L'viv, L'viv region

L’viv is one of the most beautiful cities in Ukraine, where you can feel European charm, love to harmony and beauty. The city life goes on with its majestic tranquillity and one may notice romantic, somewhat sentimental mood dominating on the streets of the city.

Narrow streets of the city bordered by ancient houses and unforgettable aroma of the best L’viv coffee will bring you to a fairy tale of the city, which aims to stay in your memory and heart forever. L’viv is a great example of an international city with its unique atmosphere combining many different cultures.

You are well advised to start your acquaintance with L’viv early in the morning as the city is incredibly beautiful in the clear silence of the dawn. First of all, visit Rynok Square with its colourful houses of 400 years old located in the centre of the city and be sure to feel the spirit of antiquity. Rynok Square attracts attention with its small coloured houses in the Renaissance style, such as Black House, Palazzo Bandinelli,Lubomirski Palace, and Kornyakt Palace. This square used to be an area, where the city life was concentrated, as a huge market, a local government and a court were situated there. Arranged holidays, celebrations and exhibitions attracted many people to Rynok Square and today this ancient place is of a great importance in L’viv and is considered to be the historic city centre.

The L’viv City Hall built in 1835 will be noted by you in the heart of Rynok Square. Presently it is used as a seat of the L’viv City Council. A clock tower with a viewing platform rises over this building. Climb up in order to see the magnificent view of the city!

There are many interesting museums in L’viv and the Pharmacy Museum located in Rynok Square is one of the most famous. This drugstore was established in 1735. It will attract your attention with unique stained glass of Viennese artists, and the interior is remarkable for an alchemical laboratory preserved till the present day. Each visitor can also purchase special magic cure – Iron Wine – tonic enriched with iron. You can see more than three thousand rare artefacts in the unique museum complex next to the pharmacy.

While travelling around the city, do not avoid the Italian (Viennese) Courtyard, where you can enjoy jazz festivals and classical music in the cosy cafe. Not far from the museum near the Diana Fountain you can dive into the world of salsa and tango, as a dance floor, located there, is specially organized so you could feel crazy energy and emotions as professional dancers do.

Vicheva Square (L’viv Vernisage) will impress you with a wide choice of art products: Ukrainian embroidered clothes, towels, t-shirts, hats, bags, wood products, jewellery for women, toys for children, pottery dishes – these handmade souvenirs are made with love and warmth.

Talking about L’viv, it’s impossible to avoid its magnificent architecture, which reflects an amazing variety of architectural styles from different historical periods. The historic centre of L’viv resembles a large historical and architectural museum, and due to this fact it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The L’viv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre of Solomiya Krushelnytska is regarded as a pride of L’viv. This famous attraction was built in 1895-1900 on 28, Svobody Avenue. You’ll be impressed with its splendour and luxury! The main facade is a three-arched loggia with stately columns and fascinating sculptures of Comedy, Tragedy, and eight muses. The theatre’s interior is amazing, as a great combination of gold-plated, multi-coloured marble, decorative paintings and fine sculptures was used for its decoration.

The central entrance to another architectural site – the History and Culture Museum-Reserve “Lychakiv Cemetery” (in Ukrainian – Lychakivs’kyi Tsvyntar) – can be found by you on 33, Mechnikov Street. The cemetery was founded in 1786 and is one of the oldest in Europe. Originally it was intended for the richest people of L’viv. For the present day it occupies a total area of ​​more than 42 hectares, including about three thousand tombs and more than 500 sculptures. The oldest gravestones date back to the year of 1787. You’ll have opportunity to see works of famous sculptors and visit graves of eminent people. Lychakiv cemetery is considered by many as an open-air museum.

L’viv is famous for its spiritual monuments, such as St Onuphrius Church, Armenian Cathedral, Jesuit Church, St Casimir Church and St Anthony Paduans’kyi Church and many others.

Among other buildings of architectural value, there is one more worth your attention – Semens’kyh-Levyts’kyh Palace built in the style of the French Baroque, located on 19, Pekars’ka Street. You are well advised to visit an amazing shrine in the late Baroque – Dominican Cathedral, located on 1, Stavropigiys’ka Street, as well as the majestic Slava Monument in Bohdan Khmel’nyts’kyi Central Park.  

Apart from cultural and spiritual monuments L’viv is famous for its numerous parks. Ivan Franko Park is one of the oldest in the city. It is located on Universytets’ka Street covering an area of ​​14 hectares. Here you can stroll leisurely in the shade of maples and oaks of 300 years old. Stus, Mishuga, Ternopil’s’ka and Yaroslavenko Streets, not far from the centre, can lead you to Zalizni Vody Park Complex (meaning Iron Water), which got its name because of numerous iron-sources within its territory. In the western part of L’viv you can have a rest among birches, chestnut trees and black pines in Lychakiv Park. If you find yourself on Ivana Franka, Stryys’ka, Ulasa Samchuka or Kozel’nyts’ka Streets, you are well advised to have a walk in Stryys’kyi Park, which is considered to be one of the most picturesque in Ukraine.

The highest point in the city is Vysokyi Zamok Mount (meaning High Castle), located near L’viv historic centre. It is situated at an altitude of 413 meters above sea level. Do not miss an opportunity to look at the central part of L’viv with a bird's-eye view! In order to enjoy wonderful lights of romantic L’viv you should go there in the evening.

L’viv invites everyone to feel its romantic mood. Once you have visited L’viv, you’ll fall in love with it!