Stand on Lenin Square in the evening and you will see the city at its most ordinary and most itself: skateboarders looping across the paving, a stage going up for a concert, families drifting through on the way home. Simferopol is a transport hub and an administrative centre rather than a resort, and it does not perform for visitors.
That makes it a good fit for travellers who are passing through the peninsula, who are curious about the layers of Scythian, Crimean Tatar, Russian and Ukrainian history in one place, or who simply want a working city with a good market and a park to walk in. It suits people who are content to look around rather than be entertained.
1. Scythian Neapolis
The archaeological ruins of Scythian Neapolis sit on the outskirts of the present-day city. The settlement existed from the end of the 3rd century BC until the second half of the 3rd century AD and was the centre of the Crimean Scythian tribes, ruled by Skilurus and Palacus, who were probably buried at the local mausoleum. It was a city with a mixed Scythian-Greek population, strong defensive walls and large public buildings constructed using the orders of Greek architecture, and it was destroyed halfway through the 3rd century AD by the Goths.
This is the strongest single reason to give Simferopol more than a transfer. Because the ruins are on the edge of the city, plan them as a half-day rather than squeezing them between two other stops.
2. Central Market (Centralny Rynok)
Everything from fresh food to clothes to hardware is available here, which makes it the generally best place for shopping in the city. It is also where you can ask for a skidka, the Ukrainian word for a discount.
Come here when you want to stock up for a longer trip or pick up everyday things you have run out of. Pair it with a walk afterwards rather than treating it as a quick errand.
3. Kid's Park (Detskij Park)
A place where you can relax with the whole family, with a small amusement park including a Ferris wheel, and stalls selling cotton candy, popcorn and soda. The park is also home to the three giant oaks known as Hercules Tauris, which are 600 to 750 years old, with a trunk circumference of about 6 metres and a crown diameter of 30 metres. There are smaller 300 to 500-year-old oaks nearby.
The park sits at 57 Kirova Avenue by the Kuybyshevski market, and the zoo and aquarium are on the same premises, so you can see all three in one visit.
4. Zoo (Zoopark)
On the Kid's Park premises at 57 Kirova Avenue, the zoo holds more than 300 species of animal, including camels, deer, bears, wolves, jaguars, leopards, monkeys and bison. It is not up to Western standards, but it still entertains both children and adults.
You can buy cups of grain at the entrance to feed the animals. Since it shares its site with Kid's Park, it works best as part of the same outing.
5. Aquarium
Also on the Kid's Park premises, this is a small aquarium with about 10 species of turtles, 3 to 4 species of snakes, amphibians, fish and a few crocodiles.
It is a short stop rather than a destination in itself, so slot it in while you are already at the park and zoo.
6. Museum of Arts
At 35 Dolgorukovskaya Street, the museum consists of two exhibitions: one of local art, including paintings, drawings, sculptures and some photographs from the museum of Aachen, and a second on different subjects that changes every month.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00, so build it into a weekday or Saturday rather than a Monday.
7. Lenin Square
The only square in Simferopol, and by its own account it boasts about nothing much. In practice it is where skateboarders skate in the evenings, where live concerts happen on and off, where locals usher in the New Year, and where political parties campaign.
Come in the evening, when the square is in use, rather than at midday when there is little going on.
8. Train Station
A lovely building, and especially pleasant to leave the city from. It is a major railway station serving millions of tourists each year, and it is also the departure point for minibuses heading out of town.
If you are heading for the caves, this is where you catch the minibus to the end stop at Perevalnoe.
9. The caves
Around 17 km from the city, the caves are reached by taking a minibus from the railway station to the end stop at Perevalnoe, a journey of about 3 hours, then either walking 3 km to the Red Cave or taking a taxi 11 km up a nearby mountain to the Marble Cave, which was discovered in 1987.
A full tour takes 80 minutes. Shorter tours are cheaper, but the full one is well worth it. This is a full day out, so do not attempt it alongside anything else on this list.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Central Market (Centralny Rynok), where you can buy food and anything else you need, then walk to Kid's Park on Kirova Avenue and see the Hercules Tauris oaks. The zoo and aquarium are on the same premises, so visit them while you are there.
Afternoon: Go to the Museum of Arts on Dolgorukovskaya Street, which is open from 10:00 to 17:00 and closed on Mondays. If you would rather be outdoors, give the afternoon to Scythian Neapolis on the outskirts instead, since it needs more time than the museum.
Evening: Finish at Lenin Square, where skateboarders and concerts fill the space in the evening. If you are leaving the next day, the Train Station is a good last stop on the way out.
When is the Museum of Arts open?
Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00. It is closed on Mondays, so plan around that if your time in the city is short.
How do I get to the caves?
Take a minibus from the railway station to the end stop at Perevalnoe, about a 3-hour journey. From there you can either walk 3 km to the Red Cave or take a taxi 11 km up a nearby mountain to the Marble Cave. A full tour takes 80 minutes.
What can I do in Simferopol with children?
Kid's Park is the obvious choice, with a small amusement park and a Ferris wheel, plus the zoo and aquarium on the same premises at 57 Kirova Avenue. You can buy cups of grain at the zoo entrance to feed the animals.
What is the best season to visit?
Summer temperatures can range over 45 °C, so in hot weather take a stroll in the park, rehydrate often and use sun protection of SPF 30 or above. Winter temperatures can dip as low as -25 °C in late January and February; skiing at Ai Petri is a getaway from the town, and there is a skating rink in the centre.
Decide which of these fits your route through the peninsula, check the museum's opening days against your dates, and start building the trip around it.