Whilst in Krakow, Poland we took the chance to cross the border over into Ukraine and to the beautiful city of LVIV. This was a unique opportunity to see a country very much at the forefront of current events and to see somewhat of the truth behind the veil of the media, it was quite the adventure in which we were both quite shocked by what we saw and at the same time pleasantly surprised. So what is it like to visit Ukraine…Here is our day in the elegant Львів!
L’viv, Lvov, Lwów, Львів, Львов, Lemberg or Leopolis…
Chapters
L’viv, Lvov, Lwów, Львів, Львов, Lemberg or Leopolis… this city has had as many names as it has nationalities, but this has always been the city of the lion and has a strong, proud and beautiful Ukrainian spirit which was a joy to experience…
Getting to Lviv from Krakow:
The distance from Krakow to Lviv isn’t at all far, in fact, it is pretty much the same as travelling from Manchester to London or New York to Boston or DC, trips we have taken in the past and can easily be done in a day. However, this is the edge of the EU we are talking about and the journey took around 9 hours… 3.5 of those crossing the border!
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It was quite some experience so much so in fact that I wrote a post that goes into much more detail, check it out here: Crossing the border from Poland to Ukraine This post not only tells you about our adventure on the border/ journey but also gives you some information on how to take the same trip and what to expect.
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First impressions of Ukraine:
I summarised this to a friend recently, when you visit Russia you have an impression of what it’s going to be like: run-down, dark and quite intimidating, but then you arrive and to your surprise, it isn’t. Then you visit Ukraine and you find the Russia you were expecting! Ok, so this is a little harsh because it turned out to be so much more than that, but the rural areas before you get to Lviv came as quite a shock after the relative modernity and forwardness of Poland.
I went into more detail in my previous blog post, but what I will say is that many times when you cross borders the changes can be quite subtle, take the journey from France through to Holland, you hardly notice when you transitioned from one to the other bar a few signs.
We had stepped into another land, another culture and another time. Crossing the border from the highways of Poland to the crumbling roads of Ukraine, dust filled the air and the colour seemed to fade.
The road was at best-broken tarmac Surrounded by ramshackle corrugated iron houses and breeze block farms down dirt paths, packs of dogs, chickens and goats roaming the streets and people queued glumly in the morning fog for the 30+-year-old buses to arrive, faded and layered with dirt. This interspersed with Soviet-era housing, Gagarin statues and golden-domed churches, it felt like the clock had stopped in 1991.
I partly enjoyed seeing such a vastly different place from anywhere I had visited but also wondered what the day had in store for us as this was vastly different to the impressions of Lviv I had heard previously.
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General Observations of Lviv:
Firstly the Lviv bus station is about 6km outside of the centre and takes about half an hour in a taxi. The bus station is not what you expect of Lviv although after the drive from the border is not exactly surprising!
It’s a cold, harsh Soviet monstrosity in the middle of a residential area consisting mostly of tower blocks and dusty, crumbing roads, it’s pretty uninviting and it’s hard to come across anyone able or even willing to help us! Eventually, we managed to somehow negotiate a taxi to the city at a cost of 60 UAH (£2.49!)
I have to be honest and say that I knew little really of the city or even the country before visiting but there is a certain draw in the mysterious and the unknown. I knew enough to know that Lviv is pro-European and the least likely of anywhere in the country to encounter any trouble.
My research also suggested that due to the history of the city and its changing nationality over the years its architecture and culture were very much in line with that of Poland.
However what you do find is in fact find is a city that is very proud to be Ukrainian, everywhere you looked there were flags draped from apartment windows and flying from the cars and almost everyone speaks entirely Ukrainian and not Russian. It is known as the most Ukrainian of all the cities in this country and Russia’s influence is fiercely rejected over here in favour of a more European-feeling city.
The centre square, Rynok, itself is a testament to the history of this city, the Baroque and neo-Renaissance style Opera house – Built by the Austrians stands across from the Adam Mickiewicz statue which celebrates the 19th-century poet and his Polish works, this, mere steps from the large monument to Shevchenko, the staunch nationalist whose poems created a strong sense of national identity in Ukraine. This is what gives Lviv its unique and varied cultural feel.
It feels dirtier, worn and a lot less approachable than Krakow though, despite sharing many of its bohemian charms. The buildings are of a similar architecture but are a lot less well maintained, the trams are older and rumble through the unevenly cobbled and crumbling streets and there is not another tourists in sight! There is just this other atmosphere to the place you can’t quite pin down, but you get this deep sense of culture, history and unpredictability… as well as quite a lot of stray dogs.
The city itself could not be any more different than the outlying rural countryside and the area around the bus station, it’s like another country again. It still retains that edge but becomes a wonderful grand old city. Its central “Old Town” deserving of its UNESCO-listed status with its characterful dust-layered Art Nouveau and Baroque buildings literally telling the story of this city’s turbulent history.
The details of the city’s facades are absorbing, even the most mundane of buildings would stand out as a masterpiece in any other city. As much as the Ukrainians have an intensity to them the pace of the city seemed generally quite easy going and most were more intrigued by our presence rather than outraged!
One thing we did notice was how religious people are here, we had picked up on it in Poland, how the churches were a lot more in use than in other countries and not just a tourist attraction. Visiting was quite an intense experience even for a pair of hardened atheists, you always want to be respectful of other cultures and it’s nice to be able to sit back and watch the locals.
Quite a few people actually got down on the floor in the middle of the church to pray and many were going around the room kissing various images and objects.
Entering these churches with a camera and a foreign voice instantly results in many stopping and turning around and staring intensely at you! The churches in this city are its most recognisable feature, a real feast for the eyes, the lavish detail really is something to behold, it’s almost too much for your eyes to take it and really does go someway to expressing the passion the Ukrainian’s have for their religion.
It’s an enigmatic, charming and absorbing city, the rows of cobbled streets heading off Rynok square each leading to another century’s old church full of the faithful, or courtyards filled with the smells of local cuisine cooking away whilst the headscarfed babushkas chatter as they scrub with their donkey stones in a scene reminiscent of times past.
This city has mostly been spared the violence of the rest of the country, much like its architecture was left largely absent from the cold Soviet blocks of its outskirts and compatriot cities. However, sentiment towards Russia is bitter here and it is obvious a strong stance is being taken towards the freedom and independence of Ukraine.
In the central square two tents remain, its occupants defiantly and peacefully continuing the protests of the Ukrainian cause, yellow and blue flying high and proudly alongside images of what I only assume to be victims of Russia’s campaign.
Internet searches bring up images of this area filled with flag and banner-waving residents making sure their voice is heard. All over the city, there are more flags and many shops sell toilet rolls bearing Putin’s face as well as posters likening Russia’s leader to Hitler.
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Tips and Advice For Visiting Ukraine:
Money:
The currency in Ukraine is the “Hryvnia”, we tried in vain to get hold of it in the UK but it pretty much isn’t stocked by anyone due to the instability of the economy in Ukraine. Even in Poland, it is hard to come by, we tried several “Kantors” with no success. In the end, we were only able to get hold of 2 notes: A 100 and 500, for only around £30 out of the £100 we had put aside for the day.
Lviv bus station itself does have exchanges if you get desperate but we didn’t want to chance it. We struggled to even spend £35 such was the low cost of everything!
The exchange rate is around £1 = 24.36 UAH and something like a can of coke would cost around 6 UAH, that’s £0.25! We pay around £0.70 in the UK! It’s hard to change back though as it is almost worthless outside Ukraine so best to change small bits as you go.
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Wise (The Artist Formerly Known as TransferWise)
In the early days of travel we would get a stack of money out and carry it with us… It wasn’t the best way to avoid a disaster really, but getting constantly stung by ATM fees wasn’t much better,
Now we have Wise and, phew, things have CHANGED!! With our Wise account we can keep money in multiple currencies as well as withdrawing cash and paying by card without paying transaction fees. Plus, if you work online like we do, then it’s a fantastic platform for payments.
Language/ Tourist Information:
There do seem to have been some maps erected around the city which really helps in negotiating your way from sight to sight. Asking for help here is quite difficult as many people know very little English and speak only Ukrainian, thankfully these new signs have Romanised lettering as well as Cyrillic.
You might find communication a little difficult but some of the younger people know a few words in English or German, it’s best to have a phrase book as things can get a little confusing!
We noticed a few times that when we started to speak people would stop and look around at us, many unsure of where we were actually from or even what language we were speaking, some thinking we were Dutch! We do enjoy the challenge though and it’s all part of the experience!
Transport
Lviv has a tram network which consists of around 9 lines and has been running since 1880 along with the more modern trolley buses and normal buses. The city is well covered by all these modes of transport and buses can be taken from here up to the main bus station outside of town by marshrutky 71 and 180 from pr Svobody or trolleybus 5 from pl Petrushevycha.
The train station is also connected by trams 1 and 9. All are as expected very cheap and use a similar time stamp ticketing method as Krakow and many other Eastern European tram networks, more info including maps and timetables can be found here: www.lviv.travel/en/tourist-information/transportation
However, in the end, we didn’t need to use any public transport to get around the city, it is quite small and compact and all the sights we wanted to see were well within walking distance. Walking is also a great way to see the city and we enjoyed wandering the cobbled streets and coming across many unexpected and interesting sights.
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Things To Do In Lviv
The UNESCO listed Historic old town.
The whole of the central old town district is worth spending some time wandering around the cobbled streets and is well worth its UNESCO status, leading from the main square the cafes and churches which line the streets feel endless! Go on a walk around here and see what you find!
Galician Street
This is one of the city’s oldest streets first being documented in 1382 and connects the market square to Galicaian square as well as housing the Boim Chapel. Every building along here is worth a look, holding fascinating details and history.
Town hall tower/ Rathaus
In the centre of the market square is the imposing town hall and its 306 stair tower, first established in the middle of the 14th century it has been rebuilt several times after being levelled in a fire in 1381 and then deemed unstable in the early 19th century. The 65-meter-high replacement is a replica of the original tower and leads up to amazing panoramic views of the city and all for only 10 UAH (£0.44!)
Black house
This is a unique and exceptional architectural monument dating back to the 16th-17th centuries, constructed on grey sandstone the façade is now an imposing black colour due to the century’s exposure to dirt, dust and smoke. There is also a fascinating museum inside and it lies just off Market Square.
Market/ Rynok square
Rynok Square, the centre point of the city, is surrounded by stunning buildings, statues, palaces, fountains and crowds. Dating back to the very beginning of the history of Lviv when in the middle ages livestock would be traded here and criminals publically punished it is still the most popular meeting place within Lviv and a great spot to people watch from its many cafes.
Churches:
If Lviv is short of one thing it certainly isn’t churches, its abundance and diversity are amazing (even for an atheist), each one exquisitely detailed and decorated and filled with passionate and faithful worshipers. From the grandeur of the three cathedrals to the tiny chapels, there are too many to count, here are some of our favourites:
Chapel of boim
This chapel is a Renaissance masterpiece and was commissioned by a well-known Lviv merchant George Boim in 1609-1615 and is decorated with lavish and detailed carvings and is often cited as one of the most beautiful churches in the world.
Dominican Cathedral
A church has stood here since the second half of the 13th century being constantly built, rebuilt and added on to and experiencing its heyday in 1612. The building itself is one of the most impressive we came across, its exterior columns continuing inside in a white and golden theme with an imposing central dome. During the 1970’s this church was unbelievably used as a warehouse!
Church of Transfiguration
One of the most colourfully decorated churches it is characterised by its twin domes facade and larger third dome in the middle of the building and is one of the first things to catch your eye from the Town Hall tower.
St Andrew’s
St.Andrew the First-Called Cathedral belongs to the Greek Catholic Church of Ukraine and is one of the most impressive cathedrals of Lviv, the interior roof painting is an absolute masterpiece!
Mary Magdalene
We came across this more by chance as it is a little out of the way of the others just as mass was finishing, and what a discovery it was. The internal fresco is one of the best I have ever seen and just blew us away. This particular version of the church was built in 1758!
Jesuit Church
Dedicated to St. Peter and Paul it is one of the oldest and largest churches in the city, it is noted for it’s interior decoration which dates back from the 19th century but was badly damaged during the city’s Soviet rule when it was used as a storage facility.
Other Churches:
- Assumption
- Latin Cathedral
- Armenian Cathedral
- Transfiguration
Bernardine Courtyard
Wandering around the former monastery is like stepping back in time and contains many fascinating features including a small statue of St. John of Dukla, the patron saint of Lviv.
St George’s Cathedral
Technically another of the churches this one stands out on its own and is a 15-minute walk from the centre of the city, it is the Baroque pearl of Lviv and its interior is truly a majestic sight well worth the uphill trek! This church also featured the “Turin Shroud” on display and people were queuing up to kiss the glass and kneel in front of it.
Markets
All over the squares of Lviv were flea markets and stalls selling everything from antiques to books and souvenirs and traditional Ukrainian crafts. Wandering around these is like being in an open-air museum and some of the objects for sale are truly fascinating if not a little strange. We ended up picking up a Chernobyl liquidator’s medal and all for a very small sum.
The flea market in Ivan Fiodorov Square is one of the largest and most popular.
Shevchenko Monument & Others
Within Lviv there are many monuments all over the city, one of the most popular is the Shevchenko monument in the square by the Opera House which has become one of the most recognisable images of Lviv and represents the revival of the Ukrainian nation.
Others in include the monument to King Daniel of Galicia in Galician Square, Adam Mickiewicz and Ivan Fiodorov all of which are surrounded by glorious squares.
Opera house
The opera house was one of the first things we came across after stepping out of the taxi into Prospect Svobody. It’s one of the symbols of the city and an architectural landmark of Ukraine. The building was erected in 1897-1900 in a classical style with forms and details characteristic of Renaissance and Baroque architecture and is a striking and splendid sight to see. Unfortunately, the Opera wasn’t open when we visited but the interior is famous for its lavish decorations and should be a must-see.
If you have longer here are some other suggestions:
- Lviv Arsenal
- Italian Yard (Italiys’kyi dvoryk)
- Jan III Sobieski Palace (Palats Kornjakta )
- lychakiv cemetery
- Lviv history museum
A final word on visiting Ukraine:
Visiting Lviv is a rewarding experience given the feel of authenticity which comes from its relatively undiscovered tourist potential and that really is its charm. We did indeed fall in love with Krakow but yet at the same time it can feel a little swamped, but not here, you feel almost like a pioneer. Many people talk about the elegance of Lviv in comparison to some of Ukraine’s more soviet style cities and you can really feel it here, it has that European style and swagger to it whilst staying true to its Ukrainian culture, it’s a strange and delightful mix.
So, should you visit Ukraine? Well if you’re not already convicted from reading my post and seeing what amazingly beautiful sights the city has to offer then I am not sure what else I can do! Ukraine may be going through a tough time at the moment but what is reflected in the media is nothing like the impression we got.
Lviv is a great place to start when thinking about visiting Ukraine, you can be sure to have an unforgettable and trouble-free experience and one which will cost you hardly anything! Go on, go out there and see it for yourself!
A couple of years later we visited the beautiful city of Kyiv as well as taking an epic adventure to Chernobyl too.
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Travel insurance is one of those annoying things that no one likes to think about, let alone pay for, when you’re planning your next trip. It can also be bloody annoying as a backpacker/long-term traveller to find affordable coverage that meets the itinerary-less lifestyle (*cough* World Nomads *cough*).
So instead of getting subpar travel insurance, now we just always go with SafetyWing. It takes like 5-10 minutes to purchase your policy and essentially functions as a monthly subscription plan with near-global coverage!
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Yo, I’m Nic (they/them), one-half of The Roaming Renegades.
I’m an adventure (and halloumi) obsessed traveller with a passion for hiking mountains, exploring cities, watching Arsenal win, moshing out to Rammstein in random European fields and getting hopelessly lost on a motorbike somewhere in Asia! I am also a proud member of the LGBT+ community.
I’ve explored 80 countries, lived in Australia and New Zealand, and spent months wandering Southeast Asia, South America and Eastern Europe, all while trying to avoid growing up!
Did it work? I dunno, but my back hurts, and I still collect Pokémon cards! Who wants in?!
Wow, this was quite some reading but it really did make me feel like if I was citing Lviv with you! That's always good 🙂 Thanks!
Ah thanks! Yeah, usually I try and keep the length down a little but sometimes it doesn't feel like it does it justice! Glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully it will encourage more to visit! 🙂
Looks like an interesting place! Actually – Лъвов – is how you say it in Bulgarian, too 😛 Ukraine is unknown destination and it's nice to see they have such great cities.
Thank you! We didn't know all that much before but sometimes it leaves you with not so many preconceptions that way, which can be more exciting! 🙂
Oh, that's interesting. Bulgaria is somewhere we would like to visit also and I had wondered how similar the other Cyrillic languages are! Yes, not many people go as it's representation in the media isn't great, but it has many beautiful places too! 🙂
Haha, fun fact: Actually the Cyrillic alphabet was developed on Bulgarian lands and more concrete – in the First Bulgarian Empire 🙂
I´ve heard so many good things about Lviv and your photos just confirm that :)) Hope to go there in 2015, together with Moldova and Belarus
Never knew that, and I love the Cyrillic alphabet! Love learning new facts about countries! We will definitely have to be sure to visit Bulgaria now! 🙂
Yeah, it really is a good place to visit! Sounds great, we want to visit Belarus, it is supposed to be a lot like how Russia used to be… and you need an almost identical visa! That whole area fascinates us, lots of countries in that region we still need to see! Happy Travels! 🙂
You are welcome here! 🙂
We arrived
to Lviv on December 30. Celebrated New Year in this beautiful city. Settled in
the apartment on the Rynok Square. The apartment booked on this web site rentandstay.com.ua. The city was very beautiful in winter. Also visited
the oldest pharmacy, it was very interesting and informative. We spent 5 days
in Lviv, saw as much as possible.
Oh wow. I imagine new year and the winter in general here are very special and beautiful. It is a city I think that goes under the radar but is really lovely.
To the future readers: you just can’t absorb, see, feel, and understand Lviv in one day. Two years ago Lviv was a vibrant city with a vast majority of young people speaking English and many maps available – in English. The city center was booming with tourists and all the buildings in the center were well kept. Back then some trams (street cars) already had free Wi-fi onboard too. Keep in mind that traveling by bus gets your the “traveling by bus” experience. You get what you pay for. Fly and your passport control will be a 2 minute experience. See CKinUA.com. PS., travel the non-Moscow Russian roads of the east and then tell the readers about the roads of Ukraine.
really interesting, so thank you very much (we plan to visit Ukraine later this year) but even more interesting to me is how you managed to get from France to Holland without noticing Belgium. I know we’re a very small country, but still 😉
Thanks for your comment, we also visited Kiev and wrote about that took if you are interested in going there too, and Chernobyl. If you take a look around our website you will read on our travel map that Belgium is a place I visited, however it was on a short tour whilst on the way to Holland around about 10 years ago, so not much to write about but we did spend the day there. Ypres is also on my bucket list of places I would like to visit also as I have family who died in WW1 there. So Belgium holds a special place for me! We’ve not forgotten about it, I can’t wait to come over and visit Ypres, Bruges, Brussels and more places I am sure! Though, it does seem a random comment on this post I have to say as we were nowhere near Holland or Belgium! I actually visited Holland on a university tour 10 years ago, another country I would like to revisit in a more civilised manner, but students will be students ey!
Being a Lviv resident I d like to thank author for very fair and impartial tale.
Thank you very much! Lovely city
Thanks for the tale about your travel to Lviv. I have been there a lot of times, but it is interesting to read your impressions about the city.
P.S. Please, correct name of Ukrainian currency. It is “hryvnia”.
Thanks for reading, we returned to Ukraine last year and loved visiting again. Thanks, Its a hard one to spell and to say!
I’ve started to learn English not so far, so besides others positive moments of the blog i like to read your texts. Thay are not so hard like Shakespeare, but have a lot of new lexis for me 🙂
Please, keep on traveling and describe your adventures.
Thanks again
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your amazing commentary on your visit to Lviv. My great grandparents emigrated from there to the United States in the first years of the 20th Century – then it was still part of Austro-Hungary and went by the German name of Lemberg. I hope to visit one day – maybe we could schedule our visit together?
Thank you very much, it’s a really beautiful place and we would love to go back. We love that whole region. Lots of very interesting stories here just like your families.