Kherson
Kherson (Ukrainian and Russian: Херсо́н) is a major sea harbour town in Southern Ukraine. It sits in the river delta of the Dniepr river, where it mounts into the Black Sea.
| Note: Much of the information below has not been updated since the city was occupied by Russian troops, and recovered by the Ukrainian army. | |
| (Information last updated 12 Nov 2022) |
Understand
About 350,000 people live in Kherson, many of whom work in the extensive ship-building industry and harbour activities. Although Ukrainian is the official language, the main language spoken in Kherson is Russian.
Get in
By plane
The Kherson International Airport (KHE IATA) was destroyed by a Russian missile attack in 2022, and has not been rebuilt as of Dec 2023.
By train
Kherson railway station is located in the city center and is easily accessible by public transport. Railway connection was restored after city liberation in November 2022. There are scheduled trains from Kyiv and Lviv.
For travel from/to Kherson by train, be sure to buy tickets in advance. All train tickets - inscribed, while boarding the train need to show your ID. The national train company is state-owned Ukrainian Railways "Укрзалізниця/Ukrzaliznytsya". The tickets can be booked online. For more details see Ukraine page.
By bus
Central bus station (1 Polkovnyka Kedrovskogo st.; old street name: Budionogo st.) serves both domestic and international routes. There are buses from Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Moldova. Numerous bus routes connect Kherson with major Ukrainian cities as well as Kherson region destinations. Frequent private owned shuttle buses to Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kahovka, Skadovsk, Zaliznyi Port can be found on the opposite site of bus station in from of gas station. Shuttle buses usually don't have fixed schedule and depart when full.
Suburban bus station (or Kherson-2; 22 Mayakovskogo st.) serves routes around Kherson region, including rural areas.
Get around
By public transport
Kherson has a convenient public transport system:
- 4 trolleybus routes
- 24 marshrutka routes
Single ride tickets in some trolleybuses cost 6 грн, others are free. Tickets in marshrutkas cost 6-8 грн.
Schedules are available on EasyWay and Google Maps.
By taxi
Taxi is the easiest way of getting around the city. Some popular taxi companies include:
See
- 🌍 St. Catherine's Cathedral. Built in the 1780s, this was one of the first churches to be established after the Russians gained control over so-called New Russia, following the Russo-Turkish war. The domed church is made of sandstone and was constructed by General Ivan Gannibal, an African protegé of Peter the Great and grandfather of famous poet Alexander Pushkin, supposedly after a design by architect Ivan Starov. It's the final resting place of Prince Grigory Potemkin, Empress Catherine's lover and military leader, who played a major role in that Russo-Turkish War. Parts of his remains were previously kept in a monastery in present-day Romania, however, and are now lost.
- 🌍 Stanislav Grand Canyon (Kherson mountains). An around 1 km long ridge, up to 55m deep, terminating in the Dnipro delta.
- 🌍 Khablovskyi lighthouse. An lighthouse from 1952, supposedly making unique sounds in windy weather.
Do
- 🌍 Stanislav Mountains. Trek the Dnipro coast near Stanislav, covered in clay cliffs.
Sleep
- Dilligence Hotel, 39, Gogolya / 17, Gyrskogo. This hotel is one of the best options in the city centre, with 18 well-appointed, air-conditioned rooms. The English speaking staff is friendly and the restaurant is worth a visit too. From 1,600 грн.
- Hotel Muscat, Sovetskaya Street 10, ☏ +380 552-424731. A nice boutique hotel with helpful staff and fairly good free wireless internet in all rooms. Some rooms are rather modern in decoration, while others are more classic in style. The rates depend on the type of room you want. From 2,200 грн.
Stay safe
See the warning on the Ukraine article for information about the security situation.