Lviv is known as "Little Paris of Eastern Europe" or the "Hidden Gem of Ukraine" and its historic center is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is the official Cultural Capital of the country: landmarks are everywhere to remind you of the city’s rich cultural heritage which has been part of Poland, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Soviet Union. It is also a place with the most cafes per capita in the world and where coffee is at the heart of its culture. If you are still debating whether to visit or not, here are 5 reasons why you most definitely should. 

5 REASONS TO VISIT LVIV:

1. EXTRAORDINARY ARCHITECTURE
2. ATMOSPHERIC COFFEE SHOPS
3. TRADITIONAL UKRANIAN FOLK LIFE
4. IT IS A WALKING CITY
5. DAYTRIP TO SEE CASTLES

  +  WHERE TO STAY

1. EXTRAORDINARY ARCHITECTURE

Lviv has long been a melting pot of various cultures including Polish, Ukrainian, Jewish, Armenian and Hungarian traditions which are vividly expressed through architecture. Here are a few masterpieces to give you a taste but there are a lot more waiting to be discovered by you in Lviv.

Chapel of the Boim Family 
Do not miss this little gem! Pay a small donation and step inside this colorful, highly decorated chapel. It made me stare up and explore every little detail of this very sophisticated piece of art. The idea behind such an elaborate decor was to make poor illiterate people understand the meaning of the Bible through the storytelling of the reliefs and feel the god's presence through beauty and grandeur. It is part of Lviv's Old Town Unesco Heritage Site. 

Dominican Cathedral
A Baroque Monastery which is now a Greek Catholic Cathedral will take your breath away with its grandeur and style. Don't forget to go inside. This monastery complex used to be a Museum of Religion and Athenism during the Soviet rule. 

St. Christopher Column
The column of St Christopher, a patron saint of all travelers, which is part of the Armenian Church complex is my favorite hidden gem in Lviv. It was built by the sculptor of the princess Wiszniowieskis around 1723 and features Baroque and Neoclassicist elements.

St. George's Cathedral
Situated on a small hill this highly decorated Baroque style cathedral will leave a lasting impression. It is located a short walk away from the main city center but seeing it is worth a stroll. 

2. VIENNESE STYLE COFFEE SHOPS

"where time and space are consumed, but only the coffee is found on the bill" (author unknown)

So you like hanging in your favorite coffee shop but I bet you are totally not aware of how is this relevant to Lviv coffee culture. Well, according to the legend, it was a Ukrainian war hero Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki who opened the first coffee shop in Europe, in Vienna, around 1685 and did something absolutely new to the drink: he added sugar and milk into it! And that changed everything (mic drop).

His establishment Under the Blue Bottle was what sprouted the Viennese Coffee Culture: a cafe with marble top tables where coffee is served with a glass of water on a side, small bites and pastries available to order and visitors linger for hours over a book, a fresh crisp newspaper or a lively conversation. Spending hours in a coffee shop was the thing to do and it spread quickly throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire into cities like Krakow, Prague and Budapest. Coffee shops of that era were a place where many distinguished writers, artists, scientists met and visionary ideas were born. Quite a few of the cafes in Lviv preserved that Historicism Style vibe, so you can experience it for yourself.

Lviv Coffee Shops to Note:

The Scottish Cafe (Szkocka Restaurant & Bar)
This coffee shop is infamous for being a meeting place for the brightest minds in mathematics. During the 1930's and 1940's, when Lviv was known as Lwow and part of Poland, mathematicians would gather here to collaboratively solve problems. A live goose once was presented here as a prize in 1972 for solving the most complex one. You can take a look at the "Scottish Book" with all the solved and unsolved mathematical problems when you visit.

Under The Blue Bottle (Pid Synʹoyu Flyazhkoyu)
This is a second reincarnation of the first-ever coffee shop, which relocated from Vienna to Lviv. The original decorum and atmosphere are still maintained here as if Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki was here himself.

Lviv Coffee Mining Manufacture (Kopalnya Kavy)
This is the most visited cafe in Lviv and this is where coffee is born: it is dug out from the deep underground right in front of the visitors. You can take a free tour in a hard hat and load on delicious souvenirs in the gift shop. 

3. UKRANIAN FOLK LIVING
It doesn’t get more Ukrainian than that! See traditional all-wood houses that are built without using nails and are now exceptionally rare. Visit the quiet and secluded outdoor Museum of Folk Architecture and Living to see for yourself the authentic village houses which were collected from all over Ukraine.

• expect to spend about 2 hours here
• I walked to this museum taking a local Lysinka Street from the Old City center
• pack a snack for a picnic 

4. SEE THE CITY JUST BY WALKING
Lviv is a walking city and so there is no need to splurge on cab rides, although taxis are pretty affordable here. Walking around rather than using transportation to sightsee is also a more eco-friendly way to travel. Lviv has plenty of free walking tours available by the locals who know this city so well. In a couple of hours you would be shown the best parts of the city, which are sometimes hidden and given plenty of fascinating facts and history lessons to keep you entertained and help you connect with Lviv on a deeper level.
   * free walking tours are not entirely free: a donation is expected at the end if you have enjoyed the experience, so keep some cash on you (it’s up to you how much to give). These tours are not government-sponsored so keep in mind that guides rely on your generosity to make a living.

5. TAKE A DAYTRIP TO SEE A CASTLE
Well, there are 4 castles (one is actually a palace and the other is a fortress) in Lviv’s vicinity. Together they are known as “The Golden Horseshoe” and are fascinating to explore and help you travel a bit deeper into the region’s very rich royal history. Take a look at my other post: 4 Castles to Visit in Lviv Province for more details.

STAY:
Accommodation options in Lviv are plentiful on any budget: from posh hotels to hostels for budget travelers:

• GRAND HOTEL LVIV is the grandest of them all
• DREAM Hostel Lviv is a fantastic accomodation for backpackers