Attractions of Lviv

The National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after Solomiya Krushelnytska in Lviv is considered one of the most beautiful theaters in Europe, along with the Odesa and Vienna opera houses.

The facade of the building is decorated with sculptural figures "Life" and "Art", statues "Glory", "Victory", "Love". The theater was designed in such a way that the lobby, corridors and stairs were illuminated with natural light as much as possible. One of the most beautiful interiors is a mirrored hall decorated with paintings depicting the symbolic change of seasons. A large chandelier in the hall made of precious materials is decorated with allegorical figures.

On the second floor, the personal apartments of Emperor Frants Yosyf with a bathroom and access to the imperial (now presidential) box have been preserved.

The aristocratic coffee shop "Komaryk" works.

Excursions are conducted.

The National Memorial Museum of Victims of Occupation Regimes "Prison at Lontskoho" was opened in Lviv in a building that for 85 years was occupied by the punitive bodies of various authorities.

The complex at the intersection of modern Bandery and Kopernika streets was built at the end of the 19th century for the Austrian gendarmerie. Then the prisons of the Polish, German and Soviet authorities were located in the building. In 1941, the largest number of political prisoners in Western Ukraine was destroyed here - 1,645. During the German occupation, the Gestapo prison was housed in the building. After the Second World War, it was used by the Soviet punitive and repressive authorities to hold captured rebels. After the declaration of Ukraine's independence, the detention center of the SBU was located here.

The museum complex "Prison at Lontskoho" was opened by the Liberation Movement Research Center and the Security Service of Ukraine. An authentic prison setting has been recreated. The complex includes a solitary confinement cell, a death row cell, and an investigator's office. Declassified "shooting lists" are presented, as well as the archive file of one of the most famous prisoners - Father Mykola Khmilevskyi, head of the underground Greek Catholic Church and member of the Ukrainian Main Liberation Council.

Excursions are conducted by appointment.

The three-storey townhouse at the corner of Rynok Square and Stavropihiyska Street is one of the oldest buildings in the central part of Lviv.

Built in the style of the late Renaissance in 1593. It was in this house that the wealthy Florentine merchant Roberto Bandinelli in 1629 opened the first post office in Lviv. Later the owners were local Armenians, Austrians and Poles.

Now "Palazzo Bandinelli" is a department of the Lviv Historical Museum, which recreates the residential interiors typical of the life of wealthy Lviv residents of the XVII-XVIII centuries.

For the attention of visitors - a hall for ceremonial receptions, and also enfilades of rooms: a drawing room, a gallery of a front portrait, an office, a dining room, etc. The rooms exhibit samples of handmade furniture, porcelain and earthenware from Europe, China and Japan, a collection of silverware, paintings.

The decoration of the collection is woven wallpaper, made to order by King Louis XVI of France. Of great interest is the interior of the kitchen, where samples of antique metal utensils are collected.

Earlier, the Palazzo Bandinelli housed the Royal Mail Museum, which told about the development of the postal service in Galicia, the construction of postal tracts, the opening of post offices with hotels, the emergence of stagecoaches and postmen.

The oldest pharmacy in Lviv has been operating on Rynok Square for almost 300 years.

The pharmacy in the townhouse "Under the Black Eagle" was opened in 1735 by a military pharmacist Frants Vilhelm Natorp, as evidenced by a wrought-iron sign with the emblem of medicine above the entrance. On both sides of the neat portal there are relief portraits of the god of healing Aesculapius and his daughter - the goddess of health Hygiene.

The old interior of the trade hall, paintings by Viennese masters on the ceiling, antique scales and cash registers have been preserved.

In 1966, the Museum of the History of Pharmacy opened here, with an exposition of more than 3,000 exhibits. In the exhibition halls you can see a variety of pharmaceutical devices, reconstruction of the pharmacist's home, an underground alchemical laboratory.

The courtyard recreates the view of the house of a rich burgher of the XVI-XVII centuries.

Pharmacy "Under the Black Eagle" continues to serve people today, becoming a state pharmacy № 15. In addition to drugs, you can buy the world-famous "Iron Wine" (aqueous solution of iron sugar used in iron deficiency anemia) and the popular Lviv tincture "Vihor", which is considered a means of increasing potency. Memorable souvenirs are also sold here.

The most luxurious palace in Lviv was created for the influential Polish magnates Potocki according to the project of the union of Lviv architects Lyudvih Baldvin-Ramult, Yuliush Tsybulsky, Petro Harasymovych and Leonard Markoni.

The customer was Count Alfred II Yuzef Potocki, his son Roman Potocki was completing the construction. The historicist-style palace is modeled on the entre cour et jardin residences of King Louis XIV of the Baroque Classicist era, when clear planning combined with rich exterior design.

Interiors in the style of King Louis XVI have been preserved. In particular, on the ground floor there are ceremonial halls for the reception of guests, in the design of which stucco, gilding, colored marble, painting are widely used. In Soviet times, the Palace of Marriages was located here.

In 2007, the Potocki Palace opened the Museum of European Art of the XIV-XVIII centuries - a department of the Lviv National Art Gallery named after Borys Voznytskyi. On the second floor there is one of the richest collections of European art in Ukraine, including "Catching Corals and Pearls" by Jacopo Zucchi, "Payment" by Georges de La Tour, "Portrait of a Young Patrician" by Sofonisba Anguissola, "Allegory of Divine Mercy" by an unknown German artist, "The Visit of Mary Elizabeth" by Jan van Scorel, sketches of monumental paintings by Paul Troger, Joseph Winterhalter, Franz Anton Maulbertsch and others.

The Park of Castles and Defense Structures of Ancient Ukraine has been opened in the courtyard of the Potocki Palace. Architect Ihor Kachor created 1:50 scale models of 18 fortifications that exist now or existed earlier on the historical territory of Ukraine-Russia. Entrance to the territory is free.

The architectural ensemble of Lviv's main shopping square began to take shape in the 14th century in the style of European medieval cities (before that, the Stariy Rynok (Old Market) was the shopping center).

Market Square (Rynok square) is surrounded on four sides by 44 houses (apartments), different in time of construction and style (Renaissance, Baroque, Empire). Architects Petro Krasovskyi, Martyn Hradovskyi, Petro Barbon, Pavlo Rimlyanin, Bernard Meretyn, Sebastian Fesinger and others worked on the building.

Elements of Gothic architecture of the XV-XVI centuries have been preserved in the basements and first floors of many buildings. They are home to museums, shops and popular cafes. The Lviv Historical Museum occupies the most interesting buildings ("Black Stone House", "Royal Stone House" and others).

The Lviv City Hall (1381-1827) in the center of the square is a symbol of the city. The building is used for its intended purpose - it houses the city government. The Lviv Information and Tourist Center is located on the first floor of City Hall, providing tourists with information, maps and guidebooks.

There are always many tourists on Rynok Square in Lviv, especially on the days of numerous holidays and festivals.

The Church of Saint Archangel Michael in Lviv was built at one time as a Catholic church of the monastery of the Discalced Carmelites, which was first mentioned in 1634, and has a long history of construction.

It was built, perhaps, according to the project of the architect Ivan Pokorovych, the son of the Lviv architect of Italian origin, Adam de Liarto. The towers of the main facade were designed by the architect Alois Vondrashka in 1835-1839, and completed during the restoration in 1906 by the architect Vladyslav Halytskyi.

The church was painted in 1731-1732 by the Italian artist Giuseppe Carlo Pedretti together with his Lviv student and assistant Benedykt Mazurkevych. The main altar is made of black marble (XVII century). Its authorship is attributed to the sculptor Oleksandr Prokhenkovych.

As one of the defense nodes of Lviv, the Carmelite church was repeatedly attacked, and in 1748 it even served as the arena of the so-called "monachomachy" - a struggle between Carmelite monks and Capuchins.

In 1991, the church and monastery were handed over to the monks of the Studio Statute of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (an order founded in the 1920s by Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyi) and re-consecrated in honor of Saint Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Ukraine-Rus and the guardian of the Holy Sepulchre.

The Archcathedral of Saint George (Saint Yura)  in Lviv is one of the most beautiful architectural ensembles of the city, a pearl of the Ukrainian Baroque. The main shrine of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, where the residence of the metropolitans of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was located for a long time.

The first church on Svyatoyurska Hill in Lviv was founded during the times of the Galicia-Volyn principality. The current temple complex was built in 1744-1770 according to the project of Bernard Meretin, who combined the Rococo style with Ukrainian sacred aesthetics. Sculptures by Ivan Pinzel are installed on the main facade of the Church of Saint George. The bell tower houses the oldest bell in Ukraine (1341). The most valuable relic of the temple is the miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary (XVII century).

Metropolitans Andriy Sheptytskyi and Volodymyr Sterniuk, Patriarch Yosyp Slipiy are buried in Saint George's Cathedral.

Next to the cathedral is the Metropolitan Palace, where Pope Ivan Paul II stayed in 2001 during his visit to Ukraine.

Since 1998, Saint George's Cathedral, together with the ensemble of the historical center of Lviv, has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

A monument to the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) Stepan Bandera was opened in Lviv in 2007 for the anniversary of the Ukrainization of the Insurgent Army (UPA).

It was in Lviv that Stepan Bandera began his political activity after entering the agronomic department of the Lviv Polytechnic in 1928.

The figure of the ideologue of Ukrainian nationalism is made full-length, more than 7 meters tall. In the background - the Stele of Ukrainian statehood - a 30-meter triumphal arch.

Castles (Knyazha) Hill in the central part of Lviv (413 meters), on top of which the fortified residence of Prince Danylo Halytskyi was built in the 13th century. It is called the High Castle (Vysoky Zamok) as opposed to the Lower Castle (Citadel).

Initially, the fortress was wooden, with earthen ramparts. In 1362, it was rebuilt in stone by the Polish king Kasymyr, who captured Galicia. The castle, rectangular in plan, had four towers at the corners, the highest of which was a watchtower. Inside was the princely palace, barracks, ammunition depots and a deep well. In 1648, the castle was taken by the troops of Maksym Kryvonos.

In the 19th century, it was almost completely dismantled, the "High Castle" (Vysoky Zamok) park was built in its place, and an observation deck was built, which offers the best views of the city. A fragment of the southern stone wall with loopholes that protected the entrance to the castle territory has been preserved. A long staircase leads to the top.

Currently, the High Castle is home to the regional television center and a relay tower.

The Way of the Cross in Lviv is an architectural complex that reproduces the main moments of the sufferings of Jesus Christ.

It is located on the northern slope of the High Castle (Vysoky Zamok) Hill. It consists of 15 stations (parking lots) with sculptures made by architect Bohdan Hretchak in 2010-2013.

The Way of the Cross complex also includes a cave temple, above which the figure of the Mother of God is installed, as well as the spring of the Virgin Mary.

Svobody Avenue (Liberty Avenue) is the city's central street, the most elegant and prestigious in Lviv.

It arose in the 18th century on the site of the lower city rampart. Old names: Nizhnyi Valy, Nimetskyi Valy, Lenin Avenue. Architectural eclecticism with features of classicism, neo-renaissance and baroque.

Svobody Avenue with an avenue in the middle starts from the Opera House. In the center is a monument to Taras Shevchenko and a sculptural composition dedicated to the poet's works. It ends at Mitskevych Square. Two tributaries of the Poltva River once converged here. In the middle is the figure of the Virgin Mary. The marble statue was erected at the expense of Countess Severina Badeni in 1861, moved to its current location in 1904, restored in 1997. In 1905, a monument to Adam Mitskevych - a Polish poetic luminary - was erected. The historic building of the George Hotel is also located on the square.

Svobody Avenue in Lviv is the tourist center of the city (the so-called "Stometrivka"), the main epicenter of political life (the so-called "Klumba"), a permanent meeting place for informal youth (the so-called "Frog").

Lviv Aquapark "Plyazh" is one of the largest indoor water recreation complexes in Ukraine, capable of receiving 1,000 visitors at the same time.

On an area of 14,000 square meters, there is a 50-meter sports pool, an entertainment area with 9 water slides of different lengths and levels of difficulty, a children's area with a small pool and small slides.

Recreational and game lessons on the water, children's fitness and therapeutic gymnastics classes are held for children.

In the recreation area there is a Turkish bath and a jacuzzi, and two bars. Aerobics, fitness, dance and other classes are held. The complex also includes a solarium, a fitness center, a bistro, and an Internet cafe.

There is convenient parking.

The Museum of Jewish Culture and History of Lviv Jews "In the Footsteps of Galician Jews" operates in Lviv under the All-Ukrainian Jewish Charitable Foundation "Hesed-Aryeh".

Initially, the museum was founded in only one room on the first floor of the foundation, and on the eve of 2020 it expanded to several new exhibition spaces. Enthusiasts have been collecting exhibits for it for 20 years of the museum's existence.

In particular, today the museum presents the following exhibitions: "Department of Victims of the NKVD and Nazism", "History of Lviv Synagogues and Rabbis", "Bankers and Artisans of the Pre-War Period", "Jewish Hospitals", etc.

The Museum "Literary Lviv of the Early 20th Century" opened in 1992 in a five-room apartment in a residential building on Heroyiv Maydanu Street, 18, built in 1937-1939 according to the project of Zygmunt Sperber in the style of Lviv functionalism. Ukrainian Soviet writer and propagandist Yaroslav Halan lived in this apartment in 1944-1949. Here he was killed as a result of an assassination attempt.

The exposition of the museum reflects controversial political events and social conflicts of the first half of the 20th century, against the background of which the literature of Lviv developed. Furniture, prints, photographs, paintings, postcards, posters of Lviv at that time are presented in the interiors of the city residence.

Ukrainian modernism, "young muses", the poetry of the Sich riflemen, the mutual influence of artists from Galicia and Transnistria, the work of banned and repressed poets and writers, famous Ukrainian names in emigration - this is far from a complete list of topics covered by the museum's exhibition.

The Museum "Literary Lviv of the Early 20th Century" is a department of the Lviv Historical Museum.