| Lviv or as russians say it Lvov, is a major city in | | | | (formerly the Museum of Atheism) and the National |
| western Ukraine, the administrative center of Lviv | | | | Museum (formerly the Museum of Industry). |
| Oblast, and designated as its own raion (district) within | | | | Lviv was an important centre for sport in Central |
| that oblast. It is regarded as one of the main cultural | | | | Europe and it is regarded as the cradle of Polish |
| centres of Ukraine. In 2001, it had 725,000 inhabitants, | | | | football. First known official goal in a football match in |
| of which 88% were Ukrainians, 9% Russians and 1% | | | | Poland was scored there on July 14, 1894. |
| Poles, with a further 200,000 commuting daily from | | | | In January of 1905 first Polish ice-hockey match took |
| suburbs. | | | | place here, two years later first ski-jumping competition |
| The city has many industries and institutions of higher | | | | was organized in nearby Slawsko, in the same year |
| education such as the Lviv University and the Lviv | | | | first Polish basketball games were organized in Lviv's |
| Polytechnic. It has a philharmonic orchestra and The | | | | gymnasiums. |
| Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The historic city | | | | Lviv is the hometown of the Eurovision Song Contest |
| centre is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lviv | | | | 2004 winner Ruslana, who has since become very |
| celebrated its 750th anniversary in September 2006. | | | | popular in Europe. |
| The public bus network is not well-developed: it has | | | | Lviv has lots to offer the tourists visiting this city, |
| few lines. A cheap alternative are the marshrutki, small | | | | amongst these are; the Old Town and the Ploshcha |
| private buses which go where the city buses do not. | | | | Rynok Market Square which is about 18,300 square |
| Marshrutki have no fixed stops or timetable but are | | | | metres. |
| cheaper (1 hryvnia ?20US cents) and fast. The | | | | The old city with its urban fabric and its architecture, |
| marshrutki also run on suburban lines to most nearby | | | | makes Lviv is an outstanding example of the fusion of |
| towns e.g. to Shehyni at the Polish border. | | | | the architectural and artistic traditions of eastern |
| The city centre tramway lines were replaced with | | | | Europe with those of Italy and Germany. |
| trolleybuses on 27th November 1952. Later, new lines | | | | The political and commercial role of Lviv attracted to it |
| were opened to the blocks of flats at the city outskirts. | | | | a number of ethnic groups with different cultural and |
| The network now runs 200 trolleybuses, mostly of the | | | | religious traditions, who established separate yet |
| 1960s 14Tr type. | | | | interdependent communities within the city, evidence |
| Modern Lviv remains a hub on which nine railways | | | | for which is still discernible in the modern townscape. |
| converge, providing local and international services. | | | | The Black House and the Armenian Cathedral |
| Several trains cross the nearby Polish-Ukrainian border | | | | together with the Orthodox Cathedral with Korniakt |
| (mostly via Przemy?l). There are good connections to | | | | Bell Tower are other sights worth visiting. |
| Slovakia (Košice) and Hungary (Budapest). By | | | | The Latin Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed |
| western standards, the trains are slow but cheap. A | | | | Virgin Mary , St. George's Cathedral of the |
| journey to the western border with Hungary or | | | | Greek-Catholic Church and the Dominican Church of |
| Slovakia (several hundred kilometres) costs a few | | | | Corpus Christi are churches and monuments that offer |
| euros/dollars. Many routes have overnight trains with | | | | some nice architectural styles. |
| sleeping compartments. | | | | The Chapel of Boim family together with Lviv High |
| Lviv's historic churches, buildings and relics date from | | | | Castle hill overlooking the historical center are really |
| the 13th century. Its architecture reflects various | | | | giving something else to the visitor. |
| European styles and periods. After the fires of 1527 | | | | Union of Lublin Mound and the Lychakivskiy Cemetery |
| and 1556, Lviv lost most of its gothic-style buildings, but | | | | should not be missed either. After World War II the city |
| it retains many buildings in renaissance, baroque, and | | | | was annexed by the Soviet Union to the Ukrainian |
| classic styles. There are works by artists of the | | | | SSR and the majority of the surviving pre-war |
| Vienna Secession, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco styles. | | | | inhabitants of the city were expelled to former |
| The buildings have many stone sculptures and | | | | German areas annexed to Poland. This started a |
| carvings, particularly on large doors, hundreds of years | | | | period of devastation of historical monuments located |
| old. The remains of old churches dot the central | | | | at the cemetery. Up to 1971 many of the sculptures |
| cityscape. Some 3-5 story buildings have hidden inner | | | | were destroyed; the cemetery of Lwów Eagles |
| courtyards and grottos in various states of repair. | | | | was completely destroyed and turned into a truck |
| Some cemeteries are of interest, for example the | | | | depot. However, in 1975 the cemetery was declared a |
| Lychakivskiy Cemetery. Leaving the central area, the | | | | historical monument and the degradation ended. Since |
| architectural style changes radically as Soviet-era high | | | | late 1980's the cemetery has seen constant rebuilding |
| rises dominate. In the centre, the Soviet era is reflected | | | | and refurbishment and continues to be one of the |
| mainly in a few modern-style national monuments and | | | | principal tourist attractions of Lviv. |
| sculptures. | | | | Restaurants and pubs together with a night life makes |
| The most notable of the museums and art galleries | | | | this place a nice place to visit for tourists in all ages. |
| are the National Gallery, the Museum of Religion | | | | |