Lviv, a city of sleeping lions which has changed so many names throughout it's long history today remains one of the most charming and mysterious beauties of Eastern Europe. Lviv is an old and picturesque city, a spiritual capital of Ukraine, the key political, economic, cultural, and scientific center of Western Ukraine. It is the only Ukrainian "Ensemble of the Historic Centre" included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Lviv is a large regional center. It covers the territory of 155 square km. Its population is 757 thousand people, ethnically mostly Ukrainians, however traditionally also Polish, Jews, Greeks, Germans, Russians, Armenians, Czechs and representatives of other nations.

The city is located in the highlands of Roztochchya where the main European watershed runs separating the rivers of the Baltic and Black Sea basins. Whatever way you reach the city, its most explicit characteristics will be the Castle Mountain which is seen from afar. The High Castle standing on this hill within XIV XVIII centuries gave name to the mountain. It was the Castle Hill that gave rise to the city. Today remnants of the walls dating back to the princedom epoch are found here. A beautiful view of the city with its old quarters and modern buildings, church domes and Roman church broach spires opens before you eyes from the height of over 400 m above sea level.

A brief history

Lviv was founded by Danylo Romanovych, the prince of Halychyna and Volyn, in the middle of the 13th century at the ancient settlement site and was named after Lev, Danylos son. The first historic written reference of Lviv is dated back to 1256.

The city has many industries and institutions of higher education such as the Lviv University and the Lviv Polytechnic. It has a philharmonic orchestra and The Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The historic city centre is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lviv celebrated its 750th anniversary with a son et lumière in the city centre in September 2006.

For many centuries it was contested: first it belonged to the Kievan Rus', since 1340 to the Kingdom of Poland, and subsequently to the Polish half of the Commonwealth. In 1772 it became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, after World War One the city belonged to the Second Polish Republic. As a result of the joint Nazi-Soviet attack on Poland, Lviv was taken by the USSR. Now, it belongs to the independent Ukraine.

Declaration of Ukrainian independence on August 24, 1991 laid down the beginning of the new epoch in the history of the Ukrainian state and Lviv in particular. More than one generation took pride in this wondrous town, for it became the unconquerable stronghold of the Ukrainian tradition and a heritage of the national culture.

Lviv Impressions