View of Lviv, Ukraine, from Town Hall Tower, on March 11, 2017.
Travel to Lviv from Kyiv
Published: March 28, 2017
Trip to Lviv from Kyiv:
An Indescribable Place,
Described through Photos Weekend or Longer Trip Price: $150 inclusive for three days
Best way to get there: Train
Worth it: Absolutely
When I stumbled off the night train at six a.m. in Lviv, the far western Ukrainian city, I was already beginning to understand just what makes the city so special. Every Ukrainian person who I informed about my upcoming trip to Lviv promptly squealed with delight and told me that Lviv is a “real” European city. At first I was confused by this. Was Kyiv not a real European city? Though already in city’s still dark streets I could observe the difference. Cobblestoned streets, a distinct lack of skyscrapers, archways and monuments as far as the eye could see.
As the trip continued, my understanding of what makes Lviv so unique grew, as did my love for the strange (not so little) little city. After spending a weekend there, I can confidently say it will remain in memory as one of my best trips to date. Lviv’s appeal is hard to describe with words; it is best experienced firsthand. In case you can’t pick and go right now, I have the next best thing for you below: photos.
Never has Darth Vader looked more out of place than on the Northern English-style streets of Lviv, Ukraine. Though it’s not uncommon to see costume wearing panhandlers in the city, the contrast in this case seems extreme. March 3, 2017.
THE COFFEE MINE
Our first glimpse of the highly theatrical nature of so many of Lviv’s businesses was Lviv’s Coffee Mine and Museum. The point here is that all their coffee is harvested from underground, and they have an elaborate mine, which customers can tour, set up beneath the cafe to prove it.One of the coffee bar workers at Lvivska Kava toasts the foam atop two customers drinks with a blow torch.Kava po-Lvivska, or “Coffee Lviv Style” is a shot of thickly brewed espresso with a shot of Medavhuka, or honey alcohol, and a lemon slice. Kind of like a tequila shooter, only classy. March 11, 2017.Once you’ve explored the coffee mine, you surface into a ground level cafe with clear ceilings.
CATHEDRALS
The ceiling of Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, on March 11, 2017A woman kneels at one of the alters in Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, on March 11, 2017.The outside of Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, on March 11, 2017.
STREET VIEWS
A woman plays a bandura on the streets on Lviv, on March 11, 2017.The picturesque architecture of the streets of Lviv, on March 12, 2017.People walk the streets of Lviv, on March 11, 2017.A couple takes a selfie on one of Lviv’s streets, on March 12, 2017. Visiting such a picturesque place, who can blame them?
Rebekah Welch is a senior at University of Montana in Missoula. She is a double major in Russian and Journalism with an emphasis on photography. She is studying Russian language at NovaMova in Kiev, and am also working for the school as an intern, creating a photoblog. After a semester abroad, she hopes to become fluent enough in Russian that she can work as photojournalist throughout Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Although she loves this area of the world, she has a passion for journalism and will go wherever the story takes her.
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