Friday Walking Tour
After I rested a bit in the room, I headed to the meeting point of the free walking tour. When I was doing some research for my weekend trip, I stumbled across a page offering free walking tours (
http://freetours.kiev.ua/) and figured to give them a try. I opted for the 4pm one which covers Arch of Friendship, Mariyinskiy Palace, Dynamo Stadium, National Bank of Ukraine, House of the President, National Theatre and House with Chimeras. They last some 2.5hrs and are a great way to see the city.
The guide was at the meeting point already waiting with a flag. Shortly after I arrived the tour began. One thing that I learned quickly is that Kiev is quite hilly. There is plenty of walking and plenty of hills. But nonetheless it was a warm, sunny day and taking a long walk was welcome. We headed to the Friendship Arch which was quite spectacular and included a great view on the city.
Friendship Arch
View of the city
Next we proceed up the hill and over the Lover's Bridge to Mariyinskiy Palace. It has been under renovation for a long time and doesn't seem like its progressing. Next to it is the Supreme Council of Ukraine. Apparently quite a few fights break out during session. I guess they can't agree.
Mariyinskiy Palace
Supreme Council of Ukraine
We then headed to the National Bank, the House of the President and House with Chimeras. The architecture is quite amazing and plenty of details went into the buildings.
National Bank
House with Chimeras
House of the President
The tour finished back at the Independence Square and I headed back to the hotel where I met up with a few FTers in the lounge where we had a nice dinner and got to chat a bit. The next morning I planned a tour to Chernobyl, so it was a early night.