trendy accommodation. For a family-friendly cultural experience, book a room in Holosiivskyj. This area has a wealth of monuments and parks as well as easy access to transportation for discovering even more of Kiev's hidden treasures.