Lviv & Western Ukraine - Ukraine - page 182

Thanks to its splendid array of buildings Lviv was declared a Unesco World Heritage
Site in 1998, and this old market square lies at its heart. The square was progressively re-
built after a major fire in the early 16th century destroyed the original. The 19th-century
Ratusha OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Town Hall) stands in the middle of the plaza,
with fountains featuring Greek gods at each of its corners (you'll see these garbed in tra-
ditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts around 24 August, Ukrainian Independence Day).
Vista junkies can climb the 65m-high neo-Renaissance tower (admission 10uah;
9am-9pm Apr-Oct, shorter hours rest of year) , though it's a hard slog to the top. Multilingual
signs point the way to the ticket booth on the 4th floor.
Around 40 buildings in various states of repair hem the square's perimeter. Most of
these three- and four-storey buildings have uniform dimensions, with three windows per
storey overlooking the square. This was the maximum number of windows allowed tax-
free, and those buildings with four or more belonged to the extremely wealthy.
House No 4, the Black Mansion OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP , has one of the most
striking facades. Built for an Italian merchant in 1588-89, it features a relief of St Martin
on a horse. The Kornyakt House OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP at No 6 is named after
its original owner, a Greek merchant. An interesting row of sculptured knights along the
rooftop cornice makes it a local favourite. Together, Nos 2 and 6 house the largest por-
tion of the Lviv History Museum.

Prospekt Svobody BOULEVARD
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP
(Freedom Ave) Just in case it should ever slip your mind that Lviv is Ukraine's most patri-
otic large city, an enormous statue of Taras Shevchenko OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP (pr Svobody) rises up in the middle of Prospekt Svobody. A gift from the
Ukrainian diaspora in Argentina, the statue of the revered national poet stands beside a
wave-shaped relief of religious folk art. In summer the broad pavement in the middle of
the prospekt is the town's main hang-out and the hub of Lviv life, where homegrown
tourists pose for photos at Shevchenko's feet. Locals promenade along the strip of park,
kids scoot around in rented electric cars, beggars politely hassle people sitting on the
many park benches and wedding parties mill around barking photo instructions.
At the northern end of the boulevard is the 1897-1900 Solomiya Krushelnytska Lviv
Theatre of Opera & Ballet . At the southern end a statue of Adam Michiewicz
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP , the Polish poet, stands in pl Mitskevycha.

Latin Cathedral CATHEDRAL