Traveling and Adventure

 Traveling Around Ukraine


Chernobyl Fair Ground
One activity that was highly encouraged while on ESC was traveling. Through traveling one gets to explore different parts of the country and experiences the culture in a more unfitted way. Learning how to use the public transport, communicating  in non verbal ways and eating new foods are just some of interesting things one will do during their  ESC.


Sophia's Catherdral Kyiv

The holy Trinity

When I frist arrived in Ukraine there were three cities that everyone kept mentioning as places to visit. These are what I will call the holy trinity because almost all voluntaries and tourist who visit Ukraine will go to one or more of these cities. They are Kyiv which is the capital of Ukraine and for most people the frist city they will see. Odessa which is a large port city on the black sea famous or infamous depending who you ask, for its beaches. Lastly, L'viv with its beautiful architecture, trendy cafe's and vibrant food culture. Out of three; Kyiv was by far my favourite to visit and seeing the st Sophia's Cathedral and Maidan Square left a lasting impression.     


    


When history Comes Alive

Castle Kamianets-Podilskys
As a person who loves studying history, Ukraine gives a real unique opportunity to explore many historical site as the countries is full of places were one can find sites or artefacts from ancient history, medieval, Renaissance and modern era. The most impressive of the many places I visited would have to be the two castles at Horton and Kamianets-Podilskyi. These medieval castles dominated the landscape round them and showed snap shot of what life looked like during the hay day of these castle. Not to mention learning about all the battles that happened around these castles as they projected the Polish-lithaimain commonwealth from Turkish invasion. 

Chernobyl Supermarkt

The second most impressive historical site I visited was Chernobyl. Visiting it was like stepping back in time and brings back a feeling to hard to describe with words. For anyone visiting Ukraine this is by far a once in life time experience you don't want to miss. 




Berdychiv Main Square

Small but unforgettable

Being based in Vinnytisa meant that during my ESC I had the opportunity to also travel in the surrounding area. Two place that stood out to me were the cities of Berdychiv and Bar. Even though it was minus ten when visiting Berdychiv, it was still an interesting city to visit as it used to be the Ukraine capital for the Jewish community and still has a intact Jewish cemetery. It is also the birth place of Joseph Conrad a famous british-polish novelist who wrote the book heart of darkness. 

Bar's Castle remains 

Bar was by far one of the most unique cities I visited in Ukraine and has its origins in Italy. The city was named after Bari a city in Southern Italian. Bar got its name after Bari because the bribe of than a Polish lord came from that City. Bar remained an important castle and saw many battles fought in the surrounding countryside. Today it is a quite town with many interesting churches, remains of the old castle and beautiful nature that creates a tranquil scene for an afternoon picnic.           

Chernihiv

The Double CC's 

The most Underestimated and most Beautiful places in Ukraine in my opinion are by far Chernihiv and the Carpathian Mountains with the surrendering area. These two place differently left me with my most positive memories from Ukraine. Chernihiv an Austrian built city screams the high culture found in cities like Vienna and other Austro-Hungrierain cities. The University, Nick named the harry potter university, leaves one in awe with its beautiful architecture and decorations a must see for all who ever visit Ukraine. 

Chernihiv University

The Carpathain mountains though small for people used to the Alps, Southern or Italian. Still left me with a nice country feel and when leaving the mountains one can only help but feel refreshed and relaxed. The  food in this region was not only the best in all Ukraine but was also very cheap. These two place will always have a special place in heart and I hope one day to visit them again. 



Study Room in Chernihiv University

To conclude, to any one doing ESC make sure you find the time to travel. For me this was by far one of the most meaningful things I did while in Ukraine. And to those who wish to vist Ukraine, You are in for a  treat as the country has much to show you that all people will find a great experience to come home with, even if its using the public transportation system as that is an adventure in its self.  

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