Welcome to our city!
We invite you for an exciting trip throughout Western Ukraine. We are always glad to meet all our guests!
Riddles of Princely LvivTour of Medieval Lviv
Austrian Lviv
Cathedrals in Lviv
Lychakiv cemetery
Trip throughout Lviv region
Golden Horseshoe of Lviv regionRiddles of Princely Lviv
The old Russian Lviv… Usually this notion implies the early period of the city existence starting from its foundation to seizure in 1340 by King of Poland Kazimyr III and its next joining to Poland. The medieval annalists M. Gruneweg, Y. Alpnek, B. Zimorovich did not deny Russian genesis of the city, and their stories were based purely on narrations. Throughout many centuries scientists have been studying the issue of Lviv origin and came to the following conclusions.
The city was founded by Danylo Halytsky and already existed in 1256. The citadel of prince Lev was situated on the Castle Hill, and his first residence in the vicinity of the Old Rynok square. In 1259–1260 invasions of Tartar Khan Burunday to Galicia caused a lot of damage to our lands, and in 1286 Galicia was devastated by hordes of Khan Telebuha.
Since 1301–1315 Yuriy I, Danylo Halytsky’s grandson, rained in Lviv. He set up the Galician Metropole. And in 1323 the last descendants of the family of Roman Mstyslavovych died and a long-lasting struggle for power over our land started. The very life of the ancient city was in a full swing on the Old Rynok Square, along huge Volynsky path at the foot of the Castle Hill…
During the «Old Russian Lviv» tour you will follow an exciting route along the abovementioned places of interest and will hear a lot of interesting information. You also will be able to:
- Listen to the silence of the Basilian Fathers monastery, wonder at the St.Onuphrius’ Church and honor the memory of a great book printer Ivan in the place of his rest;
- Wonder at the Orthodox church of St. Parascevia, where there is one of the greatest iconostasis of Galicia and Volyn;
- Visit the oldest Lviv temple — the St. Nicholas church, which was built as early as 1292 for prince Lev;
- Listen to the story about the family tragedy of prince Lev and princess Constance, visit the Church of St. John the Baptist — museum of the oldest Lviv memorabilia;
- Enjoy Lviv from the High Castle Hill and listen to a lot of interesting legends about the secrets of the Castle Hill.
Duration of tour — 3 hours
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Tour of Medieval Lviv
The city life between 1356 and 1789 was determined by the standards of Magdeburg Law that were wide-spread in medieval Europe. Despite frequent epidemics and fires, Lviv was steadily growing and developing. The medieval Lviv was a megapolis-city populated by a large number of people of different nationalities such as the Poles, the Germans, the Rusyns, the Armenians, the Jewish people, and the Tatars.
At the same time, Lviv numbers plenty of religious communities of Roman-catholic observance, orthodox confessions, and Jewish communities. The bases for economic development of the city were trade and craft.
Until now we have parts of fortifications and defense structures of and old Lion-city preserved. Among famous Lviv families of the Middle Ages there were the Alembeks, the Boims, the Korniakts, the Kampians etc - dream
On a Lviv market people could find orient silks, carpets and spices, peltry In the Middle Ages Lviv significantly advanced and was recognized by its architecture and cleanliness…
The old part of the city, where the tour will take place, is a peculiar museum in the open air. You will be able to:
- See the Gunpowder Tower, the City and Royal Armories;
- Derive pleasure from seeing a unique Renaissance ensemble — the Orthodox Assumption church, the Korniakt Tower, and the Chapel of Three Sanctifiers;
- Visit the creation of Jan de Vitte — the Dominican Cathedral;
- Visit the royal halls and the chemist’s — museum on the Rynok square and listen to many legends and stories about the old stone houses of the square;
- Walk through the Armenian and Jewish quarters;
- Visit the grand Latin Cathedral of Virgin Mary’s Dormition and the Boims Chapel - recepti.in.ua;
- Visit the complex of Bernardine fathers and the St. Andrew’s Church;
Duration of tour — 3 hours
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Austrian Lviv
If you want to see Lviv in a period of well-being of Austro-Hungarian Empire and admire the splash of Secession as in architecture so in sculpture – it should be your excursion(tour).
Walking through Svobody Avenue, it is difficult to imagine that 250 years ago this was a lengthy Valley of Poltva river, shrubby and covered with sedge. Svobody Avenue formed in place of an ancient defensive wall of Poltva river channel and its left bank.
In 1772, after the big split of Republic of Poland (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth)Lviv is a part of the Austrian Empire and becomes the capital of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria and is renamed to Lemberh. Many innovations appeared in the city since then, including magnificent palaces, parks, famous Lviv pavement. Instead, the city get rid of a large number of castle fortifications in the walls and the very Poltva River that was hidden and kept in the collector in 1887.It costed 54 696 PLN. In 1888 the first horse tram line was opened and in 1984 came the first electric tram in Lviv - seo-meta.top.
Buildings of Svobody Avenue and neighbouring blocks give rich material for the study of writings of two prominent architects prof. Yulian Zaharyevych and his son Alfred Zaharyevych – the most talanted builder of Galicia period of late secession. The building of Galician savings bank land credit association in the Kopernika street – the creation of senior Zaharyevych. First financial – credit institutions have emerged in the 16 century, but the first buildings devoted to financial activities appeared just in the 19 century . Exactly Galician savings bank and former Czech bank are gorgeous examples of it.
During this tour you will be able:
- See Lviv National Opera Theatere of Opera and Ballet after Solomiya Krushelnytska; Svobody Avenue, Hnatiuk St., Jewish theatere, luxurious Casino – modern building of scientists, Holuhovskyh Palace and the University;
- Admire the unique park – one of the oldest country parks – Park of Ivan Franko;
- Visit the Square and Cathedral of St. Yury, Polytechnic campus of Nationla University of “Lviv Polytechnic”, Church of Mary Magdalene (Organ Hall) and the Kopernika street with palaces of Bel’ski, Sapehiv and Potocki;
- Complete a walk with Marjinska square, Adam Mickiewicz monument and Shevchenko avenue – a good final chord of this tour.
Duration of this excursion – 3 hours
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Cathedrals in Lviv
Saints guards of the city … In ancient times, people payed much attention to the construction of temples because in them they saw a guarantee of God’s care of the moral, national and even state life.In case to count the number of places of worship regarding population – Lwiw possess one of the first world places. Probably because of that travelers always observed the high culture and tolerance in citizens of Lviv. Lviv has cathedrals of four main country’s confessions: Roman – Catholic, Greek – Catholic autocephalous Orthodox and Armenian.
St. George’s Cathedral belongs to the oldest churches in the city. Today it is the main sanctuary of the Ukrainian Greek – Catholic Church.
First Lviv Monk – Prince Vasilko brother of Danylo Halytskyi settled in its caves since about 1280. St. George’s Cathedral
was built in 1744 – 1770 years. It was designed by architect Bernard Meretin, and later completed bt Fesinher. Cathedral
was magnificently decorated with works of Johann Georg Pinsel. There you can see the works of Luka Dolynskyj, Turin plaschenytsya,
icon of Terebovlyanska Mother of God, crypt, where were buried prominent religious figures, as Andrew and Joseph Sheptytsky Blind and others.
A special place in the history of our city is the cult of the Virgin. A huge amount of Lviv shrines are dedicated to Virgin Mary.
Among them are amazing cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The first of them is the The Archcathedral Basilica of the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary(called Latin Cathedral) – the main temple of Ukrainian Roman – Catholics.It was built
from 1360 to 1479 years by masters Nychko, Shteher and Hrom. Ensemble of the Assumption Church – an outstanding monument
of Renaissance architecture. Around her gathered now and before the Orthodox community of the city. In the mid-16 century
Assumption Brotherhood emerged here, where were printing house and school, and its leading figures were Yuri and Ivan Rohatyntsi.
Essemble cosists of the Assumption Church (1591 – 1629), Arch. Roman, Chapel of the Three Hierarchs (1578-1591)
and the bell tower Korniakt (1572 – 1578). Today the temple is the main sanctuary of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC).
Armenian Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God was built in 1360 – 1370 in the place of a large garden by architect Dorinh. Cathedral
was updated and under construction for years. And today it is one of the cosiest and most interesting parts of the city, where we invite you for a tour.
The chief Lviv temple of Russian Orthodox believers of Moscow Patriarchate was sacrificed in the honour of st.Georg.
It is the youngest among aforementioned shrines and it absorbed full conventionalism and holiness of Orthodoxy.
The route of our tour will guide you through all aforementioned temples and will open a lot of mysteries which hide these stone sanctuaries in themselves.
Duration of tour - 3 hours
Lychakiv cemetery
The Lychakiv cemetery is famous since 1785 and is one of the oldest European necropoleis. It is older than the Père Lachaise
in the city of Paris or the Highgate in London. 20 family chapels, thousands of tombs that in the sign of sorrow were crowned
with the works of art by Vitver, Shimser brothers, Eutele, Perrier, Markowski. The cemetery acquired its modern view when
gardener Bauer laid paths and alleys, created a great park. At the entrance to the central roundel you can notice a luxurious family
mausoleum of the Bachevskys, who were the owners of the distillery that included more than 300 brands of spirits. The Kszehunowiczs’
chapel belongs to the family of landowners and politicians; next to it is the Adamskis’ chapel -councilors of Lviv city, Kyselkos who
owned Lviv brewery. Lviv presidents and political leaders among whom are Mykhailo Mykhalsky and Tadeusz Rutovsky, such Ukrainian and
Polish writers as Ivan Franko, Markiyan Shashkevych, Maria Konopnicka and Gabriela Zapolska, historians, cultural figures,
sportsmen – is an incomplete list of those who rest in peace at the Lychakiv graveyard. Tombs and vaults of the graveyard reflect the
art styles that reigned in Lviv since late 18th century – from Classicism to Constructivism. The mournful Lviv’s howler is a symbol of
gratitude to a soldier who died protecting his land. There are memorials to UGA and UPA soldiers, graveyard of Polish Eagles – child soldiers
who died during the Polish-Ukrainian war, memorial cemetery to soldiers of Kostyushko’s rebellion and those soldiers, who died
during the war of 1812 from the side of Napoleon and hostile party. By walking along pathways of the Lychakiv necropolis you will
be able to bow your head to many famous people of the past years, to get more information about the history of the land and enjoy
mastership of people who worked on creation of monuments of stone, marble, bronze…
During the tour we will have a look over the fields with the most famous and the oldest burials of the Lychakiv open-air-museum.
Duration of tour – 3 hours
Trip throughout Lviv region
Golden Horseshoe of Lviv region
For generations the Ukrainian people led restless and suspenseful life. In the result of predatory raids of tartar hordes,
approximately every twenty years one Ukrainian village disappeared from the face of the earth. Defensive structures were
built for the purpose of protection against hostile attacks and to defend great feudal lords. The Olesky castle was constructed
on a steep hill by one of the suns of the prince of the Galicia and Lodomeria Kingdom Yuriy Lvovych. Its history dates back
to 1327 when it was first mentioned. Among people whose lives were connected with the Olesky Castle are King Vladislav Varnenchick,
John from Siena, Russian magnate Ivan Danilovich, King John III Sobiesky, Michael Korybut Wiśniowiecki etc.
The ensemble of the Pidhoretsky Castle, built in 1635-1640 by A. del Aqua and G. de Beauplan, consists of the palace, surrounded by
the system of trenches and banks, the Catholic Church of St. Joseph, the entrance gate in the baroque style, and a Koniecpolski built
a grand palace for recreation after military actions. Zhevuski amassed in the castle a great collection of valuable pictures, books,
weapons and furniture. Until now the Pidhoretsky Castle remains one of the most outstanding monuments of the 16th century.
The ancient annalistic settlement Plisenetsk situated behind Pidhirtsi village was first mentioned in “The Tale of the Host of Ihor”.
Not less admirable is the Pidhoretsky Monastery of Basilian fathers, which is located in the wood not far from the castle.
The acting sanctuary, which was founded by princess Olena in 1180, always hospitably welcomes its visiting guests.
After deriving pleasure from listening to a sacred silence, people take a part of warmth with them, presented by the Pidhoretska
icon of the Mother of God Odigitriasplendid park with park structures.
The Zolochivsky Castle, which was built as a defensive structure of a new type in 16-17 century, reminds of Italian palaces
of the Renaissance. The Chinese and royal palaces, defensive walls attracts attention of the astonished tourists not only with their
exterior but also with delightful interiors.
The tour will give you the opportunity to:
- Admire the Olesky Castle, take a stroll along its alleys and visit the exhibition;
- Visit the Pidhoretsky Castle;
- Feel a blissful silence of the Pidhoretsky Monastery;
- Reveal the secret of Havaretska ceramics;
Duration of tour – 8 hours