The city center was designed according to a classical plan with wide tree-lined streets, stretching south from Prymorsky boulevard. Early 19th century buildings, a shady promenade, a wonderful park spreading towards the sea & Potemkin Steps. The 193 steps, built between 1837 & 1841, descend from a statue of the Duc de Richelieu in a Roman Toga. At the eastern end a Pushkin statue & a British Tiger Gun, captured in 1854 during the Crimean campaign, stand before the pink-and-white colonnaded Odesa City Hall. At the western end of the boulevard is the Palace of Vorontsov – the residence of a former governor of the city built in 1826 in a classical style with surprising Arabic detailing on the interior. Another highlight of the city is Opera & Ballet Theater designed in the 1880s by Viennese architects Felner & Gelmer in the Habsburg Baroque of the day, with a number of Italian Renaissance features.
Tour duration : 3 h