Ukraine

Ukraine rewards riders with five catalogued climbs that trade brute altitude for character, the highest cresting at 1005 metres. None reach hors catégorie, so this is a country for cyclists who love steady, honest gradients rather than lung-bursting extremes. The forested Carpathian corridors carry the marquee ascents, where each pass rolls over the shoulder of a green ridgeline and drops into the next quiet valley.

The standout names read like a tour of the country's high roads: Yablunytsia Pass, Volovets Pass, Verecke Pass and Uzhok Pass thread the western uplands, while Baydar Gate offers a very different flavour further south. Together they make Ukraine an approachable destination for a first big mountain trip, with manageable elevation, varied scenery and a real sense of crossing between regions on every summit. Pack for changeable weather and enjoy the long, rewarding descents.