Uzhgorod (formerly Ungar) is the southern gateway to the Ukrainian section of the Carpathian Mountains, and the main town of the Transcarpathian Region of Ukraine.
It lies four kilometers away from the Slovak border and 25 kilometers away from the Hungarian border.
Uzhgorod has existed since 903 A. D. Transcarpathia was in Hungary and then in Czechoslovakia.
Only at the end of the World War II Transcarpathia with Uzhgorod as its centre became a part of Ukraine.
The river Uzh runs from east to west across the city. Uzhgorod Castle in its present form was built in the 15th-16th centuries against the Turks.
The palace in the centre of the city houses the Tran Carpathian Museum of Local Lore.It has exhibitions on archaeology, the folk art and dress of the region.
The Museum shows great difference between the different ethnic groups.
Next to the Castle is the Tran Carpathian Museum of Popular Architecture and Life. Here you can see old wooden buildings, furniture, costumes and crafts. The most interesting place here is the wooden St Michael Church.
Not far from the castle is the main building of Uzhgorod University with the University Botanical Gardens down the street. The, gardens have exotic trees from Tibet.
The Uzhgorod Philharmonia building is the former synagogue. Behind the Philharmonia is a little railway run by children.
