Lviv Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Lviv

The Market Square was planned in the second half of the 14th century. The square is rectangular in shape, with measurements of 142 meters by 129 meters and with two streets radiating out of every corner. Around the square, there are 44 tenement houses, which represent several architectural styles, from Renaissance to Modernism. In the four corners, there are fountain—wells from early 19th century, likely designed by Hartman Witwer. The sculptures represent mythological figures, such as Neptune, Diana, Amphitrite and Adonis. In front of the Town Hall, there is a pillory. In 1998 the Market Place, together with the historic city center of Lviv, was recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site.

On the Market Square one will also find a huge variety of cafes and restaurants, some interesting museums and street musicians. The large number of souvenir shops makes it a perfect spot for travel gifts shopping.

City Hall of Lviv is set in the middle of the famous Market Square. This old building dates back to the 14th century. It has a high tower that was added in 1619. Later the tower was rebuilt in the style of Viennese Classicism. The City House is a brick building with an inner yard. There are sculptures of lions at the entrance of the City Hall; they are the symbols of Lviv.

The Chapel of the Boim Family is a small shrine located just outside the Latin Cathedral, in what used to be known as the Chapter Square. Built between 1609 and 1615, the chapel was originally located in what used to be the city's main cemetery. Founded by merchants Jerzy Boim and his wife Jadwiga Niżniowska, the Boim chapel was finished by their son, Paweł Jerzy Boim. Attributed to Andrzej Bemer, the chapel is among the prime examples of mannerist architecture in Central Europe. It bears strong resemblance to the Sigismund's Chapel at the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków.

One of the monuments in Lviv is dedicated to the great King Daniel of Galicia. He reigned over the territories of present-day Ukraine and Poland. Exiled by local authorities when he was a little boy, he managed to regain his legal position and was crowned by a papal archbishop as King of Galicia.

The Bernardine church and monastery in Lviv is located in the city's Old Town, south of the market square. The monastery and the Roman Catholic church of Saint Andrew (today the Greek Catholic church of Saint Andrew) now belong the Order of Saint Basil the Great. In the 17th century the present-day church and monastery were constructed in the style of Italian and Dutch mannerisms. In 1733 the square belfry was added to the complex and in 1736 a monument to Saint John of Dukla, who died in the monastery in 1484, was built in front of the church. The interior was refurbished in the Baroque style in the years 1738 to 1740.

Hlyniany Gate is another UNESCO Heritage monument. Set in the central part of the Old Town, this gate is a part of the old historical fortress of Lviv. The gate dates back to 1618 and what you will see there today is a reconstructed gate. Another UNESCO Heritage building behind the gate is the Bernardine Church.

The Museum of Lviv Sacral Baroque Sculpture "Johann Georg Pinsel Creative Work" is situated in the former church. On display here are splendid art works of Johann Georg Pinsel, a famous 18th century sculptor whose works can be seen in the most famous churches and great historical architectural monuments. His creative work is a treasure of both Ukrainian and world culture.

Lviv Arsenal, which houses a unique weapon museum, is the oldest of 3 historic arsenal buildings in Lviv, dating back to the 16th century. It used to be a part of the city wall and used to be a torture chamber. Here you will see a very large collection of “Winged hussars” from the 16th century, fire-arms, and old cannons.

The Dominican church and monastery is located in the city's Old Town. It was originally built as the Roman Catholic church of Corpus Christi, and today serves as the Greek Catholic church of the Holy Eucharist. In 1749 Józef Potocki laid the cornerstone for the present-day Baroque church. The church was consecrated in 1764 by the Latin archbishop of Lviv Wacław Hieronim Sierakowski. The Dominicans managed to safely survive through the reign of the Austrian emperor Joseph II, who closed many other monasteries. In 1865 a neo-baroque bell tower was added to the complex. In the years between 1885 and 1914 a controversial renovation of the façade and interior was carried out. The church resembles the church of Saint Charles Borromeus in Vienna and is built on the plan of the Greek Cross inscribed in an ellipsoid and topped with a monumental dome.

The Pharmacy Museum is housed in the building of an old drugstore that dates back to 1735. In 16 rooms of the museum you can see antique pharmaceutical facilities, medicines, a library, and an alchemy workshop. The main hall of the museum is decorated with wall paintings of Vienna masters, stained-glass windows and sculptures of great people who contributed to the development of medicine.

Located in the very heart of modern Lviv, Virmenska (also known as Armenian) street is full of life yet has retained much of its old time character. In addition to quaint cafes, restaurants and pubs, it houses the Armenian church (hence the alternate name) and Art Gallery Dzyga, a popular hangout of the local bohemian folk adding much atmosphere to the place.

The Armenian Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located in the city's Old Town. A small Armenian church was built in the years 1363 to 1370, founded by an Armenian merchant from Caffa. It is said to have been modeled after the Cathedral of Ani in the ancient Armenian capital of Ani. The Cathedral owes most of its present-day look to a remodeling carried out during the years 1908 to 1927. Just north of the Cathedral lays a small convent of Armenian Benedictines and to the south, adjoining the bell tower, the palace of the Armenian Archbishops, both built in the late 17th century. The present-day interior is largely the work of Jan Henryk Rosen and Józef Mehoffer. The cathedral holds two icons of Saint Gregory the Illuminator and the Mother of God, brought in the 17th century from Yazlovets.

The Outdoor Arts and Crafts Market is set in a small street close to the Opera Theater. Small booths at this market sell various Ukrainian and Lviv souvenirs. Local artists offer some of their works here as well, mainly paintings. You can also find cute nesting dolls which are called "Matreshka" in Russian.

The Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet building was raised between 1897 and 1900. The Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet is built in the classical tradition with using forms and details of Renaissance and Baroque architecture, also known as the Viennese neo-Renaissance style. The stucco mouldings and oil paintings on the walls and ceilings of the multi-tiered auditorium and foyer give it a richly festive appearance. The Opera's imposing facade is opulently decorated with numerous niches, Corinthian columns, pilasters, balustrades, cornices, statues, reliefs and stucco garlands. Standing in niches on either side of the main entrance are allegorical figures representing Comedy and Tragedy; figures of muses embellish the top of the cornice. The building is crowned by large bronze statues, symbolizing Glory, Poetry and Music. The theatre, beautifully decorated inside and outside, became a centrefold of the achievements in sculpture and painting of Western Europe at the end of the 19th century.

One of Lviv's many monuments is the Sculpture of St. George slaying the dragon. This monument is dedicated to the policemen of Lviv who lost their lives in the line of duty. The monument stands in front of the police office. St George is represented sitting on a scared horse, wanting to kill the serpent with his spear.

Lviv's House of Scientists is also called Palace of Scientists because the building is beautiful and impressive, like a palace. Set in the Old Town of Lviv, this architectural gem was built in 1898 by Viennese architects. The building is richly decorated with statues and has a splendid interior. Today it functions as a place for cultural, political and scientific conferences and meetings.

The Potocki Palace in Lviv was built in the 1880s as an urban seat of Alfred Józef Potocki, Minister-President of Austria. No cost was spared to make it the grandest nobleman's residence in the city. The French architect Louis de Verny elaborated all of Beaux-Arts stylisic devices to produce a hypertrophied imitation of a French hôtel particulier. An open, parklike setting was scored to give the mansion a sense of depth. At the turn of the century the parkland gave way to a network of apartment buildings.

The palace itself was adapted for holding wedding ceremonies in 1972 and subsequently underwent restoration. In the 2000s the President of Ukraine appropriated the palace as one of his residences. Some of its architectural motifs were borrowed by the next-door exhibition hall (inaugurated in 1996).