UK’s popular magazine for women ranks Ukraine as a top 10 best travel destination for 2012

You may be aware by now that this summer, Poland and Ukraine host the European Championship. And you’ll either be excited by this impending feast of football, or rolling your eyes with indifference. But modern football tournaments are far removed from the men-only image of European football in the Eighties. Huge fan zones spring up in city centres, with streets decked out in a rainbow of national colours. Not only that, but the last two tournaments I attended were notable for the amount of women tucking in, too. And, perhaps because of that, you’ll find strangers from all over the world actually talking to each other, and not just about the games. It’s most peculiar.
The England team are based in Krakow, in Poland, but all three of their group games are in Ukraine: two in Donetsk and one in Kiev. And as Kiev is hosting the final on 1 July, the buzz will continue here all summer. The Ukrainian capital comes alive when the sun glints on the golden domes of its churches. They have a rich history: the cathedral of St Sophia has mosaics and frescoes dating back to the 11th century, while the ancient mummified monks in the crypts of the Kiev Caves Monastery are just as memorable.
But don’t limit yourself to Kiev – Lviv is a beautiful place known as “the Florence of the East”. Its varied architecture, with renaissance, baroque, rococo and neoclassical styles all rubbing up next to each other, makes it a fascinating destination, and sitting with a coffee or beer in a town-square cafe, tucking into a bowl of borscht or nibbling on a pastry, while watching the world roll by, is a treat. In either city, you won’t need help finding somewhere to eat, drink or play.
Need to know: Euro 2012 runs from 8 June-1 July. The Ukrainians are a superstitious bunch – they consider yellow flowers to be bad luck, so never accept or give any when you’re in Kiev. And to really fit in, sit on your bags before you leave for the airport – it’s good luck, apparently.

10 best travel destinations for 2012