2 Best Sights in Ukraine

These extensive ruins are all that remain of the ancient Greek colony that was built around 422 BC, when the area was known as Taurica by the Greeks. The city was surrounded by a long defensive wall and a series of towers, the remains of which can still be seen. A characteristic feature was a grid of streets. The first excavations were begun here in 1827. In addition to the ruins themselves, you can visit the museum. The famous "Foggy Bell" that was erected here in 1776 was cast from a melted German cannon to warn ships of dangerous conditions during bouts of bad visibility. The French took the bell (along with all the other bells of Sevastopol) after Russia's defeat in the Crimean War, and it ended up in the belfry of Notre-Dame de Paris, where it hung until 1913, when Russian diplomats secured its return to Chersonesos.

Kherson's best-known historic structure, the Ochakovsky (or Western) Gate is one of the few remaining features of the Kherson Fortress, much of which was destroyed in 1921. Dating back to the late 18th century, this imposing gate once served as the main entryway to the city, and while the surrounding walls are now mostly in ruins, there is a small placard (in English) detailing what the fortress looked like back in its 1792 heyday.