Lviv (pronounce la veeve) is a city in western Ukraine near the Polish border. Some people believe that Lviv is the most beautiful city in Ukraine as well as its cultural capital. The city center has a number of historical buildings and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. I spent 3 days in Lviv in 2013. The architecture is more western European rather than eastern European as in other parts of the Country.
Because this part of Europe has seen a lot of conflict over the centuries, Lviv has been occupied by many different powers. Lviv has been part of Poland, Russia, the Soviet Union, the Austrian Empire, and Nazi Germany. Whereas the vast majority of Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians, due to its former ties to Poland the predominant religion in Lviv is Catholicism (although at one time more than one-fourth of Lviv’s population was Jewish).
Many younger people speak English, but it is difficult to communicate in Lviv if you do not know Russian or Ukrainian. Of course, there are many tourists in Ukraine who do speak English and they may be able to assist if you have questions as I did. The staff at my hotel did speak English, and I met some other tourists from Poland who also spoke English. Oftentimes the best means of communication is to politely point. The city may not have all the comforts that are available in other cities in Central or Western Europe, but as it expands its tourism industry this is bound to change (along with more crowds and higher prices).
The information below is a summary of the sites and activities I enjoyed while I was in Lviv. Because I did not have a camera with me while I was in Lviv, the pictures in this blog were obtained from WikiMediaCommons at www.commons.wikimedia.org; I have cited the author on each picture.
- Dominican Church – Although the Dominican order has been reportedly in Lviv since the 13th century, this church was built in the mid-18th century in the Baroque style.
- Lviv Opera and Ballet Theatre - All but the ticket office was closed when I noticed a side entrance was open to allow the sound and light crew to work on an upcoming show. I snuck in and walked throughout this beautiful music house. It was built around 1900 in the baroque and renaissance style.
- Lviv City Hall – The City Hall is in the center of town at Rynok Square (Market Square). It was built in the early 19th century. From its clock tower there are great views of Lviv. It is a long climb – from the ground level I counted 409 steps.
- Jesuit Church and Taras Shevchenko Memorial – Located in the Old Town, This was built in the early 17th century. At the time of construction, it was one of the largest churches in Poland.
- Dormition or Assumption Orthodox Church - Built at the end of the 16th century in the Renaissance style, this building is in the Old Town.
- Rynok or Market Square (Ukrainian: Ploshcha Rynok) – Originally created in the Middle Ages, it remains Lviv’s main square. Many of the buildings date back to the 16th century.
- Lviv Art Gallery – This is one of Ukraine’s largest art galleries. It contains predominately Polish and Ukraine art, but also houses work of artists from throughout Europe including some impressive Dutch paintings. The gallery is located in a former palace in the center of the city.
- Armenian Cathedral – This is one of the oldest buildings in Lviv, dating back to the 14th century. The Soviets used it as a storage facility and damaged some of the interior including artworks. It has been restored.
Lviv is a beautiful city and it has a reputation as being one of the most vibrant cities in Ukraine. By central and western European standards, it may seem a bit neglected. But by those same standards, it is a very inexpensive city to visit. Another benefit is that there are not unmanageable tourist crowds as there are in other cultural centers.
Lviv was the first vacation destination I visited outside of the United States in several years. Other than the sights listed above, I did not have any plans mapped out. Unfortunately, I did not plan this trip as well as I should have, although I did have a very good time basically wondering through Lviv. I would like to revisit Lviv as the first time I visited I did not do as much research about the sights; in looking back over my notes, and doing some more research, I realize that there are so many other things to see and do in Lviv.
