Kyiv is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and unique panoramic points allow you to see its entire grandeur and undulating terrain. The capital hides dozens of observation decks where you don't have to pay for admission, but which offer breathtaking views of the Dnipro River expanses, ancient Podil rooftops, and futuristic skyscrapers of the left bank in the rays of the evening sun. Your city has compiled a selection of the best observation locations.

Classics of Kyiv panoramas and romantic walks

An absolute and indisputable classic for city dwellers remains Volodymyrska Hill on Tryokhsviatytelska Street, 4. This platform offers a magnificent panorama of the Dnipro, Podil, Trukhaniv Island, and the capital's bridges. It's best to come here an hour before sunset when the city begins to light up with the first evening lights.

Literally nearby is the observation deck at the Arch of the Freedom of the Ukrainian People in Khreshchatyi Park - a favorite spot for professional photographers, offering an ideal view of Poshtova Square, Obolon, and the Havansky Bridge.

If you walk a little further, you can find yourself on the pedestrian-cyclist glass bridge, which has already become one of the main symbols of modern Kyiv and offers spectacular angles on the right-bank slopes.

For quiet evening dates, it is perfect Mariinsky Park on Hrushevskoho Street, 32, where the spots near the palace offer a cozy view of the river expanses.

Another spacious green area is Spivoche Pole (Singing Field) on Lavrska Street, 33, which combines landscape views with a large-scale perspective of the left-bank part of the city.

Mystical hills and secrets of ancient Podil

The true heart of historical Kyiv is Zamkova Hora (Castle Hill) on Andriyivskyy Descent, 22B. This high-rise dominant feature of Podil hides a bunch of cozy spots, which were completely cleared of bushes during community workdays: on the east of the mountain is the burial site of Bohdanivtsy soldiers with a cross in honor of the fighters of the First Ukrainian Regiment who died in 1917, on the south is an incredibly photogenic viewing platform with a view of St. Andrew's Church and Richard's Castle, and at the western end near the large cross and the walls of the Florivsky Monastery, views open up onto Vozdvyzhenka, Hlybochytska Street, and the domes of the St. Nicholas Cathedral of the Pokrovsky Monastery.

Besides Zamkova, there are several other protected heights around St. Andrew's Descent:

• St. Andrew's Mountain and its cozy Artists' Alley, where on equipped wooden bridges with benches one can spend hours looking at the Harbour Bridge and a slice of the river;
• St. Sophia's Mountain near the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, which offers a great perspective on the neighboring slopes and colorful houses below;
• Dytynka Mountain, where among the wild nature, a few secret windows remain for observing the central part of Vozdvyzhenka;
• Shchekavytsia Mountain on the street Lukyanivska, 4B — a legendary hill with a panorama of almost 270 degrees, where one can see Obolon, Troieshchyna, Podil, and the entire left bank, making it ideal for an evening picnic.

Secret Rooftops and Car Views

For those seeking exclusive and atypical angles, we've found several secret places. One of them is roofs of the former old mill on the street Spaska: the spot is private property, but if you arrange with the owners and overcome the steep external fire escape, you'll find an authentic courtyard of the mill district, a seminary, and a wonderful view of the Podil streets.

Drivers are advised to pay attention to the observation deck on Dnipro Descent, where people often come to watch the lights of the left bank right from their car's cabin.

If you want to escape the city crowds closer to the water, consider these locations:

• Natalka Park on Obolonska Embankment, where stone steps and lawns allow you to watch the sunset by the river itself;
• Trukhaniv Island, where it's worth walking along the route from the beginning of the pedestrian bridge along the beach line to the north to catch an amazing perspective of the right-bank cliffs and the domes of Kyiv churches.

At the same time, there are famous panoramic viewpoints in the capital that are currently paid or have partially lost their relevance.

For example, on Mount Uzdykhalnytsia behind Richard's Castle, almost nothing is visible anymore due to the overgrown tree crowns, so the city's funds for its improvement were wasted.

It is also worth remembering that you will have to pay for entry when visiting the Hryshko National Botanical Garden at Timiryazevska, 1 with its observation deck Chervonyi Dvir, when climbing the Great Lavra Bell Tower, the bell tower of St. Sophia Cathedral or the bell tower of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, as well as on the platform of a skyscraper on Valeriy Lobanovskyi Avenue, 4A and the Motherland Monument.