Donets'k, Eastern Ukraine, Ukraine
ATM machines are available throughout the city and at some of those it is possible to choose currency: hryvna, dollars or euros; but best to have some cash with you for emeregency cases as it is easy to find exchange points - at any bank.There are theaters in the city, although language is of course a problem; same goes about movie theaters; it is possible to visit a few museums, the most interesting is Historical Museum (Krajevedchesky Musei) as it tells about the history of the region; there are restaurants mainly around the center of the city, but for the "spoiled" western traveler the choice is not so diverse; best suggestion for "real" local food (good quality and inexpensive) is to go to the small "restaurant" at the Krytyi Rynok (the market in the center), but best done around lunch time as this is the time when the main meal of the day is eaten;there is a 4-5 star hotel in the center Donbass Palace - it is very nice, but pricey; another one is Hotel Ukraine a bit further on the same street - Artjom street - it is good quality basic accomodation, but will get you through the night; there also many other hotels, mostly in the center or around train station;there is no need to bring too much with you as it is possible to buy almost everything - maybe not the exact brand you wish - in local stores and supermarkets; and the rpices are reasonable;public transportation works well, although it might take a it of investigation as to how it works: there are no readily available maps or guides; best os to aks a local to explain; there is no metro, but there are trams, trolley buses, busses, "marshrutka" - a cross between a bus and a taxi, and of course taxi is available and plenty; fastest and most convenient is taxi; to rent a car might be possible but this is still a novel service and I noticed this only at the airportthe best way to learn about the city is with help of locals; at first glance one might decide there is not that much to the city, but with someone who knows what to see and where to go and can supplement this with stories and explanations the city can be seen in a completely different lightwomen travellers should be in gerenral safe; it is of course best to be alert and not gullible, not to accept advances of complete strangers, etc. But I suppose these are universal rules, otherwise it is safe as there is no discrimination towards women
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