This beautiful, lively city captured my heart like no other. It has many similarities to my favorite city, Kraków, with its own quirky character that adds to the unique charm. You can spend a lot of time exploring the ins and outs of Lviv, with the many alleyways, side streets, and underground secrets it holds. After all, the historical center of Lviv is a UNESCO world heritage sight. During my first trip here we only had one day to see the best of Lviv, arriving on an overnight train from Kyiv in the morning and departing for Kraków later that evening.
LVIV IN A DAY
Starting at the Lviv railway station, make your way down Chernivetska street to see the first of many cathedrals and churches of this city, the Olha and Elizabeth church. This church is unique in Lviv due to its neo-gothic style of build, the towers of which you will immediately notice outside once stepping out of the train station.
Continue wandering through the streets eastward and you will find yourself at St George’s cathedral. It is worth to take a peek at the cathedral grounds and inside the cathedral itself. I would not go out of my way to travel here as it’s not convenient to the city center; however if it’s on your path of travel or if you are spending a good amount of time in Lviv it is a good stop.
Walking through Ivan Franko park, you will make your way towards Lviv’s old town center. On the way you will pass several monuments including one for Adam Mickiewicz, a famous Polish poet.
The Rynok Square is a great spot to sit down, grab a bite or a drink, and take in the atmosphere of this city. In the center of the square is Lviv’s town hall with a tower you can climb up to for a bird’s eye view of the city. In front are small yellow trains that allow visitors to easily tour the city. In each corner of the square are fountains with Geek figure statues – they include Neptune, Adonis, Diana, and Amphitrite.
The Lviv Historical Museum contains the Italian courtyard, with an entry cost of 10 hrv.
Coffee Manufacturer offers an underground mine walk-through along with a ‘flaming coffee’ experience – highly recommended! On the ground floor they have a large gift shop perfect for picking up coffee and other souvenirs.
Kryivka is a very fun spot to experience and I highly recommend it for all visitors. The entrance is unmarked, located on the southern side of Rynok Square and accessible through an alleyway. You knock on the unmarked door and someone on the other side opens, asking for a password – ‘Slava Ukraina!’, you say. They let you in and immediately pour you a shot, ‘Do dna’ they say (drink ‘to the bottom’). Once you finish your shot you’re led downstairs (more underground!) and seated at a table. Your server comes by – order the light or the dark beer and some food. The underground atmosphere with low lighting and (WORD?) décor along with the live Ukrainian music provides for a unique and unforgettable experience that shouldn’t be missed by any visitor. The way out is a maze and ends with a stop in the gift shop, for a souvenir to remind you of your visit.
Poczta café is a fun coffee shop with walls covered with a large postcard collection.
There is no shortage of churches and cathedrals in Lviv; some of note in the old town include the Latin, Dominican, and Armenian cathedrals, and the Jesuit church.
The Yard of Lost Toys is a very random site to see and there isn’t much to it – just a lot of abandoned toys in a residential courtyard. We stopped here on the walk to Castle Hill, as there isn’t much else of note around this area.
Caste Hill has a selection of walking trails, leading to the top of the hill with 360* views of the city on top. The castle ruins can be seen on the walk up – not much to them at this point, though it appears that some restoration efforts are beginning.
Lychakiv Cemetery can easily be reached with a short ride on the city’s tram #1. The cemetery is a sight to see with its old and elaborate graves. Upwards of 300,000 people are buried here! There is a cost to enter of 40 hrv per person and an additional 10 hrv for photography.
Cemetery of the Defenders of Lwów
The main square at any time of day is beautiful – sunset is no exception.
We ended our day by seeing the Lviv National Opera and Ballet Theatre in the evening, before heading back to the train station.
PLANT-BASED IN LVIV
Om Nom Nom is one of the most popular plant-based restaurants in the city. In the spirit of trying plant-based versions of traditional local food, I ordered the “fur coat” for myself and my sister to split – she had the real thing so she was able to provide a true comparison assessment. Nori is used to provide the fishy taste that the traditional dish gets from herring, and potatoes are used for the bottom layer. It was fun to try but it is not a dish I would get again, despite liking all the ingredients – just not in this combination. My sister did say it tasted very similar to the real thing. I do however recommend the cheeseburger and potato wedges here!
Dogs Like Ducks is a plant based hot dog spot, offering pre-configured hot dog topping options as well as drinks and desserts. It’s a very short walk from the main square and offers a cozy option to sit down for lunch. They have free wi-fi and several games available to play while enjoying lunch and coffee. We ordered the Spaniel and Pit Bull, both of which were great. For drinks I got an iced latte with a homemade almond-coconut milk mixture; my sister got their homemade lemonade – both are recommended.
Lviv Handmade Chocolate has a large selection of delicious chocolates as well as a café on the top two floors, offering a gorgeous view from the top! These chocolates make a terrific souvenir, whether you get one of the pre-set tins or create your own mix.
Photo by @kats.travel.tracks
Another option is the Green Café – we walked by when it was still closed in the morning so unfortunately I cannot provide a review!
Aroma Kava, a Ukrainian coffee shop chain, has plant based milk options for your caffeine needs. Most of the coffee shops provide plant-based milk alternatives, often for no additional cost.
NEXT TIME
The underground scene here fascinates me – the next visit will consist of an underground tour of the city’s catacombs and tunnels. The tours we saw were about 2-2.5 hours which we didn’t exactly have to spare in our quick visit. Another great way to get to know more about the city’s history and architecture is through a walking tour.
An option to rest your feet after walking around the city? Grabbing a beer and enjoying the live performance at the Beer Theater.
Feeling active and adventurous? Rock climbing at Devil rocks, outside of Lviv – can’t wait for this adventure!
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Kart Before the Horse 