Emerging from the airport in Kiev, visitors are greeted with highway signs displaying crimson petals enclosing a green football pitch - a football flower for Ukraine.
The capital is preparing to co-host - with Poland - the Uefa Euro 2012 championship, which starts on June 8, along with the droves of rowdy football fans who will come for the matches.
Whether you are a sports nut or businessman, Kiev has an array of attractions, from the high to the low.
The city's main square is in an urban valley, and it collects teenagers in mini-skirts, couples on dates and groups of Asian and Eastern European tourists. A white pillar rising above the cobblestone streets is topped by a gold-plated angel that is supposed to protect the city.
Overlooking the angel is probably the easiest hotel to find in Kiev, the Hotel Ukraine. A renovation completed last month has transformed an establishment once marked by a neon sign in the shape of a woman into one with a bright, airy lobby. As before the renovation, its hallways are patrolled by non-English-speaking matrons who have the double duty of dispensing keys and cleaning rooms.
The less adventurous can head to the Hyatt up the road, where perfectly made beds and free wireless await the tired traveller. For a higher tariff, the Hyatt will put you in a room with a view of Saint Sophia Cathedral.
Skip the expense and walk across the street to the cathedral's gates, which enclose plush lawns, pleasing brick walkways and a traditional Ukrainian art museum that occasionally hosts opera recitals.
A magnificent bell tower anchors the main gate, and round green domes cap off the cathedral. In the evening, the grounds are perfectly still except for the rumbling of cars bumping along the road outside.
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