6. Kiev, Ukraine
Things to see: The Khreshchatyk Avenue is the heart of city life, always filled with locals. Then there is Saint Sophia Cathedral with its beautiful mosaics and 11th century frescoes. You could also visit the beautiful Pechersk Lavra Monastery, situated in on a hill overlooking the Dnieper River.
Trivia: The capital of Ukraine, located in the north of the country on the banks of the Dnieper River, is very cold in winter yet hot in summer. Ukrainian cuisine is among the best of Eastern Europe, with a particular local favourite being soups made with vegetables and meat. Also try the Kyvivsky cake, made with meringue and nuts, and ask for a Kvass, a sort of beer made with birch sap.
Useful information: Kiev has two airports, Zhulyany (8 km southwest of the center) and Boryspil (35 km east). The latter offers flights to Warsaw, Lviv, Donetsk and Kharkiv. The subway, the best way to get around he city, is open from 6am to midnight. Buses are not too reliable because traffic is quite heavy.
Where to celebrate: Maidan Nezalezhnosti is located in the city centre, with four big screens to watch the games. It’s open from 12pm to 1am. Other trendy places to go to are the Bar on 8 and Patipa Arena.
Stadium: Olympiyskiy Stadium, capacity 70,000 spectators.
Calendar:
- 11/06 Ukraine v Sweden
- 15/06 England v Sweden
- 19/06 France v Sweden
- 24/06 quarter finals
- 01/07 Euro 2012 final
Gdansk | Warsaw | Wroclaw | Poznan | Lviv | Kiev | Kharkiv | Donetsk
