Boutique hotels in Ukraine

Ukraine is the largest country wholly in Europe, with a landscape that runs from Carpathian forest in the west to the Black Sea steppe in the south. Its cities hold some of the continent's finest architecture: baroque Lviv, golden-domed Kyiv and Habsburg-era Chernivtsi. This guide describes the places themselves; it is not a recommendation to travel now.

Good to know

Ukraine is in a state of war following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Many governments advise against all travel or against travel to large parts of the country, and air raids, missile strikes and disruption to transport occur. Check your government's official travel advice, entry rules and insurance cover before making any plans, and follow local official guidance.

Cities

Lviv's UNESCO-listed old town is a compact maze of baroque churches, coffeehouses and cellar bars. Kyiv, on the Dnipro river, has the 11th-century Saint Sophia Cathedral and the cave monastery of the Pechersk Lavra. Odesa is a Black Sea port with a grand staircase and opera house, and Chernivtsi has an ornate university complex that is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Mountains and countryside

Yaremche and Bukovel in the Carpathians are the main mountain bases, with waterfalls, wooden churches and the country's largest ski resort. Kamianets-Podilskyi has a fortress on a river canyon, Uzhhorod is a small border town with a castle, and the Shatsk Lakes are a quiet national park of clear lakes and pine forest in the northwest.

When to go

When it is safe to travel again, the best seasons are May to June and September for the cities, and winter for skiing in the Carpathians.