Why go
A short distance on a map can involve a climb on the right bank, so terrain matters when combining sights. Understanding the riverbanks also explains the contrast between the older city, its wooded slopes and the large areas developed across the Dnipro during the twentieth century.
The full story
The Dnipro flows south through Kyiv towards the Black Sea. Its right bank is the western bank, where the older city occupies part of the Dnipro Upland. Wooded hills, ravines and smaller waterways break up this side of the city; the riverfront and hilltops are distinct levels rather than one flat sightseeing area. The left bank lies to the east on the river’s lowland plain. Kyiv expanded substantially onto this side during the twentieth century. Some land was raised with deposited sand and protected by dams, helping explain the different form of development across the water. Within Kyiv, the Dnipro branches around islands and harbours. The Desna meets the wider river system to the north, near the Kyiv Reservoir; the Kaniv Reservoir lies to the south. These waterways explain the city’s broad waterfront landscape. Lakes, islands and riverbanks do not by themselves establish that a particular spot is suitable for swimming.