Chernivtsi: little Vienna in Bukovina

Why visit Chernivtsi

Under the Habsburgs, Chernivtsi was a city of Germans, Jews, Ukrainians, Romanians and Poles, sometimes called little Vienna. The poet Paul Celan was born here, and the city's coffee houses, theatre and university reflect that cosmopolitan past. Today it is a relaxed university town with a lovely old centre, good food and very few foreign tourists.

Before you plan

Chernivtsi is one of the quietest major cities in Ukraine, but missiles and drones can reach any part of the country, and air alerts sound here as well. Most Western governments advise against all or all but essential travel to Ukraine. Read your government's advice and check your insurance before deciding.

Chernivtsi National University

The **Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans**, now **Chernivtsi National University**, is the city's great sight and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Designed by the Czech architect Josef Hlavka and finished in 1882, it is a fantasy of red brick, coloured roof tiles, courtyards and gardens, with a church and a richly painted Marble Hall. Guided visits run on many days; check at the gate.

The old town

**Olha Kobylianska Street** is the pedestrian heart of the city, lined with restored houses, cafés and street musicians. It leads to **Central Square** and the town hall. **Theatre Square** has the ornate **Drama Theatre**, designed by the Viennese architects who built opera houses across the empire, including Odesa's. Look up as you walk: many facades have beautiful details.

Jewish heritage

Before the Second World War, Jews made up a large share of the city's people. The former Temple, now a cinema, the **Jewish Cemetery** on Zelena Street and the small Museum of the History and Culture of Bukovinian Jews tell that story. The cemetery is one of the largest in the region and very peaceful.

Food and drink

Bukovinian cooking blends Ukrainian, Romanian and Austrian influences. Try mamalyga cornmeal porridge, holubtsi cabbage rolls, local cheeses and cakes that would not look out of place in Vienna. Cafés around Theatre Square and Kobylianska Street continue the old coffee house culture.

Beyond the city

The **Bukovinian Village Museum**, an open air museum of wooden houses and churches, is on the edge of town. **Khotyn Fortress** is about an hour away, and **Kamianets-Podilskyi** about two hours, making an excellent route. The huge **Kalynivskyi Market** is one of the biggest in the region.

Getting there and around

Trains connect Chernivtsi with Kyiv, Lviv and other cities, and buses cross to Suceava in Romania and to Moldova. The old town is compact and walkable, and app taxis are cheap.

When to go

May to October is the best time for walking the old town and visiting the university gardens. Early October brings the City Day celebrations, and winter has a gentle charm, with Christmas carols in the squares and the old Malanka New Year traditions celebrated in nearby villages in mid January, with costumes and masked processions. Many travellers combine Chernivtsi with a few days in the Carpathians or a crossing into Romania, which is close by.

Plan your route with the free trip planner, or continue to Kamianets-Podilskyi.