City Guide: Lviv

Located in the western part of Ukraine, Lviv used to be the capital city of East Galicia and it is one of the primary cultural centers of the country today. Its historical city center is on UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List.

Lviv is also a European city which complements the modern face of Ukraine. It stands out as a scientific and industrial center among the other cities of the country. Examples from all different periods in its history are preserved in the city. Lviv is mentioned as “Lion City” in maps from the 14th century. Polish, Jewish German, Austrian, and Ukranian peoples have lived together in the city for centuries. The city, which is a spot for merchants traveling from the east, is also a meeting place for people from different nationalities and religions.

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• Tourist Attractions

  Lviv Art Gallery, located downtown, houses artwork from Italian, Dutch, French, and Spanish schools. The most interesting paintings are the ones depicting Galicia before World War I. These paintings, by Mehoffer, Wyspianski, and Malczewski are well worth a visit.
  
  Another interesting destination downtown is St. George’s Greek Catholic Cathedral. It is among not only Lviv’s but also Europe’s most glamorous destinations. The cathedral, located in St. Yura Square, is a masterpiece in the rococo style. The house where Pope John Paul II stayed in 1991, is located right across the cathedral.
  
  Potocki Palace is also located downtown in Kopernika. The Potockis are known as one of the most powerful families in Central Europe at one time. Members of this family rose in the Habsburg hierarchy once Polish rule was over. Works of art from Renaissance and Baroque eras are displayed in this building, which is a part of the Lviv Art Gallery today.
  
  Lychakiv Cemetery, which you can see as you move eastward, was started to be used in 1787. It is recognized as one of the top cemeteries in Europe; and the region’s intellectuals, state officials, and noblemen lie here..
  
  Eaglets, located a bit more towards east, is a military graveyard. The soldiers who died in the Poland-Ukraine and Poland-Bolshevik wars, that took place after World War I, lie here. There is also a monument dedicated to American pilots who died while fighting against the Red Army in 1921.

• Culture & Entertainment

  The Armenian Cathedral in Virmenska is a religious structure that dates back to 1362. The mosaics on its dome were made by Jozef Mehoffer, from Poland, in 1908. The effect of the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt is easily noticed here.
  
  The Lviv Opera House, built in 1897, is another magnificient building in downtown. The upper floor of the building -which is located on Svobody Street-also known as the Hall of Mirrors is a must see. 
  
  Festivals, the number of which is increasing every year, are organized in the city. Virtuosi Music Festival takes place in spring, while Zoloty Lev (Golden Lion) takes place in the autumn months. Solomia Kryshelnytska, the opera festival that is organized in November, is very interesting.

• Food & Drink

  Italian and international restaurants can be found downtown. The cake culture, surviving from the Habsburg days, is still present today. Pastries called “pyrohy” offer a traditional taste. You can find very nice restaurants that offer Ukranian dishes in the Kopernika area. Also, there are unique restaurants located in the old city center; in which you can listen to jazz or classical music and enjoy a nice meal.

• Shopping

  Traditional handcrafts are very interesting, as well as admired greatly. Hand painted “pysanky” eggs during Easter time, polished boxes, linen shirts, and master work traditional items...You can find all of these at the corner of the National Museum. With some bargaining, you can lower the “touristic” price which is a couple of times higher than the regular price. Shopping in supermarkets is also possible if you go a little bit outside the city towards the west.

Ticket Sales Offices: Lviv

• Lviv: Airport Map Information

  Lviv Intl. Airport

  Address	:	79040, Lviv, Lublinska St. 168
  Phone	:	+38 (032) 2298216

• Lviv: Airport Map Information