Travel to Lviv. Lviv in three days: budget option Plan itinerary for a trip to Lviv

I have always had special feelings for Lvov - not only in terms of travel, but also in terms of writing this blog. I don’t know if you are aware or not (I already talked about this somewhere), but articles about the capital of Western Ukraine were the first that I wrote for the project website. Do you want me to turn on Alexander Gradsky’s mode and show how young we were? Well... OK... onto one of the first articles of that series. Pay attention to the quality of the photo, the writing style and in general just look at how young we are in these photos!!! I don't remember when it was - probably 4 or 5 years ago. But I know for sure that these articles are very dear to me as a memory. I look at them to see the path that this project has taken in recent years, and to see how many steps in my development I myself have gone through. In fact, this is a very important quality, the ability to look back and remember where we once were. It allows you to better understand where you are today and see the direction in which you are moving.

Okay... I'm turning off the lyrics. Further only about Lviv. I like this city. And I have a lot that I would like to tell you. What to see in the capital of Western Ukraine? And why is it worth going on such a trip? How to have an interesting time in Lviv? And what was this trip like for me personally? Read about all this further in this article. Below are my 10 tips on what to do in Lviv.

Are you ready, children? Then let's go!

This will help you better feel the atmosphere of this city, see its underside, and with it the multi-colored sheets hung in Lviv courtyards. Housing in Lviv is cheap (about 20-25 euros per day). Therefore, even in the city center, in historical buildings, you can easily find yourself a quite budget apartment.

Here, for example, is what the entrance looked like in the house where we personally rented housing during this trip.

To get to the apartment you had to walk along the balcony. There was a very atmospheric atrium inside. And here and there on the floor there were these tiles with inscriptions in Polish.

The best place to find suitable accommodation is on the AIRBNB website. It’s cheaper here than on Booking, and there are always a lot of interesting authentic options. If you have already used this system, then you probably know this already. And if not, register on the site using this link. This way you will receive a small bonus for your first booking, and in addition to it, a small plus to your karma.

Yes, I know, the advice is banal. But I have a lot of photos from old Lvov, and I needed a reason to somehow show them to you. The atmosphere here is also complete. And I’m not just talking about cathedrals, monasteries and the famous Lviv spiers. I like to photograph little things... Cool statues on the streets.

People playing checkers in central park.

Umbrellas hanging over the streets.

This is where the mood of the city comes into play. I don’t deny that in some places Lviv looks a little shabby. But overall I still like this city. In the summer, we got really great pictures here.

WE'RE GOING FOR A VACATION:

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Weather in Lviv by month:

*This table displays weather averages collected over more than three years

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Amazing city of Lviv

Hello, dear readers. Today I want to tell you about the beautiful city of Lviv. This city is quite old and was founded in 1240. Lviv is a European year, the capital of Western Ukraine. The population of the city is about 800,000. The city was founded by the Galician Prince Daniil Romanovich. This city is interesting for its sights and ancient buildings.

Many buildings in Lviv are included in the UNESCO list. This wonderful city has the largest number of monuments in Ukraine.

tour cost

Travel (per person) on a high-speed Hyundai Intercity from Kharkov to Kyiv in 1st class 350 UAH + from Kyiv to Lviv in 1st class 430 UAH. We bought tickets in advance on the website. We booked an apartment online for two days. It is located in the center, quite conveniently and inexpensively, on Petra Doroshenka Street, 460 UAH/day, one-room apartment, sleeps 2, with all amenities, clean and comfortable. My husband and I were on holiday together, we were completely satisfied with the conditions. We got from the station to the apartment by public transport, 3 UAH per person by tram one way.

We visited only free attractions. There are quite a few such places in Lviv, we climbed the High Castle - walk about half an hour from Rynok Square, the observation deck is free - better in sunny weather, in rain - very slippery; We visited the Museum of Victims of Political Repression “Prison on Lontsky”, but it is better for groups to register in advance; walked on Rynok Square and examined all the buildings and the most beautiful churches in Lviv; we went to the “House of Legends” to look at the city from above; We were at “Kopalni Kavy” (Rynok Square) and at the “Left Bank” cafe (Opera Theater) to explore the dungeons. And of course we listened to street musicians. Unless you go up to the Town Hall - the most popular observation deck, it costs 10 UAH per person.

Food and products

Lviv is a city where the cult of coffee has historically developed. The most famous are the “glamorous” coffee shops – “Cafe 1” and “Svit Kavy”. Popular places where it’s both pleasant and tasty are “Virmenka” and “Dziga” on Armyanskaya Street. Price of a cup of coffee from 12 UAH. on Armenian and in “Dziga”, 30-50 UAH. in "Svit Kavy". The price of drinks accompanying coffee - liqueur, cognac, liqueurs or liqueurs - is proportional to the price of a cup of coffee and the degree of glamor of the establishment.

On average, a good breakfast for two in the center costs 150 UAH, and a satisfying lunch costs 200-250 UAH. In total, we spent approximately 900 UAH on food over two days.

Souvenirs and other goods

We only bought small souvenirs. We bought magnets, keychains, cards, T-shirts (cotton), a huge gift set of chocolates in the Lviv chocolate workshop, bought for 590 UAH, the chocolate was delicious. In total, we spent about 1000 UAH on souvenirs.

Youth recreation

For young guys who go on vacation in a group, there is no better place at this time of year. Young people have many options for where to walk and sit. At night you can go to a disco or, better yet, climb the mountain called “High Castle” and see a wonderful overview of the entire beautifully lit city in the evening. If a group of people gets cold outside in the evening and wants to warm up, they can find many establishments with different food and delicious warming mead. Even though it’s winter, you definitely need to go to a beer bar called “Robert Doms’s House of Hunks” and try their beer. It's very tasty. For a large group, you can take a beer plate or, for example, try pickled peppers with beer. I was pleasantly surprised.

Family holiday

For a married couple, this is one of the best options to have fun and relax, even in a romantic setting. Evening Lviv in winter offers many interesting things for a married couple, and you can stay in an inexpensive hostel or a good hotel. You can also find an apartment for rent.

What to take with you on vacation?

1) camera; 2) warm clothes and comfortable shoes for walking; 3) at least one backpack for souvenirs or other necessary things during a walk.

Where is the best place to stay?

Hotels are considered expensive, so the best option for staying is either a hostel or renting an apartment. Very good and inexpensive hostels like “Del Positive” and mini hotel “Freedom”, which are located almost in the city center.

What to do at the resort?

When my wife and I arrived in Lviv, we immediately checked into a hostel and then went for a walk around Lviv. We were in the park on the mountain "High Castle". Then we went down and walked around the fair and went to eat in the basement, which is called “Kryivka”. Very tasty cuisine and mead. Then we decided to go to the vernissage, where various things from the Carpathian region are sold. We went to different shops and boutiques. I’ll highlight one of the best, which is called “Lviv Chocolate Workshop,” where various sweets are sold. We visited various beautiful churches where you could take pictures. We walked around the Italian courtyard, where there was very tasty coffee. We went to the open-air skating rink, which is located on Rynok Square.

Where can I eat?

Basically, all the delicious cafes and restaurants are concentrated in the center of Lviv. Among them, I would highlight the most delicious: “Kryivka”, “Lazy Dog”, “Kumpel” and “Robert Doms’s House of Dryness”.

About the quality of food and service

Very filling and varied food. Each establishment brews its own beer.

Is it worth vacationing in Lviv?

I will definitely come to relax in this city again, since in a few days I couldn’t get around everything I found on the Internet. I’ll probably choose the next period in the fall for Lviv City Day.

This story was written in 2012. I didn't change a single line.
Impressions of a Russian who found himself in Western Ukraine for the first time.
This was the case before the war.
And how can I believe the mass of anger and lies poured on the city and its inhabitants by the Russian media, when I saw everything with my own eyes?..
I remember and love you, Lvov.

“To travel and remain silent about it is not only unnatural, but also stupid. Moreover, it is impossible” (Peter Weil).

This is why people travel? The most obvious answer would be: to get distracted, change the situation and the picture around, i.e., in essence, run away from yourself. But a real journey is always the path to yourself. True. Free from the layers of everyday life. After all, when you are not dominated by your usual surroundings, when you find yourself among strangers and a foreign culture, you are naked and can clearly see what you are. Also misanthropic and fatal, or like the wind...
And I go to my place. This time “to my home” means to the city of Lviv.

Lviv for me is a kind of dream city. Whenever there is a collapse in my life, I plan to go to Lviv. I think it's because of my mother's Polish blood; because of my grandfather, who independently learned Polish and lovingly collected photographs of Polish film artists. Because of Dina Rubina, who recently disturbed my genetic memory with her “Parsley Syndrome”.
And now, apparently, the hour has struck, and the turning point is so great that I finally board the train and go on a week-long trip to Leopolis, Lemberg, Lviv...

General. The city turned out to be better than I expected. More beautiful, older, nicer, and simply comfortable for a person. Of course, I, by tradition, am a prepared tourist, and I knew that 50% of the architectural monuments of Ukraine are concentrated in Lviv, that the historical center is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, etc., but when hoary antiquity is looking at you from around every corner ... and such that even the 14th, 15th, 16th centuries... a church, a chapel, a monastery, a tower, a stone house... How pathetic, but accurately it is said in the guidebook: “Just a few hours of walking along the streets of Lviv - and you begin to feel like a thinker of universal significance.” .
As a rule, in cities (especially Russian ones) only the center is interesting. It is also expensive and comfortable to live in. Lvov surprised me by the fact that he is elegant almost entirely. You want to wander through it tirelessly, without a map, on a whim.
And these stunning paving stones are the “lungs” of the city. And an unusually narrow tram track, along which even in Soviet times imported trailers ran.
What can I say? I simply rubbed my feet on this city...

Story. Different cultures are intricately intertwined in Lviv. Poles, Ukrainians, Russians, Jews, and Armenians lived compactly in the medieval settlement. And this gave rise to such a symbiosis, such a colorful tolerant spirit, which you really feel today. There is authenticity, but there is no pomp or deliberate luxury.
Architectural monuments are in very good condition. They say the Poles help a lot. The restoration is done carefully, guided by a sense of proportion. Nobody demolishes historical buildings under the pretext of dilapidation or encroaches on them under the pretext of inappropriate location. They tried to build a hotel on the site of the ruins of the oldest synagogue, the Golden Rose, destroyed by the Germans, but they succeeded.

Temples. There are simply an incredible number of them, and once there were 26 synagogues alone! (incomprehensible to the mind). Nowadays the bulk belongs to the Greek Catholic (Uniate) Church.
Of all the religious buildings in Lviv, I liked three most of all: the Latin Cathedral (Latin Cathedral) - the main Roman Catholic church of the city, which has preserved its Gothic forms; Jesuit Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul on Teatralnaya and Bernardine Monastery.
In the evenings I would just go there, sit down and listen to music or the organ, relaxing. Moreover, it was an unusual week - pre-Easter. In the cathedral I always went to the chapel of Our Lady of Czestochowa - to the amazing icon with a dark face - the “Black Madonna” (you can’t take your eyes off her).
I was captivated by the ritual simplicity, the optionality of a headscarf, a bench where you can rest...
Lviv residents are religious. I have watched more than once how young guys in sneakers and loose pants habitually enter the church, bow to the floor with a flourish, and then also impulsively fall to the window of the confessor. I sincerely envied the naturalness of their actions and for the first time I wanted to speak out, repent and, perhaps, receive absolution. And just like that - so that the handsome old man sitting behind a partition with a lattice window does not see me and does not look into my eyes, and I do not look into his eyes... In the Orthodox Church - in a public line in front of the priest at the lectern, I do not have such a desire. I even found out from a nun whether a person of a different confession could confess in a church, received a positive answer, and for three days I thought about how I could explain myself, where to start... but I never decided. Because I’ve never done this (the psychotherapist doesn’t count), and I’ve accumulated too many sins.

Excursions. Being a principled opponent of any group races, I admit that sometimes general guidance is simply necessary - both to get the first idea and to have time to see what you cannot reach on your own due to distance or lack of time.
Despite the fact that in Lviv everything is private - small groups and interesting guides. On the first day, I went on a two-hour walking tour, which took a little longer... There were three of us, two other excursionists left after 3 hours. And when, after another 3 hours, Stanislav said that he and I had 2 more cathedrals left, as well as a unique pharmacy museum with a total of 8 thousand exhibits, I begged for mercy. “But these cathedrals have such interesting frescoes and stained glass windows, and your excursion is paid for!” - he was indignant (NB! All the pleasure cost absolutely ridiculous money - 200 rubles) To which I answered him that if I hear about at least one more sculptural group or statue of the Virgin Mary, or learn a new detail from the life of Jan Sobieski, I will die right away before his eyes.
The next day there was a sightseeing tour in a small cozy minibus, with a history department graduate who was both the driver and the narrator at the same time.
Another day was entirely devoted to castles - a trip along the so-called “Golden Horseshoe of Ukraine”. In Podgoretsky Castle, where Jerzy Hoffman filmed “The Flood” and the Odessa Film Studio filmed a number of episodes of “D’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers,” I slightly frightened myself with mysticism. According to legend, the first owner of the castle, Stanislav Mateusz Rzewusski, killed and walled up his wife Ludwiga in the basement. To confirm or refute the legend, participants in the “Battle of Psychics” were invited to the castle, and they all pointed in unison to the same place of her painful death. Now a mannequin dressed in a white dress has been installed there and an ominous lighting has been created. When we were given free time to explore the castle, I decided to once again descend alone into the dark, chilling (and chilling) dungeon. Came down. Terrible feeling. Poor woman!:)

Colorful and so different castles with terraced parks, beautiful roads, neat villages... but most of all my consciousness was wounded by the nests of storks. I've never seen them before - only in pictures. Huge branchy egg-shaped buildings in which long-necked birds froze, as if deep in thought. “And soon there will be children standing next to each other,” the minibus driver reacts to my delight.

And yet the greatest pleasure is simply wandering through the streets with your head constantly raised. Looking at the portals and reliefs of residential buildings, the decor of facades, large bay windows. To marvel at another lion is a cult of the lion in the city, which, however, is quite understandable. Or, after a hearty breakfast of porridge, cheesecakes and kruchenik, climb the city hall tower - 408 steep wooden steps. Reckless, but worth it. In addition to the general beauty, it is noticeable from above how many parks there are in the city - huge green gaps spread out the residential areas.

Theater. I couldn’t help but visit the famous Lviv Opera and Ballet Theater. S. Krushelnitskaya. I got to see Verdi’s “Requiem”, which I listened to earlier in Budapest. A very disturbing work that really hits the nerves. I was a little distracted by a funny episode: local police cadets were “driven” onto the balcony. The Latin text was broadcast into the hall on an electronic display. And when the pictures of Doomsday changed and inscriptions like “Everything secret will become clear” appeared, for some reason I thought about them and sprayed them into my sleeve. Somewhat inappropriate, I agree.

Food. First of all, this is my favorite “Ukrainian McDonald’s”, as the natives call it - the Puzata Khata chain (there are two of their establishments in Lviv) with a full range of national delicacies: dumplings, zrazy, pies, pancakes, mushroom yushka with beans, smazhena rib, amazing desserts, pies, cakes.
A huge number of cafes, restaurants, pubs, pizzerias, sushi... And, of course, kaviarni with the famous Lviv cava, which gives rise to the signature smell of the city - strong, viscous, sometimes with delicacies like Viennese-style with egg yolk.
An excellent beer that won’t leave you with the slightest hangover or fusel spirit in the morning. The local one is produced by the Lviv Brewery (there is also a beer museum with tasting), and the private one is “Kumpol”, where in the restaurant the still breathing drink is poured into liter mugs.
I also became acquainted with such a terrible thing as real hot chocolate. A chocolate workshop has settled on Serbskaya Street, where a variety of sweets are made by hand (the most delicious are truffles!). Feeling a catch, I still drank a large cup of Lviv-style hot chocolate (with zest). Oh, and in vain I did it - I didn’t sleep for a day afterwards. A strong energy shock, and the body seems to be ready for sleep, but the brain is vigilant - at least solve logarithmic equations, which, however, I haven’t solved for a long time :)
In general, starvation is definitely not a threat in Lviv. And thank God that it was only a week, because the jeans had time to crackle treacherously.
Well, the prices... they are affordable and much lower than in Moscow.

Accommodation for tourists. Lots of inexpensive hostels in the city center. I lived, by Moscow standards, right on Red Square :), alone in a double room for 600 of our rubles per day. But by June, they say prices will rise significantly.

Road. Almost a day. A deadly old, overcrowded train goes there, and a new, almost empty train goes back. For the same money, of course. The eternal mystery of our railways! All the way to Lviv there is an endless stream of peddlers. But the difficulties of the road were made up for by the kindest fellow travelers. And also the Sukhinichi station in the Kaluga region. This is a completely separate song! As if at the behest of a mad wizard, the platform is filled with teddy bears, monstrously sized lions and tigers, acid-colored chairs in the shape of hares, huge rocking horses, pink dolls in caps, among which Masha from the Bears is mingled... It is curious that these toys are not produced at a local factory , as the sellers write, they are brought by Belarusian entrepreneurs from a factory in the city of Zhlobin, or Kaluga residents themselves sew them at home from Belarusian raw materials. My compartment neighbors bought a huge yellow bear with hearts on the heels and a flirty scarf. “We took him because he doesn’t talk, otherwise my granddaughter gets scared,” the little Ukrainian girl explains to me, until she accidentally touches the beast’s paw and an idiotic song begins to flow from its womb. A large hole is discovered on the second paw: “We’ll mend it,” the young grandmother consoles the young unlucky grandfather. “But it’s cheap” (550 rubles per individual).

Attitude towards Russians. When boarding the train, the conductor exclaimed in surprise: “With a Russian passport to Lviv?” And in the morning he actively offered 50 grams so that “it wouldn’t be scary.” He was joking like that! :)
In fact, the attitude towards Russians is friendly and neutral. I declare this with full responsibility! Over the course of a week, I talked to more than one hundred people of different ages and education. And I never felt even a hint of negativity or anger.
They don’t speak Russian at all – not out of spite, but simply because they don’t know the Russian language. They will listen carefully to your question and answer in Ukrainian. If you are very stupid, not understanding the speech of your Slavic neighbor (this happened to me all the time), they may ask: “Can’t you understand Ukrainian language?” And to your honest: “No, unfortunately,” they will repeat the answer... in the same Ukrainian, only a little slower... :)
In the end, I even felt offended by such an indifferent attitude - I wanted someone to grumble after me: “Damn Muscovites” :)) But no, I didn’t wait. It is difficult for us, still bearers of the imperial consciousness, to get used to the idea that even our Slavic brothers do not care about us. Somehow they don’t think about us at all. They will ask: “Where from?” “From Moscow,” and they will smile back with such friendly indifference. As if they heard: “From Uganda.” But they will always help.
There is no Russian language at all on the streets. There are very few tourists from Russia, so the very next day on the central Market Square everyone knew a crazy woman from Moscow who is very interested in history and wants to see everything! :) Also, by the way, a telling fact - before the excursions, the rest of the group members were asked if it was possible guide to conduct the story in Russian, because here one comrade does not perceive it differently, and every time, every single one agreed without the slightest displeasure, although it is clear that it would be much more convenient for them to listen to a difficult text in their native language, but that’s how it was - I testify...

People. Focused on Europe - Poland is only 70 km away. Many go to work abroad. They prefer to vacation not in Crimea, but in Bulgaria or Croatia. They live with their Ukrainian problems. On the second day of my stay, Yanukovych came to the city. Already in the morning, groups with multi-colored flags were moving towards the Shevchenko monument on Svobody Avenue. I was surrounded by a column of young people with banners of “Vitali Klitschko’s UDAR Party.” I don’t even know what to think about this... :) They joke about the president who held a meeting with city residents in such a way that no one knew about the location of this meeting - only after the fact. But somehow they joke kindly.
Urban problems are much more significant for Lviv residents. Literally every resident will talk with irony about the largest building in the city - the recently built tax office. The most long-standing problem is with water, its supply and quality, because... All artesian wells are not close. For many years, water was provided hourly, now almost everyone has a boiler, but now they have waited - money has been allocated from the budget, plus the city has taken out a huge loan from the World Bank for the reconstruction of the water supply system. Everyone is really looking forward to the results.
But the main headache, of course, is the upcoming European Football Championship. A new stadium and a new airport terminal were built for Euro 12. The tension is growing every day. Coming out of the famous railway station building, instead of the tram tracks along which I was going to go to the center, I saw in front of me a long street with torn-up paving stones: “All routes have been cancelled, they are repairing the roads to the Euro”...
There are a lot of young people, this is truly a city of students. The two main oldest educational institutions: University. I. Franko, occupying the luxurious building of the former Seimas, and Lviv Polytechnic. Young people are ambitious, want to work and earn money. They are surprisingly interested in politics - I once got into a conversation in a bar with a girl graduating from the law department of a local university (by the way, she was almost the only one who spoke Russian well - she grew up in a small Transcarpathian village, where, unlike Lvov, they taught Russian at school) , so she just bombarded me with questions about our elections and Putin.

Weather. I am convinced that it is preferable to hit the road in spring or autumn. Winter and summer are times for hanging out and making observations; spring and autumn are for movement and change.
The Lviv climate is generally recognized to be fickle, and even more so in the spring: literally in an hour all the seasons changed, as if in the fairy tale “The Twelve Months” - first bright sun, then a minute later rain and gloom, then sun again, but with rain. This didn’t bother me personally – it’s still wonderful!
When you stand on the observation deck of the High Castle and survey the roofs, domes and spiers from a 400-meter height, and breathe in the clean park air, then... you just want to live.
And believe that at this moment you are the real one...

Why, of all the cities of the near abroad, has Lvov suddenly become so in demand among Belarusians?

There are several reasons for this:

• there is a very developed tourist infrastructure, which is constantly being updated;
• It’s cheap there (it’s more expensive to vacation in Belarus);
• This is a very beautiful old European city, atmospheric, with many attractions.

Market Square

To visit Lviv, you can contact a travel agency: probably every one now offers short tours there. It’s quite convenient for your first visit: they’ll take you there, check you in, organize a couple of excursions, and give you advice on how to spend your free time. You will pay for this from 140 rubles (one night in Lviv).

But what if you don’t want to follow the standard program? Take matters into your own hands and go on your own. And you can spend your time and money the way you want. There is nothing complicated about it. How to get to Lviv, how much it costs and what to visit – read below.

When to go

Lviv is beautiful at any time of the year. But the best times to visit it are when there are festive street fairs in the center. And this is about a month for Christmas and New Year and the same amount during Easter and the May holidays. At the fairs there is a lot of food and drinks, souvenirs, handicrafts, honey, local products such as sausages and cheeses. The Christmas market is especially charming, with gingerbread houses in garlands and appropriate music. However, New Year's Lviv generally looks like it came straight out of an old postcard.

On New Year's holidays

Evening Lviv on New Year's Day

On the other hand, during these periods there are a huge number of tourists in Lviv, it can be difficult to get through the center, there are queues in restaurants in the evening, and prices are higher. Therefore, if you want to get to know the city better, it makes sense to come at a different time. For example, in golden autumn, it is very beautiful in Lviv.

It is best to spend three to four days in the city.

There is a lot of variety of housing in Lviv and for every budget. If you want to live in the very center, in a good location and for a good price, book in advance. If you are traveling on holidays, then look for accommodation at least a month in advance, and preferably two. On holidays, prices soar two or three times, and still all housing is sold out long before the required date. Sometimes you have to write two or three dozen emails to apartment owners to find a suitable option.

Old Jewish Street

Prices in hostels, incl. in the center, start from 5 and even 3 dollars per bed (bunk beds, dormitory room for 4-20 people). At the same time, for 15 dollars you can rent a good one-room apartment for two in the center, and for 25 you can rent a wonderful one. Good two-room apartments for four in the center start from $20. On holidays, especially New Year, a decent 1-room apartment in the very center will cost from $40. per day, 2-room – from 70 dollars.

You need to rent apartments via the Internet. There are intermediary sites that process your prepayment and guarantee the service. But they also take a decent commission from the owner, which he includes in the price, so the rental price on such sites can be higher. But you are protected from fraud and will definitely be accommodated in the chosen apartment. The most convenient are the Ukrainian site dobovo.com (when booking, an advance payment for the first day is taken) and the global airbnb.com (when booking, you immediately pay for your stay for the entire period - it is unlikely that upon check-in they will tell you a different price, there will be no conflict between you and the owner "real" money). Good sites that are not intermediaries are doba.ua and miete.com.ua. But when the owner asks you for an advance payment on a card or account, you cannot be sure that he is an honest person. In a word, the choice is yours.

Things to do

There are many interesting museums in Lviv: an art museum, a historical museum, a pharmacy museum (in the building of a pharmacy that has been operating since 1735), a weapons museum in a former gunpowder warehouse with meter-high walls, a beer museum at the Lviv brewery (tastings are held there), a museum of rural life under open air in the Shevchenkovsky Gai park, the most impressive is the museum of victims of occupation regimes in the building of a former prison, and others. And also cathedrals, palaces, parks, theaters... Many will be interested in the Lychakiv cemetery: it is more than two hundred years old, there are many unique tombs and gravestone sculptures and a corresponding atmosphere.

Cathedral Square

You should also definitely go to the High Castle Mountain. Almost nothing remains of the old castle there, but there is an excellent viewing platform on the mountain itself. And the last (and most difficult) is to climb the Lviv City Hall. It stands in the very heart of the city, on Rynok Square. Its 65-meter tower offers stunning views of the center and surrounding area. And this is difficult because there is no elevator - you have to climb 408 wooden steps on a narrow spiral staircase. But it's worth it.

View of the High Castle and St. George's Cathedral

In addition to attractions, you can visit Lviv shopping centers. A kilometer from the center there is “Forum”, on the outskirts there is “King Cross Leopolis”. In the first there are shops and a cinema using IMAX technology (super-voluminous 3D picture and a screen the size of a 5-story building), in the second - the same, only there are many more shops and brands, and there is also a huge grocery hypermarket "Auchan" and the construction "Epicenter" "

What to buy

Tea, coffee, seasonings and other groceries, chocolate in the “Chocolate Workshop”, Ukrainian cognac and wine, branded Lviv liqueurs and liqueurs. Clothes and shoes in branded stores. Handmade products in souvenir shops. Cosmetics in the chain stores “Watsons”, “Eva”, “Prostore” (they are much cheaper there than in Belarus). Imported medicines (prices can be checked on the Internet. For example, “Teraflex” 120 capsules in Lviv costs 40 rubles instead of 56 rubles here). Finishing materials, equipment, household goods.

In general, we can say that almost all products and goods in Ukraine are cheaper than in Belarus. But do not forget that there are strict restrictions on the import of goods across the border into the Republic of Belarus.

Lviv is a gastronomic paradise for little money. In fact, this is why many people go there. There is no point in even listing good restaurants - there are dozens, if not hundreds of them. And I don’t want to give advice: this is the case when it’s better to try everything yourself. Focus on reviews on the Internet; tripadvisor.com will help you make a choice.

Separately, it is worth noting the restaurant chain, which has probably become one of the main reasons for the influx of tourists to Lviv in the last decade. The “Holding of Emotions “Fest”” currently has 18 restaurants, each with its own unique concept: a coffee mine, an OUN-UPA forest cache, a beer theater... Many of them are attractions in themselves and almost museums, and they also serve delicious food and often inexpensive. If they tell you about some special restaurant in Lviv, most likely it is from this chain.

At the Christmas market

Plus, when there are street fairs in Lviv, there is a lot of incredibly mouth-watering food and drink on sale.

Lviv is famous for its coffee, which is prepared there in every possible way and is always good. And also chocolate and strong liqueurs. And, of course, Galician cuisine, all variations of which are offered by local restaurants.

You can have breakfast in Lviv for 4-8 rubles. per person, lunch up to 10 rubles. There are many establishments in the center offering inexpensive complexes. A dinner of two or three excellent dishes will cost 15-30 rubles per person, most often this is enough for drinks. Alcohol is harmful to health, but for completeness, we note that regular draft beer in good restaurants in Lviv costs 2.30 rubles. per glass, craft beer – 3-3.50 rubles.

Lifehack. The above-mentioned restaurant chain has a general Lokal loyalty card, which allows you to accumulate about 10% of the amount spent at the restaurant into a bonus account from which you can pay for future purchases in the chain. To get a card, contact the waiter. One “but” - bonuses are counted only one day after payment.

At the Christmas market

Need to take into account

There are exchangers in the city center at every turn, the rate is almost the same in all of them. Most retail and catering establishments accept bank cards. Smoking is prohibited in all restaurants in Lviv. Alcohol in Lviv is sold in stores only from 10.00 to 22.00.

Transport. Public transport in Lviv is somewhat chaotic (except for trams) and slow, but taxis are cheap. For example, driving 9 km from the center to a large shopping center on the outskirts costs 7 rubles. Uber also works. So if you are planning to go somewhere outside the center, take a taxi. But it’s not worth taking cars “off-board” here, as elsewhere.

Connection. Wherever there is a cafe, there is Wi-fi. But if you are traveling for 3 days or more, and plan to drive around the city, you will need a mobile connection. At any kiosk you can buy a local SIM card with enough traffic and minutes; you don’t need a passport. Any operator - you can ask the seller for advice. At the end of the trip, you can even throw away such a SIM card - there is no monthly fee on the tariff.

Lviv tram with Arsenal in the background

How to get there?

Airplane Minsk-Lvov

Flights are daily. From Minsk at 13.10, from Lvov at 15.20. The flight is a little over an hour. In Lviv, you can get from the airport to the center by public transport. Costs 285 rubles. both ways (cheapest ticket, non-refundable). Another minibus to Minsk is 7 rubles. and to the airport 4 rubles.

Pros. The fastest and most comfortable way is to shop at duty-free.

Market Square and Town Hall (right)

Minuses. Expensive.

Total in both directions. 307 rub.

With a transfer in Kyiv

The option is more likely for young people who are not afraid of difficulties.

Pros. Cheap, interesting, you can walk around Kyiv.

Minuses. Long, tiring, it’s better not to take large suitcases.

There is a direct bus Minsk-Kyiv via Bobruisk (daily, departure 21.05, arrival 5.20), it costs 28 rubles. But if your soul craves adventure, you can go with transfers in Zhlobin, Gomel and even Chernigov. This will save you no more than 5 rubles one way. But you can come to Kyiv later and not spend the night on the bus.

The best option. There is a fast train to Gomel (departure 8.36, arrive 10.23) with seated carriages. Costs 8 rubles. Then a bus to Kyiv at 11.30 (arrival at 17.30, costs 14 rubles).

There is no point in taking a ticket to Lviv on a morning or afternoon train - it is better to take a night train and arrive at your destination the next day. So you will have enough time to get around the entire center of Kyiv. The main thing is to first come to the train station, buy or issue at the ticket office a ticket to Lviv, which you bought online, and leave your bags in the storage room. And you can safely walk until late.

Several trains depart from Kyiv to Lviv between 9 and 11 pm. But the best option in terms of time and price is Lisichansk-Uzhgorod (departure 22.51, arrival 8.05). A coupe in it costs about 13 rubles.

There are enough trains back. The main thing is to catch the bus to Gomel, which leaves from Kyiv at 11.30 and costs 19 rubles.

Streets of Lviv

Total in both directions. About 75 rub.

Useful web addresses:

Railway tickets in Belarus: www.poezd.rw.by

Train tickets in Ukraine: www.booking.uz.gov.ua

Bus tickets in Belarus: www.ticketbus.by

By car

An option for car enthusiasts with cars with good suspension. It is recommended to travel in a group of four people: this way it will also be the most economical of all. The journey takes 10-12 hours including crossing the border.

Pros. Cheap, freedom of action, everything is under your control.

Minuses. There are very bad sections of roads; you can stay at the border for a long time; tiring. Difficulties with parking in Lviv.

Koliivshchyna Square and an old car equipped as a mini-coffee shop

Ukrainian roads are known for their deplorable condition. There are also excellent trails there, new and perfectly smooth, and most of them are routes to Lviv. But these are international highways. And the rest of the roads, as a rule, are either simply bad or terrible. So you can go on holiday to Ukraine in your own car, but, firstly, you need to carefully study online forums and traveler reviews and choose the optimal route (the lesser evil). And secondly, it is better to do this in a reliable car with a strong, energy-intensive suspension and considerable ground clearance.

To see Europe, you don’t have to go to Krakow or, say, Prague. You can start with Ukrainian Lviv...

I usually visit Lviv in transit. Hiking in the Carpathian Mountains, healing on mineral waters (Skhidnytsia, Kvasy, Morshyn suit me)… One day in Lviv upon arrival or departure - is it possible to have time to get to know the city? Yes. So, let's imagine that you arrived in Lviv by train. We got out of the car onto the platform covered with a landing stage, from where we walked into the majestic and beautiful old station building. It was built in 1861 along with the first railway in Ukraine, laid here from the Polish Przemysl. True, at that time this town (like Lviv) was part of Austria-Hungary, and the station itself was rebuilt to the form in which it came to us in 1889-1904, but I have no desire or opportunity to dive deeply into history - I I’ll just show the route of a one-day walking tour for those who find themselves in Lviv for the first time, and give some practical advice.

Useful information about the railway station and surrounding area:

All the mentioned (and some other necessary) objects are marked on the map:

Look at a larger map

From the station to the center. Our path from the railway station to the historical city center passes along the street. Gorodotskaya. Very soon on the right hand we will see the first attraction - the Church of St. Elzbieta, built at the beginning of the 20th century, i.e. in the era when Lviv belonged to Poland. Its sharp spiers reaching into the sky are already visible from the train windows at the entrance to the station: the Roman Catholic Poles who built the church had the goal of eclipsing and overshadowing the domes of the Greek Catholic Cathedral of St. George, the main shrine of the Rusyns, the indigenous population. During Soviet times, the church was closed. Now this architectural building belongs to the Greek Catholic Church and is called the Church of Saints Olga and Elizabeth. The church had the best organ in Lviv, but in 1946 the church was closed, since 1970 the building was a warehouse, and by 1991 all that was left of the organ was rubble. Go ahead. If you look back, the spiers of the Elżbieta Church will be visible, and in the distance ahead is the Castle (Princely) Mountain.

The street goes down, and in order not to miss the Cathedral of St. George, we focus on the circus. We turn off the street. Gorodotskaya to the right. There is a climb to the Svyatoyursky Hill - domes and crosses rise above the greenery of the trees. The architectural ensemble of the Cathedral of St. Yura is the main temple of Greek Catholics in Lviv, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture. The current appearance of the cathedral is its last reconstruction of the 18th century (Basilian monastery, Basilians - Greek Catholic monks), although the first church on this mountain appeared in 1280 under Prince Lev Danilovich and was Orthodox.

We climb the hill straight to the former monastery building (now it is an ordinary residential building with apartments). We go around the complex of buildings on the right. From St. George Square there is a gate. A single ensemble is created by the temple, the bell tower, the chapter house, the metropolitan chambers, the garden, and the fence. The Metropolitan moved to Kyiv quite recently - in 2005. If you stand at the entrance for a little while, some kind of excursion group with a guide will probably soon appear. Then you can return to Gorodotskaya Street and continue along it to the center to the Opera House or go down from Svyatoyursky Hill along the street. Listopadovogo Chinu, cross the park named after. Ivan Franko, go to the monument to the great Ukrainian writer, opposite which stands the building of Lviv University, and from there move towards the center along the street. Sichovykh Streltsov, st. Petra Doroshenko or st. Kobernika. The main thing is to get to Freedom Avenue.

Getting to know the historical center of Lviv

1st route (mandatory).

Let's look at the diagram of this part of Lviv and start with the route indicated green :

Guides lead groups along this route, so it is best to cross the historical center from Svoboda Avenue to the starting point of the route - to Porokhovaya Vezha. There, join one of the groups and listen to the guide for 2-3 hours. Here's what you can see:

• 5 , Porokhova Vezha (tower) -1554 -56, remains of the fortification system that covered the city of Lviv from the north: earthen ramparts, a ditch (current Podvalnaya Street), wall foundations;
• 8 , city arsenal (weapon museum);
• 3 , Orthodox Assumption Church (the church itself, the 66-meter bell tower of Kornyakt, the Chapel of the Three Saints), Renaissance architecture - 1572-1629, the quarter in which the Rusyns (native Ukrainians) lived, a monument to the first printer I. Fedorov;
• 4 , Roman Catholic Dominican Cathedral with an organ, a monument of Baroque architecture - 1749-64 ( was founded back in the 14th century by Dominican monks). Now belongs to the Greek Catholic Church;
• 1 , city hall, Market Square, pharmacy museum;
• 2 , Latin Cathedral. The main temple of Roman Catholics in Lviv. The best organ. The cathedral was built/rebuilt from 1360 to 1760-78. It combines different architectural styles: Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Classicism. A sacred place for the Poles, since here was the icon of the Merciful Mother of God, who protected them in the war with the Swedes in 1656. The cannonballs on the wall of the cathedral are reminiscent of the Turkish siege of 1672. There was a cemetery around the church, from which the Boim chapel remains ( magnificent stone carving!) - 1609-15, Campian chapel (1619).
• 24 , Jesuit ancient church of Peter and Paul, college. Baroque church, 1610-1630. - one of the largest churches in Lviv. The Jesuits came to Lviv at the beginning of the 17th century. and built here the third largest temple on the territory of the then Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which could accommodate 5,000 people. During the Soviet years, the church had a book depository. The church opened for worship a year and a half ago and belongs to Greek Catholics. There is no restoration yet, everything inside is shabby, but you can see what the temple looked like several centuries ago. The building of the Jesuit college was attached to the church; in 1661, the first university on Ukrainian soil was opened here. Further along the same street. Teatralnaya on the right is the Natural History Museum. It has a unique museum collection, but has been undergoing repairs and restoration for several years now.
• 11 , Armenian Cathedral, 1363-70, Armenian quarter;
• 12 , Greek Catholic Church of the Transfiguration, 1875-98;
• 13 , Opera theatre - the most beautiful in Europe, stands on a par with the opera of Vienna and Odessa.

Route 2 (in addition to the first).

The second route, marked in blue, runs along Liberty Boulevard - it's like Khreshchatyk in, - but I prefer the original name of the street - Lower Shafts. Once upon a time, the city was bordered on this southern side by the swampy Poltva River. After the annexation of Lviv to Austria in 1886, Poltva was hidden underground, the defensive structures were dismantled - a boulevard and pedestrian alleys appeared... Then the entire route runs along the edge of the Old Town: pl. Mitskevich, Galitskaya square, Cathedral square, buildings of the former Bernardine monastery ( 10 ). We return to the street we already knew along the first route. Basement to the city arsenal. Back “in the heart” of Lviv, you can go to Rynok Square along the street. Old Hebrew. This part of the city was once tightly closed; there was a Jewish ghetto here. The ancient synagogue, unfortunately, has not survived. A leisurely walk along this route will take up to two hours and it is worth completing it by climbing the tower of the city hall - the views of the Old Town and Lviv in general from there offer extraordinary views. True, until October 2013 the town hall is closed for restoration.

Route 3 (if there is still free time).

The route indicated on the diagram bright pink color, leads to St. Square market. It was here in the 12th century, during the time of Danylo Galitsky, who founded the city and named it in honor of his son Leo, that the first settlement appeared. And only after the capture of Lviv by King Casimir III of Poland in 1349, the city center “moved” to where it exists to this day, sq. Market.From St. Square The market route lies up the street. Uzhgorod on Castle (Prince) Mountain. In the 13th century, the “High Castle” fortress stood here. Only part of the wall remains, but there is an excellent viewing platform, a park of the same name. The 200-meter television tower installed on the hill in 1957 is also impressive. Sights of this route, indicated on the diagram:

• 14 , Church of Mary of the Snows, 14th century, built by German colonists;
• 18 , Church of St. Nicholas, 13th century, the oldest church in Lviv, the temple of the Lviv Rusyns, the tomb of the Galician princes;
• 17 , Church of Ivan the Baptist, 13th century. There is a version that the church was built in the 13th century by Lev Galitsky for his wife Constance, daughter of the King of Hungary;
• 15 , former Benedictine church, 16th century. The appearance of the church and monastery buildings, rebuilt in the 18th century, has survived to this day;
• 16 , Church of St. Casemir, 17th century. It was built by Roman Catholic monks of the Order of Reformers.

Old Lviv from the "High Castle" close-up

The diagram also shows:

• 6 , former Carmelite church, 17th century. (St. Michael's Church);
• 7 , former Carmelite church, 17th century. (Church of Presentation);
• 9 , former church of the Clarices, 17th century.

Finally, a few more tips:

1. The best view of Old Lviv opens from the tower of the City Hall.
2. Want to hear the organ? Go to the Cathedral. Organ music is played there during services. Other options: the Dominican Cathedral (but the organ is “turned on” there especially for tourists) and the Organ Hall. But today there are three organs in Lviv.
3. If you're lucky, you can watch a beautiful wedding ceremony in the Cathedral of St. George or in the Dominican Cathedral.
4. Coffee shops are a landmark of Lviv. The dizzying aroma of coffee hangs in the air above the streets. Where to get a cup of coffee? Here many people have different opinions. I would recommend the “World of Coffee” on Cathedral Square (see the mark on the map) - high-quality and varied coffee, delicious desserts, the location of the coffee shop in the very, very historical place of Lviv. But it’s a little expensive... If you want cheaper, but no worse quality, then go to the Galka coffee shop (also marked on the map). There is also a brand store of the Lviv coffee factory “Galka”. Buy home coffee beans or freshly ground coffee and drink it in the morning, nostalgic for the unique Lviv aura.
5. Sweet tooths and coffee lovers can visit the Lviv chocolate workshop, the Lviv coffee pit (also see map) and many other similar places (for example, Tsukernya or a coffee shop in the Italian courtyard), but in my opinion, most of these establishments are designed for tourists and, accordingly, pumping money out of him. Therefore, for the first time, I insist on step 4.
6. Where to eat? If it’s more expensive and funnier, then in one of the themed restaurants. There are already a lot of them here:

• “Masoch Cafe” - staff in leather outfits, on the walls there are attributes of masochistic games that you can try on yourself if the desire suddenly arises;
• “Kerosene Lamp” (“Gasova Lamp”) is a museum of kerosene lamps and a cafe at the same time. The top floor offers a cool view of the city;
• "Masonic Restaurant" is an elite and very expensive secret restaurant. No sign. Second floor of house No. 14 on the square. Market, 14 - apt. No. 8;
• “Kraivka” (“Kriivka”) - in the same house, but in the entrance on the first floor behind an inconspicuous door (see location on the map). There are no signs or signs either. The restaurant is stylized as a forest dugout of UPA fighters - “Bandera’s cache.” To get there, you need to know the “gaslo” (password): “glory to Ukraine!” - "Glory to the heroes!".

If it’s cheaper, then you need to go to the “folk” national restaurant “Puzata Khata” (see map) or, for example, to the IMF - International Dumpling Fund (located on Cathedral Square).