The Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet is a bright example of the Neo-Renaissance style in architecture. It’s often compared with the Vienna State Opera for its grand façade and décor. Being built in 1900 by a design by the Polish architect Zygmunt Gorgolewski, the building holds a lot of secrets inside.

One of the legends says that the architect attempted suicide the following year. He had realized that the underground waters of the river Plotva were washing away the theater’s foundation. Despite that, the Lviv Theater of Opera and Ballet is still functioning and holds new performances every season.

Lviv’s St. George’s Cathedral is a magnificent Rococo-style architectural ensemble of the 18th century. It stands on a high hill above the city and matches the urban landscape.

Amazing sculptures by the famous artist Johann Georg Pinsel adorn the main façade of the building. The author of the project was German architect Bernard Meretyn. An interesting fact is that the chapel of the monument hides the oldest bell in Ukraine, which is from 1341.

The complex of the Lviv Dormition Cathedral consists of a whole ensemble of architectural masterpieces. It comprised a printing-house, a library, a school, and a museum. It used to be the venue of the Orthodox community of the old city.

The ensemble has a direct relationship with the Italian courtyard because it’s funding came from Konstantin Kornyakt. Paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries decorate the interior of the Dormition Cathedral. It has iconostasis of 1773.

The highest point is the 66-metre tower, which resembles the bell tower of Venice.

An influential Potock family of Polish tycoons ordered the building of this 19th-century architectural monument of French Classicism. The massive gates and moulded balconies emphasize the majesty of the palace.

The exterior and interior decor allowed to arrange chamber concerts and to organize important political meetings. In Soviet times, the building served as a Registry Office, and in the beginning of the 21st century, the Lviv Art Gallery obtained the Potocki Palace.

The Pharmacy Museum in Lviv opened in the 1960’s in the space of an old pharmacy. The museum’s display covers 16 halls, showing more than 3,000 exhibits. Visitors can see the utensils collection for storing medicines, along with real pharmaceutical scales and equipment.

In one of the halls, there’s a reconstructed pharmacy laboratory. It’s reproduced according to engravings and old books. Additionally, in one of the halls of the museum, there is a library with unique pharmaceutical books and documents.

The Italian courtyard reflects the architectural monuments of the Renaissance. It’s the most romantic and cozy corner in nearby Market Square since the noise from the city center does not get there. According to the laws of that time, all the stone houses of the Square could have no more than three windows on the façade. It was a rule of equal opportunities and even the richest citizen of the city, the wine merchant Konstantin Kornyakt, had to follow it.

But 100 years ago, the city authorities bought the building and placed a museum named after King Jana III there. Now in the Italian courtyard, jazz and classical concerts are often held, during which you can drink a cup of refined coffee.

Located in the heart of the city, it’s hard to miss the monumentality and Baroque splendor of the Dominican Church.

One of the LvivMozArt festival’s most magical concerts usually takes place here. Adorned with massive columns and small golden fixtures, the inside of the church invites visitors to linger in the contemplative space.

Address: Muzeina Square

This place feels like a time machine that takes you back to the lush years of pre-war Lviv. The nicely decorated restaurant has a festive air and boasts traditional Galician, Austrian, Jewish, and Polish cuisine at its finest.

It’s named after the Baczewski family, who founded the world’s first large-scale vodka distillery in the 18th century in Lviv.

Drinking coffee is the local’s favorite pastime, and they’re very picky about their java. The setting of this activity is also a serious matter.

From the profusion of coffee shops, my favorite is the local Svit Kavychain, which has a few locations in the city, including the one on picturesque Katedralna Street and buzzing Rynok Square. The flavor of their brew is unique.

Lviv is a multicultural city where various nationalities and their traditions have lived side by side for centuries.

One of the most magical sites illustrating the city’s multifaceted past is the Armenian Cathedral and its courtyard. The cathedral’s interior is so marvelous it takes my breath away every time.

Address: Virmens’ka St, 7/13

The Lychakiv Cemetery is a part of the city’s architecture and one of the most magnificent necropolises in Europe. It dates from the 18th century. The place isn’t only known for its beautiful crypts and gravestone monuments. It’s also famous for the many hidden tales and legends associated with outstanding people of art.

It has about 500 sculptures of completely different architectural styles and over 2,000 crypts. The inscriptions on tombstones are in Ukrainian, Polish, German, Serbian, Italian, Armenian, Latin, Hebrew, and Russian.

Address: Mechnykova St, 33

The original performances and the magnificent atmosphere are known far beyond Lviv. There you can get lots of ​​emotions and inspiration.

The building of the theater is from the early 20th century as the Casino de Paris Variety Theater and the restaurant of the famous Franciszek Moszkowicz according to the design of architects Zygmunt Fedorski and Stanislaw Macudziński.

From 1920 to 1944, there was a popular Bagatela Cabaret with a dance hall. Unfortunately, the rich decor of the building was not preserved, because during the Soviet time, various institutions were located there.

The facade of the building is in pseudo-Gothic style and decorated with mascarons and sculptures. After the last restoration work, the old advertising inscriptions on the facade were preserved and nowadays they stand as a testament to the past.