The most popular one-day tour from Lviv. The excursion covers three castles of Lviv Region – Olesko, Pidhirtsi and Zolochiv.

Olesko Castle – a fortress of ХІІІ- ХVІІІ century, where the rich display of paintings, fretted wares, furniture, articles of arts of old times are kept . There is a lovely park stretched around the castle.

Pidhirtsi Castle – a fortification complex of ХVІІ – ХVІІІ of century, which combines the beauty of residential castle with the greatness of fortication. An old cathedral in baroque style of ХVІІІ century, former guest entrance with a sundial and a wonderful park has been preserved next to the castle.

Zolochiv Castle – a castle complex of ХVІІ – ХVІІІ century. Here, the fortification has been preserved, as well as Residential and Chinese palaces, where they exhibit classical and oriental art.

Zhovkva is  one of the most beautiful cities in Lviv region. It stands out among others with its restored fortification walls of 16th c. You will also see the castle of Stanislaw Zolkiewski, city hall, market square, Basilian monastery and church, St. Lawrence’s cathedral and synagogue of 17th c.

The tour will follow to Krekhiv Monastery of Basilian fathers founded back in the beginning of 17th century that is located in the picturesque area. The monastery complex include Church of Transfiguration (1650), bell tower from the middle of 17th c., cell blocks and ancient fortification walls with towers. We also suggest visiting ancient cave monastery on the Tymosha rock and a healing spring close to the monastery.

Truskavets is a resort at the foot-hills of the Carpathians. The town was a popular holiday destination for Austrian and Polish intelligentsia, that actually has been reflected in the architecture of the buildings in Truskavets city center. Posh villas in the past built in various West European styles, now funtion as hotels or residences. The outskirts of Truskavets are rich for various mineral water springs, the most popular of which is Naftusia. In its healing characteristics, it is equal to the mineral waters of Karlovy Vary (Check Republic). Today Truskavets is a popular international spa resort with a well-developed infrastucture for holidays and treatment.

Rozhirche is a village situated 20 km away from Stryi at the foot-hills of the Carpathians. During Kyivan Rus times there was an ancient town and an overrock monastery here.

At the local farm you can see ostriches, buffalo, Carpathian horses and boars, as well as taste a delicious Ukrainian lunch and visit a real Kryivka (underground hiding place).

An exciting trip in the Carpathians on the Austrian narrow railway in specially equipped carriages.

It starts from the Vyhoda village, Volyn district, Ivano-Frankivsk region and takes you 15 km into the moutains. The train stops on the way at the most interesting spots: Shyrkovets mud, the spring of healing mineral water Naftusia, Mizunski waterfalls, “Dubovyi kut” (Oak angel) etc.

To cognize all the beauty of ancient Lviv, one should go out of noisy central streets, stroll along Zhovkivske suburb and visit the Old Market Square. It was here that the history of Lviv has started. Tradesmen’s houses with green gardens and rich soil were spread around. A church and a majestic castle like a guardian were rising over them. Royal Lviv was one of the top cities among contemporary East-European cities.

St. Nicholas Church was the main church of royal Lviv. It was located under the Royal Palace. This church is considered to be the oldest in Lviv. Another church that dates back to royal times is St. Onufriy’s minster. Chroniclers narrate that prince Lev presented monks with miraculous icon of Holy Virgin that had allegedly been painted by St. Luke.  Here Ivan Fedorov opened the oldest Ukrainian printing house – the event that had a tremendous cultural meaning for the city. Until recenly there has been the tombstone of the pioneer which had disappeared without a trace…

St. Paraskeva’s church with its antique iconostas of 16th c. that is considered the most beautiful in Galicia is the most majestic of all royal churches. The walls of the church were decorated by talented Luka Dolynskyi.

Besides Orthodox churches, John the Baptist Cathedral can be found nearby Old Market Square. Prince Lev’s wife Konstancia, daughter of a Hungarian king Bella IV, was visiting it every Sunday. The cathedral was founded back in 13th c. and later restructured in Neoromantic style. Close out near Krakow square, there is Maria Snizhna’s (the Snowy) Cathedral. It is the oldest parish cathedral in Lviv founded by German colonists in 14th c.

The history of Royal Lviv is slowly fading. So, hurry up to catch a glance at the world of Danylo Halytskyi and prince Lev before the reality turns into a legend.

Price:

Ukrainian-speaking guide – 120 UAH/hour

Foreign language speaking guide – 140 UAH/hour

Today – as 150 years ago – Lviv streets deceive with the odour of freshly grounded coffee beans. This tour is designed for coffee gourmets and those who want to join the cohort of coffee art lovers.

Coffee trend appeared in Lviv back in 18th c. first capturing the wealthy and later on the whole society. Coffee was served in bed in the morning, tasted in confectioneries, even prescribed as medicine; noone remembered that it had once been called ‘devil’s drink’.

With the arrival of Austrians, the number of coffee shops in Lviv increased, coffee traditions were kept and developed, and brewing of this beverage was considered a true art. The tour introduces you to the most popular and old coffee shops of Lviv. Best Lviv coffee shops will open their doors to the coffee lovers. Here, having a cup of aromatic coffee tourists will learn about coffee traditions in Lviv and its history on the territory of whole Galicia.

In cosy Lviv coffee shops you can both taste all sorts of coffee beverages, and purchase any type of coffee you most enjoyed. This way the secrets of Lviv coffee will stay with you forever.

Lvivers always knew how to entertain themselves. It was only in Lviv that professors were giving exams in kneipps (cafes), journalists were writting for the newpapers without leaving their tables, mathematicians in the burst of genious ideas were writting off napkins and chairs of their favorite cafes.

Today as before, there are plenty of kneipps in Lviv. Kryivka, Masoch cafe, Gold Ducat, Galicia’s most expensive restaurant (know as masonic), Golden Rose, Under Klepsydra, or Under the Blue Bottle – inimitable stylish interior and unique dishes will be fascinating you in each of these places, offer you the best service as well as tell stories about mishaps and happenings of regular visitors of Lviv Kneipps will leave noone indifferent.

This tour is for those who wants to know more about Jewish world in Lviv, learn about its life from the inside, about its daily routine and traditions of the Jewish community. You will learn about their fate during the times of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi siege, about the synagogue’s Golden Rose legend and about the prominent Jews of Lviv in the 20th c.: Goldenstein, Balaban, Schor dynasty and Rapport…

The Jews appeared in Lviv back in the times of Danylo Halytskyi and his son Lev (Leo). As other communities of the city, they had their own district, school, hospital, cemetery and synagogue. Years past, authorities changed, only Jews did not change their everyday life and traditions.

They survived numerous sieges of Lviv, conflicts with Jesuits, riots in ther quarters. They rebuilt everything every time after aweful fires…

You will also learn about the fate of Jews between two World Wars, about Nazi occupation, holocaust, and how the future of Lviv Jews has turned out.

Price: Ukrainian-speaking guide – 120 UAH/hour

Foreign language speaking guide – 140 UAH/hour

Shevchenkivskyi Hai (Shevchenko grove) is located on the wooded hills of Rostochchia in the North-East part of the city in Kaiserwald area on the territory of about 84 hectares next to Vysokyi Zamok (High Castle) park on the territory of the landscape park Znesinnia.

The open-air museum successfully combines hilly landscape, Carpathian vegetation and historical structures transported from different regions of Western Ukraine.

The museum’s exhibition has about 120 national landmarks from Western regions of Ukraine. Apart from that on the permanent exhibition and in the museum storages there are 20.000 items of everyday use and applied arts.

The museum’s premises is divided into 6 ethnographic zones. Every zone is a minivillage that consists of 15-20 national landmarks. In the living and agricultural quarters there are items of daily home usage, agricultural implements, transportation means and craft tools.

These minivillages are named: Boykivshchyna, Lemkivshchyna, Hutsulshchyna, Bukovyna, Podillya and Lvivshchyna.

Out of over 120 landmarks from Western regions of Ukraine, there are 6 wooded churches. The oldest exhibit – village house dating back 1749. There is also a smithy, school, sawmill, fullery, water and wind mills.

*entrance tickets – 15 UAH/person (10 UAH for students/children)

Lychakiv cemetery is one of the oldest in Europe founded in 1786. It’s a real museum-necropolis. On the territory of 40 ha, there are over 3.000 stone tombs, most of which are historical and cultural relics.

The history of Galicia that was created by the representatives of Ukrainian, Polish, Austrian, Russian, Armenian and other nationalities is reflected on the graves of Lychakiv cemetery.

On 86 fields there are graves of prominent social activists, historians, politicians, writers, composers, singers including Ivan Franko, Markian Shashkevych, Solomia Krushelnytska, Kos-Anatolskyi, Stanislav Lyudkevych, Voloydymyr Ivasyuk, Ivan Krypyakevych, Ivan Trush, Iryna Vilde, Anton Monastyrskyi, Koless family, Barvinski family, Gabriela Zapolska, Maria Konopnicka, Karol Szajnocha, Artur Grottger, Juliusz Ordon, Stanislaw Szczepanowski, Stefan Banach and many others; several military memorials, including UPA and Polish memorial.

Campus Martius accepted into its grounds almost 15.000 people that died in WWI, sichovi striltsi (Ukainian soldiers) in November 1918, victims of NKVD division (1944-1950).

There are over 2.000 tombs, 500 sculptures, chapels that are of artistic value and were created by famous sculptors Hartman Witwer, Anton Schimser, Paul Eutele, Parys Filippi, Monardo Markoni and others.

In 1990 Lychakiv cemetery was granted a status of a historical and cultural reserve.

This cemetery burries the history of several generations of Lvivers, that we will eagerly pass on to you.

*entrance ticket 15 UAH/person (8 UAH – students/children).