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The beautiful city of Lviv (in photos)

Why we loved our Summer in Lviv (in photos)

The beautiful city of Lviv (in photos)

I´ve previously written about Lviv, calling Lviv the most underrated city in Europe. We had enjoyed it so much that we decided to come back for a 2nd visit. 

We initially planned to stay 2 months in Lviv. But then, back in the city, we decided to stay a 3rd month. That’s how much we loved our time in Lviv.

 

posing in front of the opera house in Lviv, Ukraine
Happy lady posing for us in front of the Opera House

 

I received a few comments from people after last year’s post questioning why we would stay in Lviv for such a long period of time. We’re full-time travellers and as full-time travellers we find the summer months in Europe are always the worst: places are packed with tourists and everything is expensive and of poor value. After a few bad experiences in our first years of travel, we learned that summer is the time to hole up somewhere we like and to just “live”.

That’s exactly what we did this summer. And it’s why Lviv is the perfect place for us.

 

Tourists. Lviv does get a lot of tourists in its old town in the summer. But it is confined to the main square (the Rynok) and a few surrounding streets. One can still find quiet spots. Lviv doesn’t (yet) feel overwhelmed by tourists the way many European cities get in the summer.

Cost. Lviv doesn’t get many international tourists and you can still find good value. We paid $750 Canadian (that’s $570 US these days) per month for the apartment we stayed in . That’s all-in, including Airbnb fees, during the 3 busiest months of the year (June, July, August). It wasn’t glamourous but it was very comfortable for our needs.

Value. You can, by almost all comparisons, live cheaply in Lviv. You can also find anything you need. Right in the middle of downtown there is a large market where you can buy all your vegetables, meat, bread etc. There is also a large supermarket steps from there called Arsen which we discovered this summer (last year we would go to Silpo which is in the Lviv Forum shopping center – which is further from the old town). For wines and cheeses I go to Elit Klub which is my favorite store in Lviv. There I’d pick up an $8 Canadian ($6 US) Spanish wine for our meals. I don’t know if you can find an $8 bottle of Spanish wine even in Spain. All to say value for money in Lviv is excellent.

 


 

 

Views of the Rynok in Lviv, Ukraine. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv

 


So what did we do over 3 months in Lviv?

Last year we explored Lviv in depth. Again, please refer to my very comprehensive “Ultimate Guide to Lviv”.

This year we barely did any sightseeing. Instead we concentrated on getting in shape at our favorite gym in the world: Eurosport.

Almost every single day we went to the gym, spending anywhere between 2 and 3 hours doing classes. Lissette lost 20 lbs. We got in great shape and met lots of very friendly people.

After the gym we would often go out for lunch, walk around the city (which is quite small. There’s a joke that everything in Lviv is “10 minutes” away). Then we’d usually have a coffee or a glass of wine somewhere.

THAT basically sums up our summer: 3 months of working out (getting in the best shape we’ve been in the last 10 years), walking around, drinking coffee and wine, and taking lots of photos of lovely Lviv.

 

The rest of this post is dedicated to our favorite photos of lovely Lviv from this summer. Note that all these photos were taken by Lissette – I hope you feel her love of Lviv in these images.

 

Why we loved our Summer in Lviv
Musical performer. We would see this girl almost every day, usually in front of the “Post office” (Poshta)  restaurant

 

Shevchenko Avenue buildings, Lviv. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv
Buildings along Shevchenko Avenue

 

drinking wine and selfie pose in Lviv. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv (in photos)
Drinking wine and warped views on a selfie

 

kids climbing the Taras Shevchenko Monument, Lviv. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv
Kids always seem to enjoy trying to climb the Taras Shevchenko Monument

 

ladies selling flowers at the market in Lviv. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv (in photos)
Ladies selling flowers next to the market

 


 

 

Boim chapel in Lviv. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv (in photos)
Life next to the Boim Chapel

 

men playing chess on park bench in Lviv. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv
Men playing chess on park bench

 

inside the Archangel Michael Church, Lviv
Inside the Archangel Michael Church

 

Pretty girl in Lviv. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv (in photos)
Pretty girl giving Lissette looks at the Drunk Cherry

 

inside the Drunk Cherry, Lviv
Inside the Drunk Cherry. You have to try out their cherry wine at least once when coming to Lviv.

 

Views of a tram and churches in Lviv. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv (in photos)
Tram and churches (that the Assumption church to the left, the Church Of St. Archangel Michael down the street)

 


 

 

colorful buildings near the Bernardine Church, Lviv
Colorful buildings near the Bernardine Church

 

buildings around the rynok, Lviv. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv (in photos)
Buildings around the main square (the Rynok) following rain

 

Views of Lviv from the Panorama restaurant
Views of Lviv from the Panorama restaurant

 

Tango in Lviv, Ukraine
Tango in Lviv

 

flower market in Lviv. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv (in photos)
Flower market. That’s the Bernardine church in the background

 

Shevchenko Avenue and George Hotel, Lviv
Shevchenko Avenue and George Hotel

 


 

 

Details on the George Hotel, Lviv, Ukraine
Details on the George Hotel, Lviv, Ukraine

 

Ukrainian beer and wine at the Glory cafe, Lviv.
Beer and wine at the popular Glory Cafe.

 

pretty street in the old town, Lviv
Pretty street in the old town

 

weird colored drinks in Lviv
Weird colored drinks

 

bride and groom in Lviv
A bride and groom next to the Armenian Church

 

Design on building in Lviv, Ukraine. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv (in photos)
Design on building. Almost every building in Lviv has incredible designs

 

Boy playing a musical instrument

 


 

 

a selfie in Lviv
Capturing a selfie

 

tower at city hall, Lviv, Ukraine
Tower at city hall (go up for great views)

 

Drinking wine at Wine Not, Lviv. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv (in photos)
Drinking wine at “Wine Not?”

 

detail on buildings in Lviv. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv (in photos)
More detail on buildings

 

Bernardine church at night, Lviv
Bernardine church at night, Lviv

 

birds over the Rynok, Lviv, Ukraine
Birds over the Rynok

 

getting a haircut in Lviv, Ukraine
That’s me getting a haircut

 


 

 

the streets of Lviv, Ukraine
The streets of Lviv

 

Shevchenko Avenue at night, Lviv
Shevchenko Avenue at night

 

colorful street in the old town, Lviv
Colorful street in the old town

 

Old defensive wall behind the Bernardine Church, Lviv
Old defensive wall behind the Bernardine Church

 

Boy scouts selling cookies in Lviv, Ukraine
Boy scouts selling cookies

 

Inside the beautiful Transfiguration church, Lviv
Inside the beautiful Transfiguration church

 


 

 

windows and balconies on the Rynok, Lviv
Summer life on the windows and balconies on the Rynok

 

Drunk Cherry in Lviv
Back outside the Drunk Cherry

 

lada in front of the Dominican cathedral, Lviv
Old Lada in front of the Dominican cathedral

 

sun in Archangel Michael Church, Lviv
Sun in Archangel Michael Church

 

Shadows behind the Armenian Church, Lviv, Ukraine
Shadows behind the Armenian Church

 

Drinking wine in Lviv, Ukraine. Why we loved our Summer in Lviv (in photos)
Drinking wine (again)

 

Flowers at the market, Lviv
Flowers at the market

 

building on Shevchenko Avenue, Lviv
Building along beautiful Shevchenko Avenue

 


 

 
tram cutting through the busy Rynok in Lviv
Tram cutting through the busy Rynok in Lviv

 

Detail on the Bernardine church, Lviv
Detail on the Bernardine church

 

Ukrainian colors and Bernardine church, Lviv, Ukraine
Ukrainian colors and Bernardine church

 

 

 

 

 If you’ve gotten all the way down here, thanks for reading!

 

 

Related: The Ultimate Travel Guide to Lviv

 

Related: Cafés to go to for the best coffee experiences in Lviv, Ukraine

 

Related: What to See and Do in Kiev (Kyiv)

 

PS. Looking to book flights, hotels, tours, or rent a car? Have a look at our Travel Resources page.

 

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Filed Under: EUROPE, LATEST POSTS, UKRAINE

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anon

    November 1, 2019 at 8:27 pm

    Germany doesn’t erect statues of Hitler and isn’t proud of what happened during WWII, unlike Ukraine, which is proud of what it did to the Jews and Poles, as evidenced by the statues and streets built and named in honour of the OUN and UPA. Imagine you’re a Jew and you visit Germany and see statues of Hitler and streets named after Goebbels, That’s what Ukraine is like. The fact that you don’t care about this just because they treated you nicely is disgraceful, however this isn’t really my point, my point is your hypocrisy of pointing out Polish antisemitism, but not mentioning the monuments glorifying Ukrainian antisemitism.

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      November 1, 2019 at 9:44 pm

      Give me a break. Every country has statues dedicated to “liberators” who did “terrible things”. That’s very subjective depending on what side of history you’re on. And having street names or statues don’t mean anything but being politically correct. Ask Americans in the south what they think about having their confederate statues taken down.

      I’m not addressing this subject anymore, this post isn’t about Ukrainian or Polish politics.

      Reply
  2. Colleen

    October 22, 2019 at 11:52 am

    My favourite photo is Shadows Behind the Armenian Church. Though they’re all lovely.

    I dislike tourist crowds as well and we try to avoid them. Even shoulder season is sometimes too much. Early-early mornings are often a good bet. In Rome they were pretty cool. It was surreal at times. Trevi Fountain with no one around.

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      October 22, 2019 at 7:01 pm

      Hi Colleen. You’ve got the same taste as Lissette – that was her favorite photo as well.

      Over the last month we’ve been to Prague as well as Split in what is now shoulder season. Both cities are inundated with tourists. Even more than on prior visits. I’ll be writing about that soon. It’s honestly depressing…

      Reply
  3. Jack

    October 21, 2019 at 1:36 pm

    Oh wow, Lviv looks nice. Great photos and congratulations to Lissette! I want to see a photo of her as well 🙂

    Reply
  4. Andrew Boland

    October 21, 2019 at 12:39 pm

    honestly it looks like the sort of place I would love Frank. Who knows where life will take me over the next 20-30 years. But I’m popping it in the back of my mind. looks wonderful. Not sure I’d be keen on gym every single day no matter where I was though!

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      October 21, 2019 at 1:48 pm

      Hi Andy. We’ve just been trying to really get in shape and Lviv was what we needed. I’m not going to tell you it’s the most beautiful place anywhere but we think it’s a special place with the vibe and the people.

      Reply
  5. Gilda Baxter

    October 20, 2019 at 9:51 pm

    Frank, so many interesting photos. My favourite is the one of the musician girl in front of the post office. Definitely agree that the busy summer months are not a good time for traveling in Europe. I like your slow travel approach, you get to apreciate places in depth and live like a local. Your fitness campaign has really paid off…well done Lissette, impressive results. Brian and I are starting to go running again regularly, it is hard to find motivation sometimes.

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      October 20, 2019 at 11:13 pm

      Thanks Gilda.
      We took lots of classes and I was usually the only guy in the class. Lots of squats, pushups, ab work…the ladies were great with us, very welcoming and Lissette has a lot of Ukrainian friends now on facebook. Unbelievable how nice everyone was with us and we look forward to getting back.
      We’ll also be doing some running as well as skipping rope (another quick way to get rid of or maintain weight). You’re right that it’s hard to find motivation when on your own. That’s why the classes were great for us. I guess you guys back in the Uk after your long trip to Norway?

      Reply
  6. Sara yoel

    October 20, 2019 at 8:33 pm

    Great photos. Would love to see lissette too in one of them.

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      October 20, 2019 at 8:43 pm

      Yes, I know. I’ve tried…she prefers to stay an enigma.
      Maybe by year end, I’m pushing for her to show off how fit she looks.
      Ps. Sara – There is a Jewish Memorial in Lviv that Lissette took photos of and if you’d like photos I can send you a few. I found a link about it and Lviv’s Jewish history which you might find interesting.

      Reply
      • sara yoel

        October 24, 2019 at 4:37 pm

        Definitely would like any photos. I know the history very much but there is so much of it that I always still learn. It was a big Jewish learning center with a great large Jewish population that was decimated in WWII. A very close friend of ours spent an extended period there years ago to search for his family origin in Lviv.
        P.S. leaving for Israel Nov 4th, and would have about 8 days to take a side RT to Europe. Wanted very much to go to Spain (warmer in November than going back to Georgia, which I want to do). Any Air B&B recomd. for Madrid, Barcelona and Toledo? Thank You.

        Reply
        • Frank (bbqboy)

          October 24, 2019 at 8:20 pm

          I’m sorry Sara, no recommendations. We haven’t seen much of Spain except for Seville. Ask us next year – we’ll be spending a LOT of time in Spain.

          Tragic history in Lviv. It feels like a happy place but so easy to forget the history. The Citadel for example (which is now a fancy hotel) was a prison used by the Nazis and I heard over 100,000 were killed there. Hard to come to grips with numbers like that. We often think of the ugly history when travelling around Europe. So easy to forget.

          Reply
          • Sara yoel

            October 24, 2019 at 10:53 pm

            You said it best. That’s why it’s important to remember. As was said already. “If we forget history, we are bound to repeat it”.

  7. Paula

    October 20, 2019 at 3:21 pm

    Looks like a great place to hole up for 3 months. I’m working Lviv into my plans next year. Your guide will come in handy 🙂 Tell Lissette I love her pictures

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      October 20, 2019 at 7:30 pm

      Write me personally if you need any info Paula! Lissette appreciates it.

      Reply

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Hi! We are Frank & Lissette from Canada. We sold our home in 2014 and have been travelling the world ever since.

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