Lviv, Ukraine

Lviv, Ukraine

We arrived at the train station in Lviv at about 8:45 PM and immediately headed out to request an Uber. Unfortunately, we had very limited phone service at the station.  Since we didn’t have service, we couldn’t even use maps, it was a catch 22 situation. After about 20 minutes of repeated attempts, we were able to get enough service to request an Uber.  Finally, we were on our way to the apartment.

The apartment was about 15-20 minutes by car from the station and we updated the host that we were on the way. The host would meet us there at about 9:45 PM to let us into the apartment. Therefore, we only had a short wait before we could drop off our bags and find some dinner. It was plenty of room for what we needed, a place to sleep, eat, shower, do laundry, and work.  Luckily, it was centrally located and we only had a short 5-minute walk to Rynok Square to find a restaurant for dinner.

Dinner

Due to our late arrival and the ongoing pandemic, we had limited options for dinner. Many of the restaurants were either closed or no longer serving dinner. Therefore, we ended up taking whatever we could as time was running out. We opted for an Italian restaurant a block from Rynok Square. It was not what we wanted for dinner, but ended up being a great meal. After dinner, we spent about 45 minutes walking around the area to get familiar with our surroundings.  After all, we had been sitting on a train for 5+ hours, then an Uber, and lastly sitting down for dinner. We needed to stretch our legs before going to bed.

What Is That Noise?

Since we arrived at night, we didn’t really see what was around the apartment. So at about 7:00 AM, there was a lot of noise from the street, sounded like a playground. That is when we realized that the apartment was next door to a school. It wasn’t an issue but did assist with us waking up brighter and earlier than expected.  When we were out walking around the night before, we found a few stores to get some pastries and drinks. Therefore, I headed out to do my gathering duties.

Lychakiv Cemetery

There was a large cemetery located about 15 minutes away by foot. Therefore, we decided to go check it out after breakfast. Unfortunately, it ended up being about 45 minutes and a good portion was uphill. “Are we there yet?” kept going through my head as it seemed to drag on forever. Once at Lychakiv Cemetery, it was well worth the walk. The cemetery opened in 1786 and is one of the largest I have seen at over 40ha (100 acres) with about 300,000 graves and more than 2500 tombs.  If you plan to visit, expect to spend 5 or more hours walking the pathways and wear comfortable shoes.

After spending a couple of hours visiting the cemetery, we started walking back towards Rynok Square for lunch. As we were approaching Rynok Square, it started to rain. Therefore, we headed back to the apartment to take a break after grabbing something to eat. The rain was not supposed to last very long and should clear up for the rest of our stay in Lviv.

Walk Around Lviv

After we took an hour or so break, we headed out to see the area around Rynok Square. Rynok Square felt a lot like the square in Krakow, just on a smaller scale. Actually, Lviv felt more like a polish town due to its history of being part of Poland. The difference between Kyiv and Lviv was as if they were in two different countries.  Apparently, Lviv croissants are well known and delicious, we had to try some. Luckily, on the square (and all over town) there are shops called “Lviv Croissants“. These are larger and more of a sweet roll or bun than the French version. This is not to say they were better or worse, just different. However, they were absolutely delicious. If you are in Ukraine, you need to try these at least once.

With our sugar intake complete, we walked down to the Lviv Theater of Opera and Ballet. In front of the building, there is a fountain that dances to music. It is a beautiful area a short walk from Rynok Square with old buildings and of course the dancing fountain.

We walked around the area and headed back towards the apartment for a proper dinner. After eating Georgian food in Kyiv, we had to get some more. Luckily, there was a Georgian restaurant a few minutes from the apartment. We decided to try it for dinner. It was a good meal, not on the level that we had in Kyiv, but still good. It was more of a fast-food version of Georgian food.

Jewish Ghetto and Memorial

Lviv played a large part during WW2 as there was a large Jewish community located there. Since this was part of Poland, there is so much history in regards to the Germans and Russians that invaded the area and killed or tortured many Jewish residents.  Lviv is only 350km from Auschwitz. We visited the Jewish memorials and the torture museum that is dedicated to the Jews that were killed and tortured.

High Castle

After visiting the Jewish memorials, we decided to visit the High Castle which is an old castle that was perched on top of the highest point in Lviv. However, it was lunchtime and I was getting a little hangry. So, we found a little restaurant along the way to grab some lunch before making the trek up to the top of the hill. Shockingly, the little restaurant served Georgian food. Therefore, we received our daily taste of Khachapuri before continuing.

The name is quite fitting, it was a high castle and we had lunch at probably the lowest elevation in town.  As I said previously, “Are we there yet?” kept popping into my head. The first part of the climb is cobblestone streets, then you end up at a park in a flat area. Then you realize that you have to climb stairs through the woods to the next level where the castle was. By this point, my feet were killing me, and the stairs were not fun.

Again, we reached another flat area where there was a cell tower. Oh wait, there is more climbing, that was just the next level and then you see the vendors selling the normal tourist crap like fridge magnets. Just past the vendors, there was a winding trail up to the top, I hoped. Finally, we reached the top to get great views over Lviv and the countryside.

Time to Leave Lviv

We checked out of the apartment around noon and headed to the station to drop off our bags. However, the night train to Odesa was only leaving at 9 PM. We needed to burn some time and the area near the station had markets to visit. Since we would be sitting on a train all night, we needed to get up and walk around. We spent several hours walking through the market, grabbed some lunch at a traditional Ukrainian restaurant. Of course, we had to have another Lviv croissant.

We returned to the station around 6 PM and paid to sit in the private waiting area that had great wifi and a small cafe for drinks.  Wish we would have known about the fast wifi when we arrived, it would have made getting an Uber easier. Finally, the train was ready and we were able to board for our overnight journey.

Conclusion

Lviv has too much to see in 3 days, there are areas outside the city with castles that we did not get a chance to see. You should give yourself at least 5 days in Lviv to experience the town and its unique vibe. There are a lot of great restaurants for the foodie to enjoy. If you have a sweet tooth, the croissants and chocolate are delicious as well.  It was a true mix of east and west due to its history. Don’t forget to check out our other videos on YouTube for this trip to Ukraine.