(Newswire.net — September 23, 2016) — Lviv prides itself to be the cradle of Ukrainian culture and traditions as well as the most popular travel destination of Ukraine. Lviv boasts lovely European architecture and Ukrainian authenticity.
This city has a unique charm and atmosphere that lures in numerous travelers. Lviv coffee, pastries and beer became legendary among Ukrainian foodies. And the city’s architecture, deprived of the Soviet features, which is the core of other big cities in Ukraine, makes an amazing set for lovely photos. Our web destinations.com.ua rounded up top-7 things to do in Lviv for unforgettable travel experience.
# 1. Climbing the High Castle Hill is considered a must-try Lviv travel experience by the majority of tourists. The steep walk will take around 30 minutes from Rynok square. There’s little evidence of the 14th-century ruined stone fortress that is considered to be exact location from which the urban growth of Lviv started back in the 13th century. Short steep climb will bring you to the summit mound, which offers 360-degree view of the city and the wooded hills around the city. This is one of the best panoramic viewing platforms of Lviv and the most crowded one as well.
#2. Drink coffee at one of the iconic Lviv coffee shops. If you have been in Lviv at least once before, or you are just planning your trip here, you have probably heard of legendary Lviv coffee shops. Visiting a number of iconic Lviv coffee shops, like «Svit Kavy» («World of coffee»), «Lvivska Kopalnya Kavy» («Lviv Coffee Mines»), «Dzyga» and others, usually sits on top of all «things to do in Lviv» travel lists. It’s not hard to tell why exactly Lviv has turned into coffee mecca of Ukraine. Long-lasting traditions of drinking coffee, authentic coffee culture and stylish coffee shops and cafes make Lviv an ultimate destination for getting caffeine fix.
#3. Don’t leave the city until you’ve seen Lychakivske Cemetery. This cemetery is a kind of Père Lachaise of Eastern Europe with the same sort of overgrown grounds and Gothic aura as the famous Parisian necropolis. Established in the late 18th century, it’s the place of eternal rest for West Ukraine’s prominent people. Pride of place goes to the grave of the famous nationalist poet Ivan Franko, the patriotic singer-songwriter Volodymyr Ivasyuk and the most recent addition is the memorial to those who died during Revolution of Dignity in 2013.
#4. Viewing Lviv from above from Olga & Elizabeth Cathedral gothic tower. The Cathedral is now gaining its popularity due to the viewing platform on one of the towers, which has been opened recently. Located near Lviv central railway station, Olga & Elizabeth Cathedral is one of the most beautiful religious buildings in the city. The view from Olga & Elizabeth tower is truly magical and gives a 360-degree Lviv city vista.
#5. Bar crawling and local liqueurs and digestives tasting. Homemade liqueurs («nalyvka») and digestives («nastoyanka») are very popular in Lviv. They are a touch sweet, intensely flavored, and often served chilled and sipped slowly. Many Lviv restaurants pride themselves for their signature secret recipes for liqueurs and digestifs. Tourists in Lviv made the bar crawling for locally made strong drinks a good traveling tradition.
#6. Visiting Rynok Square or Ploshcha Rynok, as referred to by locals, is one more tourist hot-spot of Lviv. It is located at the heart of Lviv city. Surrounded by a string of architecturally lovely buildings, this square is one of the most picturesque places of Lviv. The 19th-century Ratusha tower stands in the middle of the square, with fountains featuring Greek gods at each of its corners. Rynok Square is usually crowded with tourists as it houses a lot of restaurants, bars and museums.
#7. Renting a bike for even half a day when visiting Lviv in order to explore city’s more remote attractions is a good alternative to guided walking tours. With its bike infrastructure developing each month, Lviv cycle tour will be an exciting and fun experience. What adds to the growing bicycle popularity in Lviv is a municipal bike rental system – the first one in Ukraine – that was launched in Lviv in 2015. Lviv cycling tours are becoming more and more popular among tourists due to a certain cycle hype Lviv is experiencing at the moment.