Visit Kharkiv

The Habsburg 'little Vienna' of Bukovina, with a UNESCO university that was once the Metropolitan's residence.

Visit Lviv, a historic city in western Ukraine. Explore the UNESCO-listed Old Town with its cobblestone streets and landmarks like Rynok Square (central market square with Renaissance and Baroque townhouses) and the Latin Cathedral (Gothic church dating to the 14th century). Sample local specialties such as Lviv coffee (served in atmospheric cafes) and try Lviv syrnyky (cheese pancakes).

Visit Odessa, a historic port city on the Black Sea in Ukraine. Walk the iconic Potemkin Stairs (192 steps leading to the seaport, featured in Sergei Eisenstein's film Battleship Potemkin), explore the Odessa Catacombs (over 2,500 km of tunnels, one of the largest networks in the world), and relax at the Arcadia Beach (popular seaside district with nightlife and entertainment).

A medieval fortress on a rock in a canyon of the Smotrych river, the most dramatic castle in Ukraine.

The cherry-blossom capital of Transcarpathia, a castle and Europe’s longest linden alley along the Uzh.

Visit Zalipie, a village in southern Poland known as the 'Painted Village' for its tradition of decorating houses with colorful floral motifs. See the House of the Women Painters (Dom Malarek), a museum showcasing the art and history of the custom, admire the painted church of St. Joseph, and explore the annual Painted Cottage Competition held in June, where residents compete for the most beautiful decorations.

The "Florence of the South" — honey-coloured Baroque churches carved from soft Lecce stone

Visit Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Explore the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (a historic Orthodox Christian monastery with underground caves and golden-domed churches), walk along Khreshchatyk Street (the main boulevard with Soviet-era architecture and Independence Square), see the Motherland Monument (a 62-meter tall steel statue commemorating World War II), and try traditional dishes like borscht (beetroot soup) and varenyky (dumplings).