Taras Shevchenko Park

Turn right out of Universytet metro, walk two minutes and you'll see the park across the road up a few steps. It's named after Taras Shevchenko, the Ukrainian poet, artist and writer whose name is on places all over the country, and it sits directly in front of Kyiv National University.

The statue of Shevchenko is the thing most people come for, and plenty of Kyivans will tell you it's the symbol of the modern city. St Volodymyr's Cathedral is five minutes away if you're carrying on from here.

What It's Like

This is a park for sitting in rather than walking round, and the size is the point - big enough not to feel like a traffic island, small enough that you can't get lost in it. There are fountains, wide walkways, tulips and beds of flowers, and refreshment stands nearby when it's hot.

The crowd is the best part. Students from the university take most of the benches, which is why you should grab one when you see it free. Older Kyivans come to read the paper, and there's usually chess going on in the south-west corner. Children's theatre groups rehearse here too, so expect noise on a good afternoon.

It's pleasant after dark in summer, when it's quieter and you can hear the birds over the traffic.

Opanas is right by the park if you want Ukrainian food, and it's one of the better places in the city for it. Milk Bar is a few minutes away if it's cake and coffee you're after instead.