What to See and Do in Odessa, Ukraine

Walk on the pedestrian street Deribasivska situated at the very center of the city. Stretching almost 1 km, the street is full of cafes, various shops, and locals enjoying a nice day.

One of the cool things to do in Odessa is to explore those beautiful buildings.  As I already mentioned Odessa does look like a European city with gorgeous architecture. During its existence, lots of artists used to live here getting inspiration from the city’s unique and vibrant culture. Lots of streets are named after these famous people who contributed to the city’s development of any kind.

During our stay here, I found that the Opera House and the Passage hotel and shopping center were the most stunning of them all.

Odessa’s Opera House is the second biggest venue in the world after Milan’s La Scala. However, it should be noted that it is not the first Opera house of the city. Constructed in neo-baroque style, the theater opened in 1887. Its audience hall is decorated in French rococo style. The acoustics of the venue are so well engineered, that even a whisper on the stage is heard in any part of the hall.

Odessa Passage, located at Deribasivska Street, combines a hotel and boutique shops. Built in the 19th century, several sculptures adorn both the interior and exterior of the building, making it one of the most picturesque areas of the city.

Potemkin Steps is another architectural masterpiece of the city. Its 192 steps lead to the Odessa port. The reason why its considered an architectural masterpiece is that its design gives an optical illusion – when looked from the top, the stairs are not visible, but when you look from the bottom, all you see are the stairs.

If walking down 192 stairs scare you, there’s a small funicular you can ride both down and up.

The city does have dozens of various parks and recreational areas for you to relax and enjoy your stay here. City Garden is the oldest park in Odessa boult in 1803. Located at the Deribasivska Street it is frequently visited by many locals and tourists.

Here, you can see the summer theater of Odessa Orchestra, various sculptures, monuments, and pavilion.

Dedicated to the authors of the famous novel Twelve Chairs, the monument is located in the City Garden park. Opened in 1999, it’s one of the most popular spots to take pictures at.

While wandering through the streets of Odessa, you’ll notice some normal and some unusual statues scattered across the city. Thus, one of the fun things to do in Odessa is to hunt down those monuments and learn more about their history.

One of them is the monument to Orange. Yes, you read it right. The fruit that apparently saved the city. Situated at Zhvanestskii boulevard, the story behind the monument is as follows: at the end of the 18th century when the Russian Emperor Paul I cut off the funding for the completion of the seaport, locals started to send him tropical fruits to St. Petersburg in winter, which obviously did change his mind in the end.

If you are traveling to Odessa with your loved one, there’s a place where you can put locks to commemorate your eternal love. The Mother-in-Law bridge is a narrow pedestrian construction that connects two roads in the city. The origin of the name is debatable, but it has nothing to do with declaring your love to the mother-in-law as you might think.

One of the theories of the name is connected to the fact that the bridge is not a secure piece of architecture and sways vigorously during the strong winds or if several people jump on it. Therefore, many identify this shaking to the mother-in-law’s tongue.

As the bridge is poorly built, the government continually removes the locks that weigh down the bridge and built a large, metal heart at one of its ends.

This goes without saying that if you happen to be in Odessa during late spring and summer, to take an advantage and spend at least a day at one of its beaches.