Dnepropetrovsk, which recently changed its name to 'Dnipro', is the third largest city in Ukraine and is located in the east of the country.
Although it is not a city you fall in love with straight away, there is something inexplicably attractive about it. Strolling along the wide Dnieper River, you can feel the relaxed atmosphere with lots of street entertainment and couples in love, and on warm summer evenings it even feels a bit like the Mediterranean. Old, creaking streetcars and trolleybuses are still in service, even though they should be retired in a museum. On the downside, industry and the inevitable pollution and other ugliness can be seen right in the city centre, and on rainy days you have to do your best to keep your head up and not fall into a depressive mood and buy some cheap narcotics at the nearest supermarket to escape it.
Apart from the competitions, I can not think of any reason why a tourist from outside Ukraine should visit Dnipro. But for an adventurous soul fascinated by strange places, it might be worth a try, for example as a short stopover during a train ride from Kyiv to Odessa. English is not widely spoken, but people are willing to learn it. In short: as long as the weather is good, it's not a bad place to visit a long hair contest.
Update January 2024
Although tourists are still welcome and international trains run on time, Dnipro is no longer a safe place due to the unprovoked war in Ukraine, which was started by the Russian Federation on February 24, 2022.
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