Stand on Olha Kobylyanska Street in the late afternoon and the city shows you its hand: pastel facades, a slow tram of pedestrians, and the German House holding its ground among the cafes. Chernivtsi rewards walking, and most of what you will want to see sits inside the historical centre, much of it a pedestrian zone.
The city suits travellers who like architecture, layered history and a compact old town they can cross on foot in a day. It is a place of churches and squares, of a university complex that was once a governor's palace, and of a Jewish heritage that the city's museums and synagogues keep present.
1. Chernivtsi National University
The complex was built in the 19th century in historicist style and used to be the palace of the Governor of Bukovina; in 2011 the residence was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You can also visit its gardens and two churches.
Plan it for the afternoon, and allow time beyond the main buildings for the gardens and the churches on the same grounds.
2. Main (Central) Square Complex
At the corner of Universitetskaya and Glavnaya streets you find the town hall, the Museum of Arts, the Taras Shevchenko monument and the old post office. The downtown represents Central Square, Market Square, which was the heart of the city for almost two centuries, and the architectural ensemble began to emerge at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries.
Combine the square with the Museum of Arts, which sits on it near the town hall, so you see the ensemble and its collections in one stop.
3. Chernivtsi Museum of Arts
The museum exhibits local art from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as regional applied arts, and it stands on Central Square near the town hall.
Pair it with the Main (Central) Square Complex, since the two are on the same square and can be visited together.
4. Chernivtsi Museum of Bukovynian Jewish History and Culture
The museum invites you to make a trip through time and feel the atmosphere of Jewish life in Bukovina in 1774-1941. The exhibition reflects the foundation, expansion and latterly decline of the Jewish community in the area, with unique documents and materials, authentic objects of everyday life, exhibits of sacred objects, and the region's Jewish architectural heritage.
It stands on Theatre Square, so combine it with Theatre Square itself and the nearby streets of the centre.
5. Theatre Square
Theatre Square is one of the named complexes of the historical centre, and the Museum of Bukovynian Jewish History and Culture sits on it.
Use it as a base for the museum and for a slow look at the surrounding centre, which is largely pedestrian.
6. German House
The German House concentrated the cultural activities of the German-speaking inhabitants of the city, and although their number decreased significantly it is still active. It was built in 1908-1910, designed by architect G. Frich in partnership with engineer E. Müller, for funds collected by the Verein der christlichen Deutschen in der Bukowina.
It stands at 53 Olha Kobylyanska Street, so fold it into a walk along that street rather than treating it as a separate trip.
7. Holy Spirit Cathedral
Built on the initiative of Metropolitan Gakman E. in 1860 in the neo-Renaissance style, the cathedral has a monumental dome with a height of 46 m. It stands at 85 Holovna Street.
It sits on Holovna Street, so combine it with the other Holovna Street sights rather than crossing town for it alone.
8. Saint Cross Cathedral
Built in 1787-1814, rebuilt in 1814 on the personal order of the Austrian Emperor Joseph II after he visited the city, and reconstructed in 1910, this is one of the few Catholic churches which survived the Soviet era, with almost fully preserved interiors. It stands at 20 Holovna Street.
St. Anthony Church is next to it, so see the two together, and note the preserved interiors as the reason to go inside rather than just past.
9. St. Anthony Church
Part of the former Catholic monastery of the St. Urshuliia Leduhovska, it stands at 4/5 Beethoven Street in the centre, next to Saint Cross Cathedral.
Visit it in the same stop as Saint Cross Cathedral, since the two are adjacent.
10. Armenian Church
Built in 1869-75 and designed by the Czech architect Glavka, it has a remarkable acoustic hall used since 1992 for concerts. It stands at 30 Ukrainska Street.
If a concert is on, the hall itself is the reason to come; otherwise treat it as part of a walk through the centre.
11. Turetska Krynytsia Square Turkish Ensembles
In this part of town, just outside the city walls, lived the Turkish community in the 17th century. Near the old wooden well the Turks built a stone fountain, and since ancient times there was a city room which operated until Soviet times. Part of the square is a Turkish bridge built in the 19th century, and a wooden pavilion has been recovered, built in an Oriental style arcade over the fountain.
Come here for the square as a whole, including the bridge and the pavilion over the fountain, rather than for a single monument.
12. New Synagogue
The Mordko and Taubi Kron Synagogue, built in the late 19th century in neo-Romanesque style, is active. It stands at 10 Sadovskoho Street.
Pair it with the other synagogues of the centre, since several stand within the same part of town.
13. Synagogue Beit Biniamin Tfila
Built in 1923 and well preserved, it is of particular value for its internal painting by a local artist. From 1959 to 1994 it was the only functioning synagogue in the city. It stands at 53 Kobylytsi Lukyana Street.
Go inside for the painting, which is the reason this one stands out among the city's synagogues.
14. Choral Synagogue Beit Ares
Built in the early 20th century in the Moorish style, it was adapted for a gym in 1952. The building has now been restored and the facade has retained its old form. It stands at 8 Mitskevycha Street.
Look at the facade for the Moorish form, and combine it with the other synagogue sites in the centre.
15. St. Nicholas Church (Sagaydachnovo)
Built in 1607 in Bukovinian style, it is one of the earliest sites of wooden architecture in Bukovina, and it was restored in 1996. It stands at 87-a Sagaydachnovo 1st Lane.
This one is outside the tight centre, so give it its own slot rather than trying to squeeze it between central sights.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start in the historical centre at the Main (Central) Square Complex, taking in the town hall, the Taras Shevchenko monument and the old post office, then visit the Chernivtsi Museum of Arts on the same square. Walk from there to the German House at 53 Olha Kobylyanska Street.
On the way back through the centre, stop at Saint Cross Cathedral and St. Anthony Church on Holovna Street, and at Holy Spirit Cathedral at 85 Holovna Street.
Evening: Return to the centre for Theatre Square and the Chernivtsi Museum of Bukovynian Jewish History and Culture on it, then close the day around Turetska Krynytsia Square Turkish Ensembles, where the fountain, the Turkish bridge and the pavilion sit together.
Where are most of Chernivtsi's attractions?
Most of Chernivtsi's attractions are located within the historical centre, and some of the centre is a pedestrian zone. The old town is mainly of Baroque style.
When is the best time to visit Chernivtsi National University?
It also notes that you can visit its gardens and two churches, so allow time for those as well as the buildings.
Which churches can I see close together?
St. Anthony Church is next to Saint Cross Cathedral, and both are in the centre. Holy Spirit Cathedral is also on Holovna Street, so the three fit into one walk.
Can I visit a synagogue in Chernivtsi?
Yes. The New Synagogue is active, and Synagogue Beit Biniamin Tfila is well preserved and noted for its internal painting by a local artist.
Pick your dates, book your travel to Chernivtsi, and let the old town's squares and streets set the pace of the trip.