Odessa : A City With Plethora of Historical Landmarks and Architectures

Odessa is a gorgeous and quaint city in Ukraine that boasts of its stunning architecture and brings around travelers from across the globe. The port city is located along the Black Sea and is towards the Southern Ukraine. The colossal architecture set from the 19th century and pristine beaches around the city makes it an idyllic terrain with marvelous landscapes all around. Odessa is a youthful and energetic city that has followed its own rules with a strikingly interesting history and is famously also known as the Gateway to Europe. Here are the 10 ten things to do in the city:

1. Odessa Opera House

It is shame being in Odessa and not visiting this amazing place. The marvelous and exquisite architecture makes it one of the most beautiful in Europe and it originally was finished in the year 1810. Later it was burnt in 1873 and now it reflects it Viennese Barocco style of architecture which was renovated in 2007. The building set in 19th century displays its baroque style through the gorgeous architecture. The music and theater inside the opera house is a masterpiece program performed inside it.

2. Faltz-Fein House

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This is also known as the House with the Atlanteans and is one of the major sight-seeing places in Odessa with its elegant architecture. It is one of the most symbolic architecture in the city and attracts one with the massive sculptures on the doors. The sculpture resembles two giant men supporting the globe on their back and which is angled at an axis on the globe. The architecture was designed by architect LL Vlodekom and is slightly inspired from Netherlands style of architecture and is set from 14th century.

3. Secrets of Underground Odessa Museum

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This is one of a kind of museum which is located underground and there are a lot of historical things to witness. There is an anti-nuclear bunker from wartime, one can also walk through the water flood part and take a trip to the unique underground catacombs. There are a lot of things on display that makes the trip to this museum interesting and unique. The concept of the museum is based on the war and things are all from the war era. This gives plethora of information about past and historical things.

4. Odessa Catacombs

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These are undoubtedly the world’s largest network of underground Catacombs which are located under the city of Odessa. They extend up to a length of around 2500 km and have lot of historical significance. The first appearance of the catacombs was in the 19th century and it was used by the local partisans in the World War II for hiding as it was used as labyrinths. The mysterious labyrinth is definitely a must visit and there are many guided tours available for exploring the catacombs.

5. Botanical Garden of ONU

This is a kind of countryside and relaxing place surrounded by lot of plants and flora that is perfect for a family outing. The botanical garden is spread across acres of land and makes it very interesting as there are some old buildings as well in the same premises. It is a mixture of wildness and well cared garden that rejuvenates your senses with the jungle kind of setting. It is perfect for a weekend outing with friends and family. The entry is extremely cheap which makes it even more worth.

6. Monument to the 12th Chair

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The 12th Chair monument is situated in one of the most amazing areas of Odessa which is Deribasovskaya Street and is a symbolic landmark. The statue of the 12th chair is dedicated to IIf and Petrov who are the authors of novel “Twelve Chairs” and is a photographic landmark. The monument was opened on 1st April in 1999 and is a little chair which is placed on a marble pedestal. The visitors can sit on the chair and take as many as pictures carrying back lot of memories.

7. Duke de Richelieu Monument

Duke de Richelieu was one of the most eminent personalities and has a major role in formation of the city of Odessa and its development. There is statue on the legendary Potemkim stairs and one of the most symbolic places in the city. The monument and the statue is a tribute to the legendary personality. The monument was designed by prominent Russian sculptor and it is an impressive statue with De Richelieu dressed in Roman toga along with a scroll in hand. There are a lot of coins, medallion etc. that is laid in the monument.

8. Paleontological Museum

Paleontological museum is one place stop destination for all interested in geology, paleontology and hydrogeology. There are number of new discoveries that have been unearthed from the ancient burials in Odessa that are now displayed now in the museum. In the beginning it was only about the history of the catacombs in the year 1928 in the Karst caves. With time the remains and fossils of many organisms were found out. In 1935 the scheduled excavation of the Karst caves of Odessa begun.

9. Dniester Delta National Park

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The phenomenal beauty of the nature and wilderness in the Delta National Park is amazing and is must visit place in the city of Odessa. The national park is majorly a wet land and is home to number of endangered species which are included in the Red Data Books of Ukraine and Moldova. The experience of exploring the wildlife of the Dniester Delta National Park brings a lot of awareness about the nature and its surroundings. There are a lot of things to spread even awareness about nature conservation.

10. Lutheran St. Paul’s Cathedral

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The baroque church is an epitome of architectural bliss and excellence and holds a lot of significance in the history of Odessa. It has been vandalized many times and have been restored many times but the charm and glory of the church in invincible. It had been torched many times by communists. It has beautiful and absolutely stunning facade with contemporary style of architecture and the interiors are neatly done.

◎ Closing

Odessa is a city full of gorgeous architectures and historical landmarks that depicts a story at every corner. It is definitely a city to be explored if you love history, stories, culture and wilderness of nature.