Uzhhorod

Uzhhorod sits on the Uzh where the Carpathians run out onto the Hungarian plain, and it has been Hungarian, Czechoslovak and Ukrainian within a century, which shows in the architecture: a medieval castle on the hill, a Baroque cathedral, and whole streets of interwar Czechoslovak functionalism. Sakura cherries planted along the embankments flower in April and fill the city with people. An open-air museum of wooden buildings sits below the castle.

What you actually see

• The castle - a medieval fortress on the hill above the river, with a museum inside.
• The sakura blossom - cherry-lined embankments flowering through April.
• The skansen - relocated wooden houses and a church below the castle.
• The interwar quarter - Czechoslovak functionalist architecture across the river.

When to go

April is the blossom and the city's busiest and best week. May to October is comfortable generally. Winter is grey and quiet.

Honest expectations

The blossom lasts a week or two and the dates move; missing it is easy. Much of the interwar architecture is in poor repair. The castle museum is dated.

Nearby

Nevytske Castle is up the Uzh valley, and Mukachevo is east.