Odessa Walking Tour
The way Odessa lays out its streets, parks and avenues really makes a visitor feel cozy and comfortable. To move from one place to another is really like moving between rooms in a big and welcoming house. The architecture is intensely influenced by French and Italian styles with buildings bearing a seal of their famous western architectures.
The impressing Potyomkin Stairs featured in famous film Battleship Potyomkin, a mega awesome Odessa Opera House, fantastic monuments, parks and promenades will surprise even most experienced travellers. We will be happy to take our students around town for a pleasure getting to know Odessa more intimately!
Shabo Winery
Shabo is the name of an old wine grape growing valley near Odessa founded by ancient Greeks. The area has long enjoyed a reputation for delicious wines and fruit. You will have a nice tour of the vineyard, explore the King’s Cave Cellars, and take a break in the winery’s restaurants where you’ll taste samples and learn about the local tradition of winemaking.
Odessa Catacombs
A totally unreal place at the city’s outskirts where you’ll find a rock quarry and a network of tunnels that used to be the source of 90% of the building blocks for buildings in Odessa during the 19th-century construction boom. The limestone managed to provide architectural and stylistic coherency.
A three-level maze of tunnels spans out for nearly two thousand miles of underground streets, making it the largest underground labyrinth in the world. You will hear about role these abandoned mines have played in the city’s life. A refuge for shelter seekers, an operating space for pirates and smugglers of the past, chilling tales of the WWII heroes’ final stronghold, and much more!
Odessa architecture excursion
Odessa is proud to possess gorgeous architecture which attracts people from all over the world. It was built according to a plan not chaotically like many other cities. The city plan was rational and harmonic. Just like Saint Petersburg (called Northern Palmira), Odessa (Southern Palmira) developed its skyline under the supervision of French, German, Italian, Austrian, Russian and Ukrainian architects who built the city carefully in terms of Russian classicism, empire style and baroque.
We can write a lot about the beauty of Odessa but of course it’s better to see it with your own eyes. Our guide will tell you why this building is different from the next on of the same style.
Odessa old courtyards
The old courtyards of Odessa are architecturally unique … and so are their inhabitants. The neighbors may all be of different nationalities but nevertheless everyone is very friendly and welcoming. Most of these courtyards contain everything that a typical Odessa yard should have: a water tap (where babies and linen are washed), a place where one should go “to look at the moon” – a toilet, and a long jerry-rigged table. Once you’ve experienced living in such a place, it will remain one of your warmest and most unforgettable memories.
Most of our guides have their own stories about Odessa courtyards. And we are ready to share our memories with you and show you genuine city architecture that creates a unique Odessa atmosphere.
Odessa Criminal
The corner of Bogdana Hmelnitskogo and Zaporozhskaya street is the very heart of Moldovanka – a historical part of Odessa. All the famous outlaws of Odessa grew up here on the famous street Myasoedovskaya. One of the most popular criminals of Odessa, Michael Vinnitsky (known as Mishka Yaponchik), was born here. He was the prototype for Benya Krik – the main character of Isaak Babel's collection of short stories, The Odessa Tales.
He had his underground office called “Malina” on that corner. There is a pawn-shop there now. On the very same corner, there was the famous school for thieves, with its mannequins equipped with bells for future “artists” of the Privoz market to practice with.
There are many gangster stories about the criminal past of Odessa and its heroes, such as Sonka the Golden Hand, Gregory Kotovsky and many others. You will hear them during the excursion, along with Odessa anecdotes.
Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi fortress trip
A real traveler always dreams to see the places of ancient times. If that is you, you are welcome to Akkerman fortress in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi. It is one of the most ancient cities in Ukraine situated on the right bank of the Dniester Liman in Odessa region, in the historical region of Bessarabia. Its history starts in the 7th century BC when Greeks founded here their colony, Tira.
The city changed its names many times. The fortress was used as a defense against the Turks. However, in the 15th century, the Turks conquered and overtook the fortress. They gave it a new name Ak-kerman, a name that means "white stone." Now it is known as Белгород or a white city. In 1770 the fortress surrendered to the army of the Russian Emperor. The fortress invites you to share in the spirit of its history.
Vilkovo - The Ukrainian Venice
Vilkovo is Ukrainian town in the Odessa region also known as the Ukrainian Venice. There you can see the widest part of Danube, as well as its interconnected, narrow channels. There you can also find three harvests of strawberry and good wine, visit local fish and fruit markets. You will see that locals use boats more often than cars.
It’s hard to describe a trip to Vilkovo. It is a must see! And if you wish to stay for a night or two you are welcome to a wooden hotel on a small island where you can go fishing right on the balcony or you can take a boat and find a nice quiet place away from people. It is a perfect place to escape from the city.
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Dirk Schiffers
Peter Derkx
Luigi Varanese
Thijs Pieters