Ukraine::Lviv

You've been to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, and so you think you know everything about the country? But thats not true, since one can't really understand this country until visiting Lviv, Ukraine's "secret western capital".

Just an hour by plane from Vienna or Berlin and you are in the Lion city. This animal is held in high regard in Lviv, as evidenced by the public sculptures of hundreds of lions that greet and welcome you to Lviv.

Lviv is a very poetic city steeped in legends both ancient and relatively new! Narrow medieval streets paved with stones, architectural decoration done in different styles - all preserved in its original form. In ancient times Lviv was the capital of a mighty Slavic state called the Galicia-Volyn principality. Being a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and then Poland contributed to the formation of the city's unique image. In spite of all the whims of history the city has not lost its Ukrainian spirit, and thank God, Lviv's delicate architecture has not suffered from monstrosities of the Soviet Era. So it is no wonder that the central part of the city is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage. You can admire monuments of different eras created by the combination of numerous national cultural traditions in this open-air museum for hours.

The city's unperceivable Bohemian aura seemed to magnetically attract unconventional people. There were a lot of geniuses among them including the Polish poet Adam Mitskevych, Ukrainian historian and philosopher Mykhailo Hrushevsky, biologist and the inventor of typhus vaccine Rudolf Vigel, author of classic of Jewish literature Shalom Aleihem, famous fantasist of the 20th century Stanislav Lem and many others looked for inspiration for their creative and scientific work in Lviv.

Places to visit:

Lviv temples, churchers

The Lion City became a house for many religions. For centuries Orthodox lived in harmony with Catholics and Greek-Catholics got along with Jews.

There is hardly any architectural style you can't study by close examination of Lviv's temples. In the Middle Ages there were centers of organ music and organ construction, which Lviv was famous for together with such cities as Krakow, Warsaw and Vilnius. You should study the heritage of the Lion City from princely times to the modern period.

St. George Cathedral

A masterpiece of the Ukrainian baroque, it was built in place if a 14th century temple by efforts of metropolitan A. Sheptytsky. It is considered to be a symbol of unity of two branches of Christianity - Orthodox and Catholic, since Western Ukraine is the motherland of the Greek-Catholic church founded in the 16th century. The most precious relic of the temple is a miracle icon of the Mother of God (the 17th century). The front of the cathedral is decorated with the figures of saints made by Johan Pinsel, a Lviv sculptor. He is well-known in Europe as the inventor of an original sculpture technique, therefore he is called Lviv's Michelangelo.

Latin Metropolitan Cathedral (1360-1480)

The forms of the cathedral are strict and majestic. They make a harmonious combination of the elements of Gothic and Baroque styles. Polish king Kazimierz the Great laid the corner stone of the Roman-Catholic church. At the end of the 19th century a stained-glass window that completed the interior of the temple was made according to the design of Ya. Mateiko, Yu.Mehoffer and T.Aksentovych. It now hosts the Lviv Cathedra of the Latin rite.

The buildings of Bernardians monastery complex

The complex unites Bernardian St Andrew's Roman-Catholic church (1600-1630), monastery buildings, belfries, rotunda over the well surrounded by defensive wall and a decorative column. Here everything reminds of charitable medieval monks who always took care of traveler: giving them refuge, food and warmth.

Lviv Museums

If the walls of the old Lviv could speak, they could tell a lot of staggering stories. But the only thing they manage to do is to keep memories of the previous centuries carefully. Numerous museums and galleries are more eloquent interlocutors, as they can speak an eternal language of art. Distinctive artistic traditions naturally combine here with the modern avant-garde originality. Art connoisseurs will be pleasantly surprised at Lviv art collections.

The National Museum in Lviv

In the Museum you will see a unique collection of Ukrainian icon painting of the 14-17th centuries. Old manuscripts, sculpture, painting, etching and folk arts will attract your attention.

"Arsenal " Museum

It is the only museum of weapons ion Ukraine. The collection of "Winged hussars" (the 16th century) is one of the richest in Europe. Arsenal exhibits a great collection of old cold steel, fire-arms and cannons made in famous workshops in 32 countries of the world.

The Pharmacy Museum

The museum is located in the building where 250 years ago, the first pharmacy in Lviv pharmacy appeared. You'll get to know the history of pharmaceutics, which was always one of the leading spheres in the economy of Galicia had a leading positioning the world for centuries. Here you can peep in most secretive corners of old mazes and visit the study of medieval alchemist.

The Museum of glass

The Museum houses a unique collection of modern art in Ukraine, which is world-renowned. You will be able to see extraordinary glass compositions created during four international symposia of fancy glass held in Lviv.

Coffee is an integral part of living in Lviv style.

Cozy cafes, where Lviv literary and artistic Bohemia likes getting together, make a particularly fascinating atmosphere of the Old City.

Black coffee is an integral part of living in Lviv style.

Legend has it, that prince Yuri Kultchytsky, a prominent figure in Ukrainian and European history, introduced this tradition. It was he who in 1678 offered Europeans then unknown aromatic beverage opening in Vienna the first cafe in Europe. There is a cafe in Lviv, which has the name of its founder "At Yuri Kultchytsky". Visit Lviv cafes and make sure that people there know what the art of making coffee is.

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