Lviv in One Day: route, places to visit, where to eat and what to see

10 min readFeb 7, 2020

Feel the charm of narrow streets, cobblestones, cozy coffee shops on every corner, the smell of chocolate and vanilla caramel, street musicians sing with the guitar, animators invite to themed restaurants?… You must have tuned into the beat of the fabulous city of Lviv.

Where to go, where to have a tasty lunch and what tourist places to visit?

We offer a plan of one-day trip to the cultural capital of Ukraine!

Where to go and what to see?

It is best to start your trip to Lviv from Liberty Avenue and first see the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after Solomiya Krushelnytska.

This is one of the most unusual buildings in the city. Stylistically, it can be considered Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque with modern elements. Combining different forms and styles, the masters successfully experimented with abundant sculptural decoration and sculpting. The most decorated part of the facade is a triangular pediment with the sculptural composition “Joy and Suffering of Life” by Anthony Popel.

Day or night, outside or inside, Lviv Opera is beautiful

Gorgolevsky created building plan and interior. Inside the theater, you will find incomparable paintings and sculptures of the best masters. The mirror hall deserves special attention. You can get inside for a performance or by ordering a tour.

From the Opera House, you should go to one of the oldest Ukrainian museums — the Lviv Historical Museum (20 Liberty Avenue). It stores over three hundred thousand exhibits. Extensive expositions introduce the history of the city from ancient times to the present day.

The historical museum has more than eleven departments, including the department of archeology, the history of the West Ukrainian lands, the Ukrainian diaspora, the liberation struggle of Ukraine, historical treasures, the Yevgeny Konovalets historical and memorial museum, and the arsenal.

Those who like history should continue with these museum departments:

House of the Strelets society
City arsenal
Massari House
Black Stone House
Bandinelli Palace
Kornyakt Palace

Private Tours in Lviv

Do not ignore themed museums in Lviv. Since 1735, Pharmacy Museum Under the Black Eagle, known for the production of Iron Wine, operates at 2 Drukarska Street, 2.

Must Visit Museum in Lviv

The museum of pharmacy has three thousand exhibits, including pharmaceutical scales and dishes for storing medicines. The interior of the hall resembles old pharmacy laboratory.

Post museum (2 Rynok Square), the beer museum (Kleparovskaya Street, 18), the Lviv Museum of Religion (Museum Square, 1) are also very popular.

The exposition of the latter is located in the building of the Dominican monastery.

The holdings of museum contains unique collections of Bibles in different languages of the world. One of the most striking exhibits is Ostrog Bible by Ivan Fedorov, Paris edition of 1563 and Venetian edition of 16th century.

Lviv region is one of the most religious in Ukraine. There are more than fifty temples belonging to different faiths in Lviv. The buildings of churches are architectural and historical city monuments. Latin Cathedral (1 Catedralna Square) is located in the city center. It is the only church in Ukraine that is called the “Small Basilica”. It has the features of four architectural styles: Gothic, Renaissance, eclecticism and Baroque. The peculiarity of this temple is stained glass windows created in the second half of the nineteenth century by famous artists.

Defensive complex of Bernardine monastery and church (3-A Cathedral Square) is also a historical monument. There are quite a few interesting facts about the temple: it has Dracula’s diploma written in real blood. There are clocks on the church tower, which are five minutes fast.

After the numerical reconstructions, Armenian Cathedral (7–13 Armenian street) is surprisingly well preserved to this day. This is the only temple of Armenian Apostolic Church in Western Ukraine.

The architecture of the temple reflects the traditions of the monumental construction of Armenian and Kievan Rus traditions. The building is decorated with fresco paintings, architectural details, epitaphs and sculptures.

The architectural composition of the Boim Chapel shows the style of the Carpathian churches of the seventeenth century. This architectural complex has a centric composition. You can learn more about it on the Lviv Old Town tour.

Do not forget to go inside

The upper dome of the chapel is decorated with a cross with the figure of Jesus. On the second tier above the sculptural images of the prophets, one see the quotes from the Bible in Latin. From Galytska Street, the chapels are decorated with fresco portraits by the author of the complex G. Boim and his wife. From the north, there are the frescoes of the Mother of God and Jesus Christ.

Church of Saints Olga and Elizabeth (1 Kropyvnytsky Square) was built in the Neo-Gothic style in memory of Empress Elizabeth of Bavaria.

The interior of the temple is simple and concise: snow-white walls, decor partially dark red, soft light passes through the stained-glass windows. From the observation deck of Church of Saints Olga and Elizabeth, one can see the panorama of the city.

Market Square that dates back to thirteenth century is the heart of the city and its best landmark. The square was mostly constructed during the heyday of the Renaissance. It is considered a colorful example of medieval architecture. The best domestic and foreign architects worked on ensembles in the city center. From the north, the square is guarded by a sculpture of Amphitrite. If you go to the square from the south, the city council building — the Town Hall and the sculpture of Neptune will catch your eye. The Town Hall Tower is sixty-five meters high. It is the highest in the country! Those willing to see the old city in full glory can climb the tower.

Allocate 40 minutes to climb the Tower

Bandinelli Palace is located at 2 Rynok square, and can be easily recognized with the facade decorated with dolphins. This is one of the abovementioned branches of Lviv Historical museum that holds exhibition of jewelry. Ubaldini Palace is located nearby. Its building was constructed on old foundations in the seventeenth century. Sculptural decoration adds sophistication to the building. The figures of the powerful Atlases support the balcony.

On 6 Market Square, in secluded area not far from noisy streets, you can stroll along the Italian courtyard.

Guests from Australia in Lviv on a tour with our local guide. Lviv tours — https://guideme.com.ua

A small but spacious summer terrace makes you feel right in the heart of Italy. On the loggia in the center of the courtyard, one can taste aromatic coffee. In the summer, chamber music evenings are held in the Italian courtyard. The exhibition of antique sculptures is constantly open along the loggia.

To hunt for souvenirs, go to the picturesque Vernissage market. It features truly unique handicrafts — pictures of Lviv streets and city panoramas, embroidered national clothes and home textiles, unique items made of beads, leather and wood.

Not far from the center, on 15 Copernicus Street, you will find Potocki Palace made of brick in the classicist style.

Since the 2000s, the palace has museum holdings in this multistoried building with attics, stucco molding, decorated facades and curly-framed windows that fascinate all visitors. The main entrance is decorated with ionic columns and arched portico. The interior is decorated with marble and gilding. The gallery presents the work of artists from different countries of Europe from fourteenth to eighteenth century. You can visit the Potocki Palace any day from Tuesday to Sunday.

To watch the sunset, go to the observation deck on High Castle Mount. This is one of the main attractions of the city. The height of the High Castle is over four hundred meters. In the distant past, there was a castle on this site, but after the seventeenth century, it gradually fell into decay. Only one wall remains.

If you want to diversify your stay in Lviv and try something new, be sure to visit Insomnia Haunted House (31 Valova St.).

This is not that same chamber of horrors one finds on fairs among kids attractions. Everything here is serious, no joking. This is a survival game for the most daring seekers of dangerous adventures, in which you will become participants in horror films in reality. In complete darkness, with one flashlight, you have to go through all the rooms and most importantly — TO SURVIVE…

Only half of the visitors to Insomnia Haunted House manage to finish the route.

Where to eat in Lviv?

Kryivka Kneipp&Restaurant

Kryivka Restaurant&Kneipp (14 Market Square) is truly unusual and one of a kind place. You will definitely enjoy national cuisine, original names of meals, hospitable staff and amazing interior. The restaurant shows the attributes of the Ukrainian rebel army. To get to Kryivka, you must say the password. In response to greeting “Slava Ukrayini!” (Ukrainian, Glory to Ukraine), you need to answer “Geroyam slava!” (Ukrainian, Glory to the Heroes)

Lviv Handmade Chocolate

Lviv Handmade Chocolate (3 Serbska St.) is a perfect place to enjoy delicate chocolate with nuts and dried fruits, aromatic coffee with cream, caramel and ice cream. Every day, hundreds of tourists walk past the shop shelves. On the ground and top floor there are cozy coffee houses where you can order a special breakfast offer or enjoy cooling cocktail or dessert with a cup of latte.

We teach our Ukrainian children that Putin is actually a small person and can be eaten.

Gas Lamp

On 20 Virmenska Street, you will find themed restaurant and museum, open to the 155th anniversary of the invention of the first kerosene lamp in Lviv. The place has a huge collection of kerosene lamps. The inventors of these lamps welcomes guests. The interior has copies of old photographs and laboratory equipment. In the museum-restaurant, you can take a table on any of two floors indoors or on the terrace of the third floor. The Gas Lamp has European cuisine.

Guest from Australia in Lviv

House of Legends (the restaurant was closed in 2019)

For unforgettable emotions, you need to go to the House of Legends (48 Staroyevreiska St.). This gastronomic bar has four floors and roof terrace in one of the central Lviv quarters. Each room of the venue keeps its legend; for example, there is a room of Lviv watches, books, lions, weather. The meals in the House of Legends are homemade and always fresh-cooked. It is customary to drink a lot and eat well.

Pravda Beer Theater

32 Rynok Square — remember this address carefully. It is here that they offer fresh, cool beer according to ancient technology from the best brewers in Ukraine and the world! The menu offers big selection of beers and crispy snacks. Several times a week in the beer theater, you can listen to live music performed by the orchestra.

Lviv Coffee Mining Manufacture

Iconic and visionary coffee place Lviv Coffee Mining Manufacture (10 Market Square) was constructed under the coffee mine. There is a coffee shop and a bookstore on the ground floor. In the coffee shop, you can wear a special helmet and go on guided tour into the tunnels of the mine. It is in the mining room that you can try more than thirty types of coffee drinks.

Lviv Coffee and Chocolate Tour — https://guideme.com.ua

Post Office on Drukarska Street

Post Office on Drukarska Street Restaurant and Museum (2 Drukarska St.) presents a unique collection of old letters and leaflets. You will enjoy their checkered tablecloths and old telephones that create a cozy and relaxed atmosphere. The place has two rooms. In the restaurant, you can try various pies, pasta and alcoholic liquors.