Lviv is a pretty little city located on the western part of Ukraine. It is close to border of Poland. Ukraine is a big country , that’s why east , west , south and sorth parts of Ukraine have different characteristic. Besides architecture , people’s character is also a bit different than east regions and i can say that people are more cheerful in Lviv. 2-3 nights will be enough fort his little city. But of course it would be great tos tay more time and breath the atmosphere and explore more.
Why Lviv ? :
The biggest reason for Ukraine to be preferred by travellers much is because it is not expensive to have a vacation in Ukraine. The other reasons are distance from Europe , security issues etc.
Transportation :
There are direct flights to Lviv from many countries. When you arrive at Lviv Danylo Halytsky International Airport , you can have many different options to reach to old city. You can take a taxi , uber or you can use public transportation. Taxi drivers will try to get more as everywhere. I prefer public transportation. This is a good way to experience the real life. Ukraine is very safe , so you use public transportation org o out alone any time. I got in the trolly bus number 9. Get off near to center had 10 mins walk to apartment. When you get in the bus , you can buy ticket from bus driver. But after that you will need to bore it with a machine located in the bus. This manuel system is quite old and will make you feel like travelling in the time. One ticket should be around 3-4 hryvnia.
Accommodation :
There are many various options for accommodation in Lviv ; hotels , hostels and apartments. Most common one is apartment. I stayed in a big and old apartment in Kostomorova Street , it was 3+1 and paid 55 usd per night and liked it. People are friendly and hospitable in Ukraine , so you can even use couchsurfing and find a cheaper or even free accommodation.
Things to Do in Lviv :
There are not many things to do in Lviv while it is a little city. There is nearly no museum to visit , but civil architecture is really nice. You will not find big museums , palaces etc but you can spend time with walking in the narrow cities. Lviv is known as an art city , because of the cold , they have a developed indoor culture , so you can visit many restaurants , bars etc which are more than a restaurant and bar. I will divide the list into 2 parts. First i want to list the architecture , churches etc and then bars , pubs and restaurants which you should see.
A-) Architecture :
I will mention about the buildings briefly.
1-) Market Square :
Market Square is the most central area in Lviv. All the places to see are in the square or 2-3 streets next to it.
2-) Old Town :
Nearly in all the european cities there is an old town. I will recommend to walk in all the streets of Lviv old town and you can finish it in a day.
3-) Lviv Town Hall :
Lviv Town Hall is located in the Market Square. You can go up to the tower of the building and have a look at to the whole city.
4-) Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet :
It is the most beautiful building in Lviv. The details , symbols and sculptures are great on the building. If you don’t stay too short , i would recommend to join to a play.
5-) Lychakiv Cemetery :
It is absolutely a wonderful cemetery. I strongly advise to visit this place. It will take around 25-30 mins by walk from Market Sqaure. You will pay 30 hryvnia.
6-) Lviv High Castle :
Another place to see. It is on the top of a hill , which means you will need to climb up. It is alos around 25-30 mins by walk from Market Square but in a different direction.
7-) Potocki Palace :
When you hear the word palace , don’t expect sth like in Istanbul etc. This is a small palace but still good to see and also you an see beautiful paintings inside. You will pay 20 hryvnia to visit the palace.
8-) Churches :
While the churches are not so special in Lviv , i want to sort them in a sentence without any explanation. Except from one , all of them very close to Market Square. These churces are ; St. George’s Cathedral , Boim Chapel , Dominican Church , Bernardine Church , Church of Sts. Olha and Elizabeth , St. Peter and Paul Garrison Church( Jesuit Church) and some several more.
B-) PLACES :
I always mention about restaurant , bars and pubs in the food section but this time i want to put these in to do list. The main reason to visit Lviv , can be concept places.
1-) Baczewski Restaurant :
I didn’t like the dishes much but the presentation and atmosphere was great. But if you prefer steaks , you will not regret. While there are many restaurants in the list , i suggest to visit here for breakfast at the weekend.
2-) Kryivka Restaurant :
It looks like a bar more than a restaurant. First you will need to knock the door. Then a guy who wears military uniform with an infantry rifle will ask you the password. If you answer him ‘ slava Ukraine ‘ which means glory is wih Ukraine or sth like that , the guy will open the door and take you in. The building looks like a vault. Here i only chose some drink. While you drinking something , you will hear the gun fire from next door but nothing to be afraid , they try their best to create the atmosphere for you.
3-) Ribs Restaurant at Arsenal :
The building was used as Arsenal before. It is famous with pork ribs. There is no table , spoon , fork etc served at the restaurant because of the concept. I suggest only pork ribs.
4-) Gas Lamp :
You read it correctly. It is lamp. The concept is like a museum , full of with various gas lamps. It was built fort he sake of who found the gas lamp. Another concept place to visit.
5-) The Pravda Beer Theatre :
It is a big building , looks a bit like theatre but mostly like a factory. You can see the big distillery. On the other hand here some concerts helds. But maybe we should call it as live music. I strongly advise to visit this place.
6-) Masoch Cafe :
This place is a legend. When you first see the waitress with bdsm costume , whipping people , you can get shock. When you see the videos on tv , when you have a look at the menu and when you got some whip on the back , you will agree that they totally remunerate for the name of the place. A unique experience.
7-) House of Legends :
According to the rumors , a family was living in this building , about which there were many myths. Restaurant built based on these myths. You can try some food here or you can directly go up to the terrace and take photo with flying car , enjoy the view and try to throw coins into wish hat.
8-) Drunk Cherry :
Drunk Cherry is a small place with a warm atmosphere which you can drink cherry liqueur. They have many branches also in Kiev and Kharkiv. Especially in cold winter evenings , you can drink 1-2 glass every evening and go on the the plan. On the other hand you can buy some bottle as souvenir.
9-) Lviv Handmade Chocolate :
I can still feel the taste of it , especially the hot chocolate. It is actually a factory , you will find a huge amount of various chocolates and will be another good place to buy souvenirs.
Note: Lviv is much different than all other cities. While tourism is about historical buildings , museums , holy places and natural beauties , in Lviv it is totally about concept places.
FOOD
For me , whole Ukraine fails the class if the topic is food. Maybe this is because i live in Istanbul. Not only in the restaurants , i even don’t like the products which i buy from markets. All the places i listed are good restaurants to try but if you stay longer in Lviv , you will need some more local and cheaper foods. I tried Burger King and it is totally different than here. They have some pastry like our börek , but nearly all of them include some jams , chocolate or fruits etc which i don’t prefer in pastry. There are 2 good and cheap pizza restaurants , Mafia Restaurant and Celantano. There is a big chain restaurant name is Puzata Hata , nothing related to Pizza Hut J It is like our ‘ lokanta ‘ which you can find many different homemade dishes and cheap. If you stay longer , you can always visit here. I can recommend a borscht(soup). On the other Nemiroff is a Ukrainian vodka which is so cheap and i find it delicious. In the markets you can buy 1 lt. Nemiroff for around 180 hryvnia.
SHOPPING
There are many places for shopping in Lviv. You can find everything at Market Square. But next to Tramway Cafe , you can visit the junk market. Here you can find many kind of souvenirs and don’t forget to bargain.
I hope you enjoyed my Lviv Page. If you have any suggestion for , please let me know.
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