Overview
The best whirlwind tour of Odessa.
From your ship take a drive to Prymorsky boulevard. Its beauty lies in the early 19th century buildings, the shady promenade, the park tumbling towards the sea & the sweep of the Potemkin Steps. The 192 steps, built between 1837 & 1841, descend from a statue of the Duc de Richelieu in a Roman Toga. At the eastern end a Pushkin statue & a British Tiger Gun, captured in 1854 during the Crimean campaign, stand before the pink-and-white colonnaded Odessa City Hall.
Next to City Hall, you'll find the Archaeology Museum, which welcomes you for a guided visit. Museum was established in 1875, and was the first museum of its kind in the former Russian Empire. It houses archaeological finds from the region predominantly. The collection includes artefacts of different cultures, including ancient Greek, Scythian, and early Slavic.
As you leave the museum, find yourself near the world-famous Odessa Opera House to view the impressive building. Opera & Ballet Theater designed in the 1880s by Viennese architects Felner & Gelmer in the Habsburg Baroque of the day, with a number of Italian Renaissance features.
From the Opera House stroll to the famous Deribasovskaya Street – home to Odessa humor, and a street, keeping the special Odessa atmosphere.
Proceed to Spaso-Preobrazhensky (Transfiguration) Cathedral- the biggest Cathedral of Odessa – that has now been recreated after being detonated at 1936. This is the place where in November 10th, 2005 were reburried remains of Count Mikhail Vorontsov and his wife Elizaveta Vorontsova. Count Vorontsov was General Governor of Novorossia from 1823 till 1844. Territory of Novorossia included Odessa, Nikolaev, Kherson, Zaparozh`e, Donets regions and Crimea. With his activity closely connected prosperity of these territories: construction of railway, ports, docks, Potemkin steps, public libraries, archaeological excavations, first passenger-cargo line that connected Odessa and Crimea and many more.
From City Garden, we will travel along tree-lined Odessa streets to the Palace of Count Pototsky, housing Odessa Fine Arts Museum. Its maze of over 15 rooms on 2 floors has treasures, which run from 15th century icons onwards & includes works by Levitsky, Ayvazovsky and Repin.
Lunch and gratuities are not included.
Order of sites visited may vary.
Please note: Toilet facilities require a fee, usually no more than 50 cents. Also, restaurants charge in local currency. ATMs are widely spread.
Please note that the Fine Arts Museum is typically closed on Tuesdays. They will sometimes open it on a Tuesday, but in the event it is closed, you will be taken to an alternate museum.
Days offered: 7 days a week
Departures:- 09:00 AM, duration: 6 hours
