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Andre from Holland, 15-18 August 2008.
My stay was very well organized. And also i didnt had to worry about anyhting. I felt comfortable and at ease. I didnt worry about anything cause of the wonderful assistance and guidance of Karina. She is wonderful and in my opinion the best. Next time with a trip when beautyabroad comes to holland or I come to ukraine, i definitly will ask for Karina for guide. She is wonderful and very kind, very professional and speak english perfectly, much better then I do. I thank her very much for everything and I believe she deserves a bonus ;).
I am happy with how everything went. And am pleased with all the service of BA.com. My thanks and warm wishes to BA team and especially to Karina. I wish her strength in these hard times for her, cause of her relative that past away.
From a satisfied customer,
Andre
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This vivacious seaport on the Black Sea coast frolics in the good life round the clock. The extraordinary aura of Odessa is able to reveal talent, return the brilliance to ones eyes and a smile to ones lips. During the 200-year plus history of the city a lot of people have had a chance to check make this city their own. Eminent poets Alexander Pushkin, Allen Bosque, Lesya Ukrainka as well as the well-known painters Mykola Rerykh, Vasyl Kandinsky and famous doctor Pirogov and chemist Mendeleev - here is only a minor part of lucky people who happened to visit Odessa. And they were also the ones who fell in love with the city for the rest of their lives.
Odessa was founded in 1794 as a seaport that provided protection and guard of the southern borders of the Russian Empire. In order to contribute to the construction of the new city the energetic and brave representatives of various countries came to Odessa. Included among the pioneers, Ukrainians, Russians, French, English, Jews, Moldavians, Greeks, Bulgarians and many others. From this ethnic "cocktail" the original nationality of Odesites was born. The excellent sense of business peculiar to the Odesites and the favourable conditions of Porto-Franco (a free port regime) which attracted migrants and merchants from many European and Asian countries soon turned Odessa into one of the richest cities of the Russian Empire. In his time Mark Twain even cited the Odessa phenomenon as an example for big American cities.
Today Odessa is the biggest seaport as well as a prime historical and cultural treasure of Ukraine. The city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, maintains one of the best dynamics of economic development on a par with the capital Kiev. In show business and entertainment, the city has no equal in Ukraine. Theatres, concerts and rich museum collections will amaze aesthetes. A wide-range and variety of sports and recreational facilities, concentrated on the seacoast, with restaurants, casinos, and discos, are able to create a fairytale holiday atmosphere.
But among Odessa's biggest treasures is its inhabitants. The optimism of the Odesites coupled with their effervescent sense of humour has garnered the city a reputation as the capital of laughter. Annually, Odessa's festivals of humour, music and art inspire everyone with the energy of joy. And celebrating the days of the city, which begins in September, replenishes the stock of cheerfulness for the entire year.
The Odessa Art Museum
A rich collection of paintings ranging from medieval icons and classical art of the 18-19th centuries to the works of contemporary Odessa masters of realistic, modern and avant-garde. The most precious elements of the exposition are the pictures of I. Aivazovsky, I. Repin, O. Savrasov, M. Vrubel, and V. Serov. The museum is also famous for its excellent collection of the early 20th century paintings by M. Rerykh, V. Kandinsky, and Z. Serebryakova.
The Odessa Museum of Western and Oriental Art
Founded in 1923 on the basis of private collections, the Museum has got a luxurious exposition of Western European Art. It represents works by eminent masters from Italy, Holland, France and Flanders. Oriental Art, is represented by works from China, Japan, India, Mongolia and Tibet.
The Odessa Museum of Regional Studies
The museum's sections depict the originality of Odessa during different periods of history: "Old Odessa", "Odessa in the Second World War", "Odessa culture", "Multinational Odessa" and "Brother-cities".
The Odessa State Literature Museum
Odessa turned out to be far more than just a shelter for sailors and merchants as its founders had planned. The city rewarded the world with many famous writers and artists. In this museum you will get acquainted with rare documents and photos which tell about creative work and ties with Odessa of Ukrainian Russian, Polish, Jewish, Bulgarian and other writers (about 300 names).
The Odessa Archeological Museum
The museum keeps the biggest Ukrainian collection of archaeological discoveries of the Northern Black Sea region from Ancient Greek settlements Olvia, Tira, Pantikapey, Khersones. Collections of coins and medals from ancient Egypt, Byzantium, Greece and Rome are also worth attention.
The Numismatics Museum
In its exposition there are coins representing peoples that inhabited Ukraine from the ancient times to present day.
The Maritime museum
The museum is located in the house which used to be an English club in the early ХХ century. It was the favorite recreation place of aristocracy and successful businessmen. Nowadays the unique exposition of the museum is dedicated to the sea and seafarers, besides it contains over 120 thousand ship models.
Promenade along Odessa streets
 The streets of Odessa are a real portfolio of prime architecture. And the project according to which the city was built is considered to be the bright example of classicism town-planning.
The parade facade of Odessa is Prymorsky Boulevard - the favourite place of appointments and dates in Odessa. Shadowy platans bring the Boulevard its special charm. Perhaps this is the reason why these giants are so precious to the heart of every inhabitant of the city. People say that during the period of Gorbachev's "perestroika" city authorities made a decision to re-plan the Boulevard and to cut down the old platans. But Odesites saved the trees having circled them with a live ring.
It is impossible to get acquainted with Odessa in any way without seeing the splendid architectural ensembles of its antique streets Pushkinska, Lanzheronivska, Gogol, French Boulevard as well as the Theatre Square. Palaces that once belonged to former Odessa dwellers - Princes Gagariny, Count Pototsky, the landowner Abazi - will tell you in details about the life of the Russian nobility in early XIX century. The city's unique aura is created by the St. Elias Cathedral and St. Panteleimon's Church as well as the antique Assumption Monastery.
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The Potemkin Stairway
 Prymorsky Boulevard will lead you to the giant Potemkin Stairway. Their cascade composition reminds one of the breaking tides and consists of 10 landings and 192 steps. From the top of it, a grandiose panoramic view opens to the bay and the Sea Port. However, from this point you won't be able to see the steps themselves: it is a unique architectural decision that makes them optically invisible.
Recently, Odessa was visited by Silvester Stallone's mother Jacqueline who wanted to see her former motherland in order to make sure that the Potemkin Stairway is in proper order. Because here she is planning to shoot a remake after the legendary film by Sergey Eisenstein "The Battleship Potemkin". It's a long time ago since the film has become the world cinema classics and gained its glory as the first "colored" film in history. However, there was only one element in the film that was colored - the red revolutionary flag. The film director colored it himself with the special paint.
Apart from being a film shooting area, the Potemkin stairway turns to be the most democratic stage in Ukraine more and more often. The people's favourites, most popular actors as well as comic writers perform here. Also quite often the famous sight becomes a spot for conducting defiles. And in the evening the sky over the Stairway is lit by bright fireworks.
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Duke de Richelieu
The monument to the French Duke de Richelieu - is a symbol by which anyone is able to recognize Odessa at once. But in the heart of every Odessite the Bronze Duke (the way people gently call it) occupies a special place. As the founder and the first mayor of Odessa, the French citizen Armand Richelieu promoted the young city to European city standards. At that time all of Europe was discussing economic and cultural achievements of the city at the Black Sea coast. When in 1815 Richelieu obtained a position of the Prime Minister of France, all of Odessa was saw him off, as he journeyed to his motherland. And then the Odessa press wrote that eventually France was lucky with its ruler.
Odessa - In the world of music and theatre
 Once Odessa was visited by the most prominent musicians of the world such as Ferenz Liszt and great conductors such as Chaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rakhmaninov and other past masters of classical music, who gave brilliant concerts in the city opera. And it was no wonder as in the XIXth century that the stylish and prestigious paid visit to the Odessa Opera and Ballet Theatre. Built in 1809 according to the specifications of Viennese architects Fehlner and Helmer, the Odessa Opera Theatre is still among the five most beautiful theatres in Europe. The theatre auditorium will surprise you with its incredible luxury. Its unique acoustics allows every spectator to hear even whisper on stage. But you will be even more impressed by the acting technique of the performers on stage, which had once heard the voices of such world-famous coryphaei of opera singing as Fedor Shalyapin, Solomiya Krushelnytska, Titto Ruffo, Battistini, Geraldoni. Also the Odessa Opera House witnessed performances of the world's first ballet-dancer Anna Pavlova.
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Sailing in the sea
 An exciting voyage under sail -what can be more romantic?
The Black Sea pearl offers plenty of opportunities for pleasant rest along the seaside. Having chosen a modern yacht, you can either sail along the Odessa coast or visit the shores of the fabulous Crimean peninsula. There you can have a really good time fishing, or scuba-diving near a submerged submarine of the Second World War period. Marine depths here hide so much unknown treasures that it will be enough for many generations of submarine archaeologists to explore. After bathing in the open sea, get ready for some flavoured sturgeon fish-soup, pleasant music and a glass of wonderful sparkling wine from Odessa that will wait for you on board
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Odessa catacombs
In the city there is the most unique "Odessa metro" - hundreds of kilometres of underground labyrinths created during the period of the city construction over 200 years ago when stones used for building were extracted from mines. These are Odessa catacombs.
During the years of Nazi occupation there was the headquarters of partisan rebels. In the shade of the underground vault there is a museum, which guards the mysteries of the past. Here nothing has changed since the Second World War. You will find out about the severe school of survival that the Odessa anti-fascists had to go through and about their contribution in the city's liberation from the occupants.
However, today the catacombs have a more cheerful destination. Inventive Odesites adapted them for paintball games. If you are also partial to "colour hunting", then Odessa catacombs are an ideal place for you to feel yourself a real commandos.
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