Experience the best of Lviv

Lviv lies in western Ukraine, about seventy kilometres from the Polish border, on a rise between the Carpathian foothills and the plains. It was founded in the thirteenth century by King Danylo of Galicia and named after his son Lev, and over the centuries it belonged to Poland, Austria and the Soviet Union; Ukrainian, Polish, Jewish and Armenian communities shaped it. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Rynok Square, the market square, is surrounded by tall townhouses with carved façades and has the town hall tower in its centre. Nearby are the Dominican Church with its green dome, the Armenian Cathedral, the baroque Cathedral of St George on its hill, and the opera house. The Lychakiv Cemetery is a park of old tombs, and High Castle Hill offers a view of the roofs.

Lviv is a city of coffee houses, chocolate shops and bakeries, and traditional dishes include borscht, varenyky dumplings filled with potatoes or cherries, potato pancakes and banosh, a Carpathian cornmeal dish with cheese. The fortified town of Zhovkva and Olesko Castle lie in the surrounding countryside, and the Carpathian mountains rise to the south-west. Snow settles in winter, and cafés spill onto the squares once the weather warms.