Odesa has been a sun, surf and relaxation destination for as long as anyone can remember…
... and you can find just about anything to do, whether relaxing or working up a sweat.
There are literally so many things to see and do, like taking in a world-class opera, strolling unusual museums, biking along the coast, or just wandering the crazy streets and neighborhoods full of secrets and spacious courtyards just begging you to explore.
Odesa is rich in original holidays and exciting festivals. Many of the events are of global significance and attract a heavy traffic of foreign tourists. Take a stroll through City Garden (Gorodskoy Sad), in the heart of the city, or wander about Shevchenko Park in central Odesa on the eastern side of the city center, home to the Chernomorets football stadium with a capacity of 34,164 and some great football matches and concerts taking place within its walls.
Also located in this park is the Green Theatre, where you can relax, rent a bike, enjoy a coffee and catch the occasional festival. During the summer months, The Odesa Film Festival also shows movies here.
Laughter, or to be more precise sharp-wittedness, is something of an everyday obsession in self-proclaimed humor capital Odesa. The giggles reach a crescendo at the annual 'Yumorina' comedy festival, which brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to Odesa from across the old USSR every April Fools' Day. Much of this reputation for originality and wit is tied in with the port city's famous Jewish connection, and the multitude of set-piece jokes involving the ubiquitous 'Rabinovych' and thousands of more convoluted Jewish anecdotes still enjoying huge popularity.
Take a stroll along Primorskiy Boulevard towards Potemkin Steps; the legendary staircase which saw a 1905 battle between mutinying sailors and forces loyal to the Czar. The clash was immortalized in Eisenstein's 1925 silent film, Battleship Potemkin. A quick walk up and down the steps will definitely hit your cardio goals for the day!
Istanbul Park had been opened on May 26, 2017, and became a popular recreation place for citizens and visitors almost overnight. Its opening was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of sister-city relations between Odesa and Istanbul and is one of the best green recreation areas in Odesa. There are many benches, flower beds, and perches to relax upon and people watch, and it's a great place for a picnic with friends and family.
Odesa is a cultural city with the highest concentration of things to do in Ukraine. This is a casual city where we take relaxation seriously. And while this free-spirited mentality has made Odesa a haven for misfits and swarms of tourists, whenever you are beyond stressed and are in need of some time to take a break and relax, the good news is Odesa offers plenty of de-stressing activities around the city for you to take advantage of.
