Where to Stay in Kyiv, Misto Kyiv

What is Kyiv known for?

Its history runs deep. The old Upper Town keeps the great monuments of the city, among them Saint Sophia Cathedral and the ancient Golden Gate, while the long boulevard of Khreshchatyk runs through the modern centre below. The Dnieper divides Kyiv down the middle.

Churches, palaces, and museums crowd the hills above the Dnieper.

What are the main landmarks in Kyiv?

Kyiv holds many of the great monuments of Ukraine. Faith built the oldest of them. Saint Sophia Cathedral and Saint Andrew's Church crown the Upper Town, the ancient Golden Gate still marks the old wall, and Saint Volodymyr's Cathedral rises among the later churches of the city.

Palaces line the heights. The Mariinskyi Palace and the House with Chimaeras stand above the Dnieper, while the National Art Museum of Ukraine and the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv anchor the civic centre.

What is the history of Kyiv?

Kyiv traces its founding to around 482, on the hills above the Dnieper. The city is very old. It grew on the high right bank as a river town, and over the centuries it became the great centre of the lands along the Dnieper, its churches and gates rising above the water.

The river carried its trade. Saint Sophia Cathedral and the Golden Gate survive from those early centuries as the oldest monuments of Kyiv. Later ages added to the city.

Kyiv spread across both banks of the Dnieper. Grand cathedrals, palaces, and boulevards rose in the growing capital, among them Saint Volodymyr's Cathedral, the Mariinskyi Palace, and the long avenue of Khreshchatyk through the centre. Learning and art took root here.

The Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and the National Art Museum of Ukraine grew into national institutions, and the Independence Monument later rose in the heart of the city. In time Kyiv became the capital of Ukraine.

Where is Kyiv?

Kyiv lies in north-central Ukraine, straddling both banks of the Dnieper. The river divides the city. The high right bank rises in green hills and bluffs where the old Upper Town and Saint Sophia Cathedral stand, while the left bank spreads low and flat across the far side of the Dnieper.

Bridges tie the two together. Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine and the core of the Misto Kyiv region.

What is the climate of Kyiv?

Kyiv has a temperate, continental climate on the middle Dnieper. The Kyiv winter runs cold, with snow on the ground. Summers turn warm, sometimes hot, and the long spring and autumn bring changeable, often wet weather over the hills and the river banks of the city.

Snow lies through the cold months. The Dnieper cools the air in summer.

How do you get to Kyiv?

Kyiv is the main transport hub of Ukraine. Every route leads to the capital. Rail lines and highways converge on the city from across the country, the Kyiv Metro carries traffic beneath the streets, and the city's airports link the capital to the rest of Ukraine and abroad.

Trains reach the centre. From there, bridges and metro lines cross the Dnieper to both banks of Kyiv.