Ukraine attracts more than 20 million foreign visitors every year. Visitors primarily come from Eastern Europe, but also from Western Europe, USA and Canada. The country is the 8th most popular tourism destination in the world.

Ukraine is a destination on the crossroads between central and Eastern Europe, between north and south. It borders Russia and is not far from Turkey. It has mountain ranges - the Carpathian Mountains suitable for skiing, hiking, fishing and hunting.

The coastline on the Black Sea is a popular summer destination for vacationers. Ukraine has vineyards where they produce native wines, ruins of ancient castles, historical parks, Orthodox and Catholic churches as well as a few mosques and synagogues.

The territory of Ukraine is mostly a level, treeless plain, calls "steppe". There are the Crimean Mountains in the Crimean peninsula and the Carpathians in the west, although not very high.

Mixed forests of pine and fir-trees, beeches, limes, oaks and elms cover the mountains, but the thickest woods can still be found in the northern part of the republic, in Volyn. Kiev and Cherkassy lie in the midst of Ukrainian southernmost pine forest.

The main Ukrainian river is the Dnieper

It is one of the longest European rivers and one of the republic's main source of hydroelectric power. The Dnieper and its tributary the Ross had been the cradle of the Ukrainian and Russian people since time immemorial.

The climate of the country is moderate. Winter is rather mild, with no severe frosts but with regular snowfalls everywhere except the south. The rivers and lakes freeze in winter. The average winter temperature varies -20 Centigrade in the north to -3-5 in the south. Summer is quite hot and dry, with occasional showers and thunderstorms.

Cities to visit

• Kiev (Kyiv) - The historical capital of Kievan Rus' and modern Ukraine on the river Dnieper. Ancient churches, broad boulevards, beautiful landscapes and a variety of cultural facilities make it fascinating destination.
• Lviv - old city in the west of country, with its medieval old town and unique architecture with Polish and Austrian influences. The top tourist destination in Ukraine, when it comes to architecture and culture.
• Odessa - a harbor city on the Black Sea with a mixture of different cultures, including Jewish, Armenian, German, and Greek cultures along with the native Ukrainian and Russian ones.
• Yalta - a health resort on Black Sea, where the peace conference took place.
• Sevastopol - a port city on the Black Sea coast of Crimean peninsula.
• Simferopol - the capital of Autonomous Republic of Crimea, on the Salhir River. It is a manufacturing, commercial, and transportation center located in a productive agricultural region.
• Chernihiv - medieval city with architectural monuments that chronicle the city’s history. At the outskirts of the modern city lie two ancient cave monasteries. The oldest church in the city and in the whole of Ukraine is the 5-domed Saviour Cathedral, commissioned in the early 1030s by Mstislav the Bold and completed several decades later by his brother.
• Kharkiv (Kharkov) - city's history started in the mid-17th century, when the kozaks created the Slobody settlements; and since then, the city has turned into one of the largest commercial and cultural centers in Ukraine with a population of over 1.7 million people
• Ivano-Frankivsk — western Ukrainin city that was recognized as the best city to live in Ukraine.
• Izmail - a historic town near the Danube river in the Odessa Oblast (province) of south-western Ukraine.
• Chernivtsi - the capital of Bukovina offers Balkan atmosphere and fine classical Habsburg architecture in Central-European style, as it was part of Austrian empire (prior to 1918).
• Uzhhorod - the capital of Transcarpathia, one of the oldest cities in Ukraine, attracts tourists because its location is close to the Carpathian Mountains.