The 11 Best Attractions In Lviv

Lviv is a city of legends. Every ancient building is full of historical spirit. Tiny courtyards and cobbled streets have been keeping secrets since medieval times. There are 60 museums and 104 cathedrals and churches. For the last five years, in terms of the number of tourists, Lviv has surpassed even Kiev and Odessa. Having visited the city at least once, you will remember its mysterious atmosphere forever.

Town Hall

The Market Square is part of the historic center of Lviv, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The main attraction of the square is Town Hall, constructed in the 14th century. Its height is 65 meters (213 feet), and it is considered to be the highest town hall in Ukraine. Currently, it is a seat of the local authorities and an amazing viewpoint with an incredible panorama over the city.

Rynok Square, 1, L’viv, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine

1. Lychakiv Cemetery

Cemetery

Lychakiv Cemetery is an integral part of the city’s architecture and one of the most magnificent necropolises in Europe, dating from the 18th century. The place is known not only for its beautiful crypts and gravestone monuments, but also for the many hidden tales and legends associated with outstanding people of art. It has about 500 sculptures of completely different architectural styles and over 2,000 crypts. The inscriptions on tombstones are written in Ukrainian, Polish, German, Serbian, Italian, Armenian, Latin, Hebrew, and Russian.

Dormition Cathedral

The cathedral complex consists of a whole ensemble of architectural masterpieces, which comprised a printing house, a library, a school, and a museum. It used to be the venue of the Orthodox community of the old city. The ensemble has a direct relationship with the Italian courtyard because it was built from the funds of Konstantin Kornyakt. The interior of the Dormition Cathedral is decorated with paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries, and it has the iconostasis of 1773. The highest point is the 66-meter tower, which resembles the bell tower of Venice.

Ruska Street, 5/7, L’viv, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine

2. Lviv University

University

Lviv National Ivan Franko University is one of the oldest in the whole of Eastern Europe. It exists since 1608. Up to 1773, the main disciplines of the university were philosophy, Latin and theology. But as soon as the Kingdom of Galicia entered the Habsburg Empire, the education became more secular, and teaching began in the Ukrainian language. All the professors were supposed to have the title of Doctor of Sciences, and each candidate was personally approved by the commission of the Ministry of Education in Vienna. Studying and working there was and still is considered to be prestigious.

Library of Ukrainian Catholic University

The project of the library of Ukrainian Catholic University was developed jointly by the German firm Behnisch Architekten and Lviv Chaplinskyy & Associates. It took two years to construct the building and, finally, the opening ceremony of it was held on September 10, 2017. The library has five floors and three terraces: two are are open-air spaces, and on the top floor there is a open glassed-off space with a wonderful view of Stryi Park. It is the most modern and environmentally friendly place in the city of Lviv, which is definitely worth comparing to the ancient architecture of the city center.

Kozelnytska St, 2, L’viv, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine