Lviv is an unusual city with a colorful and sometimes dramatic history. For centuries it has been a city of many cultures. Poles, Jews, Armenians and Ukrainians lived next to each other. This is an interesting tourist city, so this article will focus on the places that you should definitely visit in Lviv if you happen to visit this city.
If you want to get acquainted with the sights of Lviv, its unique atmosphere and the character of this city, it is better to use the services of a guide who conducts city tours. And the first places suggested by the guide, which may seem surprising, will be the so-called flea markets. There are two of them in Lviv. It's just that the guide makes it clear that after a general tour of the city, you can come back here and buy everything you see fit as a memory of Lviv.
Bookinist Fair and Vernissage
The first flea market is located next to the Corpus Christi Church and the Dominican Monastery on Theater Square. This place sometimesIt is called the Bookinist's Fair because it is here that people who sell old books are located. In addition to books, there are other antiques such as vinyl records, coins, postage stamps, and World War II memorabilia.
The second of Lviv's flea markets, commonly known as Vernissage, is located at the intersection of Teatralna and Lesya Ukrainka streets. You can buy here, among other products offered, all kinds of souvenirs, Ukrainian folk costumes, paintings or jewelry. Both flea markets have vendors on site from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and sell whatever your heart desires.
Some historical facts
Before you go on a city tour, you should read the description of the sights of Lviv. Photos of interesting places are placed in the city guide. There is also some historical data that is of interest to tourists.
The territory of modern Lviv was inhabited in the 5th century, but its history as a city begins in the 13th century. Lviv was founded by King Daniel of Galicia, around 1250, and named after the king's son - Leo. The city was part of the Galich-Volyn principality. In 1261, the Tatars invaded the city, who destroyed it, it was restored by 1270.
In the XV-XVI centuries. Lviv has become one of the main trade centers between the Black Sea region and Central Europe. For more than half a century the city has been in the European culturalspace, as evidenced by the architecture of buildings. Its narrow streets are already very similar to Italian ones, and the style of the buildings is somewhat reminiscent of Prague, the notes of Paris are evident in the architecture. Nevertheless, Lviv has its own flavor. Sometimes it is surprising for tourists how harmonious the sights of Lviv are, despite the fact that styles are still mixed here: Gothic and Baroque, Rococo and Empire.
City Hall
The City Hall is a witness to many events that have taken place in the city since its construction. It was built in 1357, but was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The town hall itself is not so much interesting for tourists as the towering highest (65 meters) tower in Ukraine with an observation deck. You can have a great view of the city from it. It is currently a UNESCO protected monument.
Lviv Opera
The promenade starts from the recently restored Adam Mickiewicz Square with his monument and ends with one of the most beautiful buildings in the city - the Lviv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. Solomiya Krushelnytska. In winter, the Lviv Christmas Market is held here, and in the spring - the Easter Fair.
Lviv Opera (as the people of Lviv call it) is one of the sights of Lviv (pictured above). The building was built from 1895 to 1900 according to the design of the famous architect Zygmund Gorgolevsky. On the pediment of the theater building there is a sculptural composition made by P. Vitovich. These are allegorical figures: Glory with a palm branch (incenter), on the left - the Genius of Drama and Comedy, on the right - the Genius of Music. The building was built using Renaissance and Baroque styles.
The four-tier hall seats 1000 spectators, its interiors are richly decorated with stucco and paintings. The best sculptors and artists of that time took part in the decoration of the theatre. During the premiere performances, the stage is closed by the festive curtain "Parnassus", made by G. Semiradsky. You can come to the theater not only to the performance, but also to admire it as a great work of art.
Cathedral in the Armenian quarter
Armenians, expelled from their lands in the distant XIII century, found their refuge in Lvov. The first merchants and craftsmen who arrived in the city settled compactly. Currently, this is Armenian street. All the sights of Lviv, concentrated on this street, including the Cathedral of the Armenian Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located in the very center of the city, were created by Armenians. The construction of the cathedral began in 1356 and was completed in 1364. As for architecture, this is a small and inconspicuous building from the outside, its interior pleases with colorful decorations, sometimes reminiscent of paintings from mosques. The cathedral was burned several times and rebuilt. In the years after World War II, the church housed a warehouse of paintings. In 2003-2013, the temple was reconstructed.
In spiritual and artistic terms, after visiting the temple, vivid impressions remain. The Armenian rite, so different from the Roman Catholic one, does not use organs orother tools. All songs are performed by a professional choir of more than a dozen singers, with voices so clear, flawless and perfectly synchronized that they give goosebumps. The deacon's voice, in turn, is extremely loud, low, deep and bright.
Pototsky Palace
One of the most beautiful sights of the city of Lviv (pictured below) is definitely the Potocki Palace. This is an architectural monument built in the style of classicism in 1880. The initiator of the construction of the palace was one of the richest and most famous families in Ukraine and Poland - the Potocki family. On the site of a hunting lodge in the Lvov estate of Alfred II Potocki, a palace was erected for receiving guests.
In 1975, the city registry office worked in the palace, but later the Lviv Art Gallery was located in its building. There are currently several exhibits here. Sometimes the halls of the palace are used for celebrations, as well as wedding photo shoots.
High Castle
Sights and photos of all the beautiful places in Lviv cannot be compared with the beauty that opens from the hill to the city. The highest elevation in Lviv is located in the northeastern part of the city. In 1362-1704 there was a brick Gothic castle built by King Casimir the Great. The castle was conquered and destroyed by the Swedish army in 1704. After the destruction of the castle, no one took care of it, and its stones were gradually carried away to the city and paved the streets with them. A visit to the Castle Hill is included in all excursions in Lviv. But to a favorite placeIt is better for Lviv residents and guests of the city to come in the morning or shortly before sunset. The view of the city is amazing.
Shevchenko Guy
One of the largest museums in Lviv - an open-air landmark of the city, located in the north-eastern part of Lviv on the wooded hills, not far from the park of the High Castle. On the territory of 60 hectares, you can see reconstructed villages from the Hutsul region, the Lemko region, Boykivshchyna, Voyna, Polissya, Bukovyna, Transcarpathia and, finally, the environs of Lviv. Shevchenko Hai invites visitors who are interested in different cultures and spheres of life of people who inhabited the regions of Ukraine.
On the territory of the museum there is a unique collection of wooden cottages and churches, inside which are old (antique) household items of those distant times. Here time stops and takes us back several centuries, to a world without city fuss and noise. The atmosphere in the museum is special, it makes you feel very comfortable and relaxed.
In the middle of the route there is a Cossack forge and a field kitchen where you can taste real Cossack dishes based on cereals, meat, bacon and vegetables. Here you can also take a photo session against the backdrop of beautiful old houses made of wood, straw and clay. This museum is located about 25 minutes walk from the city center.
Greek Catholic Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. George, built in 1744-1761, is marked in the guidebook of Lviv as an attraction. This beautiful monument of baroque-rococo architecture is located on the height of the Georgievskaya mountain. In the cathedral itselfthere is a crypt in which the famous figures of the Ukrainian church are buried. The bell tower with the most famous old bell in Ukraine is located in the park behind the cathedral. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the cathedral served as the mother church of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC). After the death of Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky in March 1946, the Soviet authorities forced church leaders to denounce Rome and join the Russian Orthodox Church. Justice prevailed in 1989 when the Greek Catholic Church was restored and the cathedral was reopened.
Lviv Brewery
After having a city tour and getting acquainted with the sights of Lviv, it is worth going to the brewery museum at Lwów Brewery, which opened in 2005. A stay at the museum includes sightseeing and tasting. Therefore, you should not drink beer in Lviv in a pub, it is better to do it at a brewery - the cost is similar. Interestingly, the brewery was founded by the Jesuits.
Initially, they drank an intoxicating drink at home, after some time they began to treat their guests to it, and seeing that they liked the beer, they began to produce it on an industrial scale. After the first partition of Poland and the occupation of Lviv by the Austrians at the end of the 18th century, the brewery fell into private hands. The brewery is currently owned by the Carlsberg concern. It produces, among other things, the well-known in Europe beer 1715. Holding a mug of cold Lviv beer in your hands, you might think where else to go in Lviv. And there are many more places like this…
