Capital City Capital City:Kiev Currency Currency:Hryvnia, UAH Language Language:Ukrainian, Russian Time Zone Time Zone:+2 GMT Dialling Code Dialling Code:+380 Religion Religion :Christianity Total Area Total Area:603,700 square kilometres

Tourist visas are not required for stays less than 90 days for visitors from the EU, USA and Canada. Australians and New Zealanders, on the other hand, can get visas a few hours after visiting a Ukranian consulate having received a letter of invitation from a lodging provider. Ukraine is a fairly welcoming and safe place for travellers however there has been a few racially motivated cases in the past concerning travellers of Asian and Afro-Caribbean descent. Take extra care on public transport to keep your belongings safe and secure particularly in the busy metro areas of Kyiv.

Medical facilities in Ukraine are not considered to be the best by any means. That said private clinics and hospitals do offer adequate care but take out comprehensive medical insurance cover before your travel. Drink only boiled or bottled water too.

Kiev Chernihiv Chernivtsi Dnipropetrovsk Donetsk Kharkiv Lviv Odessa Sevastopol

There are trains from Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Warsaw, Budapest, Bucharest and to Lviv or Kiev. There are trains from Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Warsaw, Budapest, Bucharest and to Lviv or Kiev. There are inexpensive direct bus services to Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk from Poland. They usually offer a budget level of comfort and cost about 90 to 100 hryvnia. There are inexpensive direct bus services to Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk from Poland. They usually offer a budget level of comfort and cost about 90 to 100 hryvnia.

Walking with bears Go hiking in the rugged Carpathian Mountains and you might just spot one of its brown furry residents. In winter, swap walking boots for skis and take to the slopes.

The kaZantip music festival, a techno and house extravaganza on Popovka's sandy beaches, attracts hedonists from all over the world. Fans of the Jonas Brothers might want to give it a miss.

Chernobyl - scene of a horrific nuclear disaster in is an eerie, thought- provoking place. Take a walk around the radioactive-dust- covered power plant and deserted city of Pripyat.

Odessa is heavy with history - it's where the sailors of Battleship Potemkin revolted in These days the plethora of outdoor seafront nightclubs means the gatherings are somewhat friendlier.