The Dnieper River

About the Dnieper
UNESCO Heritage Sites
Explore Ukraine on a Dnieper River Cruise

Ports-of-Call on the Dnieper River

Here you can find a list of some of the more common river cruise ports along the Dnieper River as it flows through Europe.  These may be the most common, but there may be others that can be found on select river cruises.  Your River Cruise Artist can provide you with the full itinerary and all ports for any river cruise that you may be interested in, on any river cruise operator. Explore the Dnieper River further and learn more about it’s ports-of-call.

Cherkassy

Ukraine

Cherkassy is a small city in central Ukraine and the capital of the Cherkassy Oblast or Province, as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Cherkasky Raion or district within the oblast. Cherkassy is the cultural, educational and industrial center of Cherkasky Oblast and Central Economical Region of Ukraine. Cherkassy has been known since the 13th century and played a great role in the history of Ukraine. Cherkassy was the home of the Cossacks who took part in Khmelnychchyna and Koliyivschyna, the Cossacks’ and peasants’ rebellions. The city is located on the right bank of Dnieper River about 124 miles south of the nation’s capital, Kiev and is often accessed by river cruisers on the Dnieper. In 2011 Cherkassy celebrated its 725th anniversary. Cherkassy is rich in museums, parks and historical architecture.

Dnipro

Urkaine

Dnipro is an industrial center of Ukraine that was a hub for the Soviet military industry. No foreigners were allowed to visit without official permission until the 1990s. As an industrial center still, it is generally well maintained and provides an interesting insight into real working life in Ukraine. Take a walk in the new European square and visit the beautifully painted town cathedral. A further walk down the main boulevard leads you to the military museum and The Monument of Glory with a beautiful view over the Dnieper river. There is also Historical Museum, Diorama “Battle for the Dnieper River (World War II)”, Shevchenko Park, and Potemkin Palace nearby to visit on your Dnieper River cruise.

Kaniv

Ukraine

Kaniv is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine that lies on the banks of the Dnieper River. Kaniv is one of the main inland river ports on the Dnieper with a small city population estimate of just 25,000. Kaniv is a historical town founded in the 11th century by Kyivan Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Kaniv is known today for the burial site of Taras Shevchenko, the great Ukrainian poet and artist. Later, in the 18th century Kaniv became a popular destination for senior Cossacks seeking to live out their days on the banks of the great Dnieper River and on the Chernecha Mountain. The mountain remains one of Kaniv’s most important places, attracting thousands of tourists to the city. Don’t miss the Assumption Cathedral, Taras Hill, the Motherland Monument, and the Hitriy Rynok (Tricky Market).

Kherson

Ukraine

The city of Kherson Ukraine is located in the south of Ukraine and is the administrative, industrial and cultural center of the Kherson region. With a population of about 300,000, Kherson sits on the high right bank of the Dnieper River, near its confluence with the Dnieper estuary of the Black Sea. Kherson was founded in 1778 by Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin by orders of Catherine the Great. The city was built on the site of a small fortress called Aleksanderschanz. The name Kherson is a contraction of Chersonesos, an ancient Greek colony founded approximately 2500 years ago in the southwestern part of Crimea. One of the first buildings in the Kherson Fort was the Church of St. Catherine where Potemkin was eventually buried. Be sure to visit the Church of St. Catherine, the Jewish community and cemetery, and the Adziogol Lighthouse on your river cruise from Kiev.

Kiev

Ukraine

Kiev or Kyiv is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, dating back to the 5th century, although settlements at this location existed much earlier. By the late 9th century, Kyiv had become the de facto capital of an emerging Eastern Slavic state. Between the 10th and early 13th centuries, the city reached its golden age as the capital of the first Ukrainian state known today as Kyivan Rus. In the middle of the 13th century, Kyivan Rus was overrun by the Mongols. Later that century it became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1569 the city was absorbed into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and in 1654 it was liberated from that Commonwealth by the Cossack, Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, who then promptly signed the city over to Russia. Kiev was under Russian or Soviet rule until 1991 when the fall of the Soviet Union allowed Kiev to once again be a grand European capital. Popular attractions in Kiev are the Chernobyl Museum, Khreshchatyk Street, Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, St. Sophia’s Cathedral and St. Michael’s golden-domed Monastery, among many others.

Kremenchuk

Ukraine

Kremenchuk is an important industrial city in central Ukraine that stands on the banks of the Dnieper River. Kremenchuk is the administrative center of the Kremenchuk Raion (district) in Poltava Oblast (province). Kremenchuk ‘s population is about 225,000 and continues to be of historic and industrial significance. Along with Svitlovodsk and Horishni Plavni, it creates an important urban industry and transportation hub. Founded in 1571 Kremenchuk suffered Nazi occupation during World War II and during the later-Soviet occupation was the headquarters for the 43rd Soviet Rocket Division. Don’t miss the mix of industrial, Renaissance and Soviet architecture amongst the squares and parks.

Odessa

Ukraine

Odessa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. This robust and modernizing city is a major seaport located on the northern shore of the Black Sea. It is the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of just over 1 million. The old town of Odessa is the most popular center for tourists to the city. Once the center for trade for the Russian Empire, Odessa was an intellectual and artistic center prior to the revolution and during the Soviet Union occupation. Much of the grandeur of the city is from the period before the Soviet occupation. Odessa suffered economic hardships following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 which have left portions of what was a magnificently wealthy city in a state of disrepair. But as the Ukraine becomes more entrenched in its independence and association with the European Union, the old city has been revived and is a clean, safe place for casual wandering along the wide tree lined avenues and open parks. Don’t miss the beautiful Opera and the main vibrant with people selling street goods and souvenirs.

Zaporozhye

Ukraine

Zaporozhye is the 6th largest city in Ukraine located in the southeast on the banks of the Dnieper River. Prior to 1921 the city was named Aleksandrovsk after a fortress that was part of the Dnieper Defense Line. After the Soviet occupation of Ukraine in 1921 the name was changed to Zaporizhzhia or Zaporozhye, after the historical region Zaporizhzhia. Zaporizhzhia means ‘beyond the rapids’ alluding to the rapids which used to exist on the Dnieper River prior to the construction of the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station in 1932. Khortytsia Island is the geographic center of Zaporozhye and is home to the historical and cultural museum Zaporizhian Sich.

Your Dnieper River Cruise Awaits!

Are you ready to start planning your Dnieper River Cruise Vacation Your Way? A River Cruise Artist at River Cruise Your Way is ready to be your vacation concierge. Contact us today at 1-800-259-7612 or use the form below and let us know when it is most convenient to call you, we will confirm via e-mail, and then reach out at the agreed upon time and date.