Kiev, Ukraine

Joel Bond:This secret restaurant is as entertaining as it is delicious. Themed around Ukrainian freedom and resistance to occupation, this part-museum, part-restaurant is accessible only via a secret code word to the bar staff before entering though the secret passage in the wall behind the vestibule. The food is all Ukrainian sourced, and the quality is of the highest standard. Worth your visit, and ask for a tour before sitting down to eat!

Joel Bond:A walled complex of churches and holy sites overlooking the Dnieper river, the Orthodox style is unrestrained in the gilded domes and icon-covered interiors. A community of monks originally lived in caves under the complex -- which are visited by pilgrims to this day. Priests still perform duties in the complex, and you may catch site of them performing baptisms and blessings on the pilgrim visitors.

Joel Bond:Taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York City, this Soviet-era icon proudly perches atop the Lavra Hills near the Kiev Pechersk monastery complex and the WWII open-air museum.

Joel Bond:Contested as the deepest metro station in the world, locals joke that men need to shave twice before work just on the escalator journey down.

Joel Bond:A beautiful view of the arch and the river from the park, this cold steel archway is meant to represent the friendship between Ukraine and Russia... however, locals often joke that the relationship is as cold and hard as steel. Judge for yourself.

Joel Bond:Gorgeous inside and out, this church is known for being the seat of progressive liberalism in the Ukrainian orthodox tradition. Note the complete lack of seating inside.

Joel Bond:Sobering but beautifully designed monument to the victims of the genocidal famines in Ukraine during the 1950s. The candle of hope surrounded by the iron crosses is moving just in visual appeal. Entrance to the museum is via the scar-shaped cutaway in the ground.

Joel Bond:Decently priced refuelling stop between the motherland monument and the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Some variety of local and international cuisine on the menu; though nothing to get overly excited about. Check out the dessert displays, though, if you've craving something sweet.