Day Trips From Lviv, Ukraine - The Top 30 Destinations

Lviv is a gorgeous city of cobbled squares and laneways to wander in for a few days. Its crumbling buildings from the days of Austro-Hungary wouldn't look out of place in Krakow or Prague, but the absence of tourists in the old Galician capital lends it an authenticity which neither of those cities can offer nowadays. Beyond the historic centre there are two more worthwhile sights in the outskirts, the Lviv Outdoor Folk Architecture Museum and the highly atmospheric Lychakiv cemetery. There are also many attractive historic towns, monasteries, castles and wooden churches within range of a day trip by public transport. Natural attractions with potential for hiking lie to the south in the forested foothills of the Carpathian mountains. This list includes the top thirty day trips to make in the surrounding countryside of Lviv region, ranked in order of their general tourist appeal. The so-called "Golden Horseshoe" route, with a name which is reminiscent of Moscow's "Golden Ring" of historic towns, includes Olesko castle, Pidhirtsi castle and Zolochiv castle, which are among the most popular day trip destinations for tour groups. All of these destinations can be reached by train, bus or marshrutka with a little effort, so go ahead and try exploring a bit further afield.

1. Pochayiv Monastery - One of the finest monasteries in Ukraine, and the most important monastery of the Orthodox church in the western part of the country. It rivals the Pechersk monastery in Kyiv in size and historical significance. Since the monastery lies more than 100 kilometres east of Lviv this is a fairly long day trip by bus or marshrutka, but is certainly worth the effort to see one of the region's best attractions.

2. Zhovkva - This historic town to the north of Lviv boasts a castle, a historic central square and town centre packed with centuries-old churches, and a UNESCO-listed wooden church at the edge of town. There is also another impressive wooden church to see in the neighbouring village of Stara Skvaryana. This is one of the easiest day trips from Lviv and among the most enjoyable. Arriving by marshrutka is the fastest and easiest method.

3. Olesko Castle - This 14th-century hilltop castle east of Lviv forms part of the "Golden Horseshoe" sightseeing route and is one of the most visited castles in Lviv region.

4. Zolochiv Castle - This 17th-century castle (though it looks more like a palace) lies 60 kilometres east of Lviv. The Chinese Palace within the castle grounds is particularly impressive.

5. Ivano-Frankivsk - This city to the south of Lviv features a collection of architectural gems from its long history, including many buildings from the Austro-Hungarian period. The city's cathedral, Armenian church and unusual town hall are among the most impressive sights.

6. Lutsk - This historic city to the north-east of Lviv has an old town centre with many impressive churches and cathedrals and a large castle complex.

7. Pidhirtsi Castle - This 17th-century castle (though like Zolochiv castle it looks more like a palace) lies to the east of Lviv not far from Olesko castle.

8. Kremenets - A hilltop castle ruin and historic centre with many Orthodox churches and a monastery are the main draws in this town to the north-east of Lviv. Many people try to combine a visit here with Pochayiv monastery, though it would be ambitious to try to see both in a day by public transport.

9. Drohobych - This town south of Lviv features a clutch of Austro-Hungarian buildings, but its main attractions are its two outstanding wooden churches, including one with UNESCO heritage listing.

10. Tustan Rock Fortress - A castle stronghold which was carved out of towering sandstone rock outcrops near the village of Urych, to the south of Lviv near the town of Boryslav. This is one of the best natural attractions near Lviv and offers good hiking in the surrounding forested hills.

11. Univ Monastery - The only Lavra monastery of the Greek Catholic church in Ukraine. Its large white defensive walls surround a church, bell tower and ecclesiastical buildings. It lies in the village of Univ, which is 40 kilometres east of Lviv.

12. Svirzh Castle - A 15th-century fortified residence which is surrounded by a series of lakes which once helped to defend it from attack. This is a relatively easy day trip since the castle lies just 35 kilometres south-east of Lviv near the town of Bibrka.

13. Krekhiv Monastery - A 16th-century fortified Basilian monastery found to the north of Lviv near the town of Zhovkva.

14. Stare Selo castle - The sprawling ruins of this 17th-century castle lie in Stare Selo village, less than 20 kilometres south-east of Lviv. There is also a wooden church to see in the neighbouring village of Cherepyn.

15. Dovbush Rock Fortress - A fortress carved out of the tall sandstone rock outcrops near the village of Bubnyshche, lying to the south of the city of Stryi, near the town of Bolekhiv. Legends claim that this was once the hideout of the Carpathian outlaw Oleksa Dovbush.

16. Rozhirche Cave Monastery - A monastery in caves carved out of the rock of a hillside. Monks dug the series of tunnels and rooms between the 13th and 16th centuries. The village of Rozhirche is south of Lviv close to the Dovbush Rock Fortress, and both can be combined into a single day trip (if travelling by car).

17. Halych - This small town to the south-east of Lviv features a ruined castle, and the neighbouring village of Krylos contains an Outdoor Folk Architecture museum which includes a reconstructed wooden church among other historic farm buildings and cottages.

18. Sambir - A historic small town to the south-west of Lviv near the Polish border, with several beautiful old churches.

19. Rohatyn - This small town to the south-east of Lviv contains a very impressive UNESCO-listed wooden church.

20. Mount Parashka - This is the highest point in the Skole Beskids National Park at 1268 metres. The trail to the top makes for a very scenic day hike through mountain meadows full of wild flowers in the summer.

21. Truskavets - This picturesque spa town to the south of Lviv contains many 19th-century Austro-Hungarian buildings. The many wooden villas surround the source of fourteen mineral water springs.

22. Zymne Monastery - This is a 13th-century fortified Orthodox monastery to the north of Lviv. The thick walls, battlements and towers which surround the complex once provided formidable defensive capabilities.

23. Potelych - A small village with a UNESCO-listed wooden church near the Polish border to the north-west of Lviv.

24. Kuty - One of the finest wooden churches in Lviv region can be seen in the small village of Kuty, just north of Olesko Castle. It was constructed in 1697.

25. Pidkamin Monastery - This 17th-century fortified monastery lies east of Lviv in the village of Pidkamin. The village takes its name ('Pidkamin' means 'Below the Rock') from the huge boulder on the hilltop at the edge of the settlement.

26. Komarno - An 18th-century wooden church in the Boyko style lies in this small town south of Lviv. There is also another impressive wooden church in the neighbouring village of Klitsko, 2 kilometres away from Komarno.

27. Belz - A 17th-century wooden church can be seen in this town to the north-west of Lviv near the Polish border.

28. Cherche - This village to the south-east of Lviv on the road towards Rohatyn contains one of the oldest wooden churches in the region.

29. Berestechko - A collection of historic churches dominate this small town to the north-east from Lviv.

30. Kuhaiv - A very old wooden church stands in this small village 15 kilometres south of Lviv.

Photo Challenge # 14 - Name This Location

Here is the next photo challenge for you to guess, can you name the town where this picture was taken? The decorative wooden bridge is part of the gardens beneath the castle. As usual, clicking on the photo to enlarge it may help provide some clues. Good luck!

Photo Challenge # 13 - Name This Location

Here is the next photo challenge for you to guess, can you name the town where this was taken? As usual, clicking on the photo to enlarge it may help provide some clues. Good luck!

Beautiful Towns # 7 - Cetinje, Montenegro

Cetinje is a pretty town with a proud history in the mountainous interior of Montenegro. A former capital of the Montenegrin kingdom, it is considered to be the spiritual and religious heart of this small Mediterranean nation. Cetinje was somewhat surprised to find itself declared a capital city when Montenegro's independence was declared in 1878. At the time it had a population of just 6,000, which made it the world's smallest capital.

Many grandly designed embassies and government buildings were erected during this period which still grace the streets of the town today. During the communist period the capital of the Montenegrin socialist republic of Yugoslavia was moved to Titograd (now Podgorica), and Cetinje was left to become a peaceful small town once more. Today the population is about 15,000, but the town continues to have an expanded national importance in the modern Montenegrin state due to its status as the former royal capital.

The stone Cetinje Monastery is the seat of the Orthodox church in Montenegro. It was first built in 1701 and was destroyed repeatedly in a series of Turkish invasions, but was always faithfully rebuilt by the local inhabitants. The monastery houses the relics of Saint Peter of Cetinje, an important figure in Montenegrin history. Another church of historical interest is the Vlach church, built in 1450. It is encircled by a symbolic fence made from the barrels of enemy rifles captured during the fight for independence from the Ottoman Turks. Another noteworthy building in Cetinje is the Palace of King Nicholas I, which today provides a home for The National Museum of Montenegro. The museum features extensive exhibits (with some English-language labelling) on the history of the struggle for national independence.

The town is an essential stop on a tour of Montenegro in order to get a full impression of this pint-sized country's sense of self. Cetinje can be reached by bus from most parts of Montenegro, with many daily connections from Podgorica and Budva. It makes an excellent day-trip from Kotor or Budva on the coast.

Photo Challenge # 9 - Name This Location

Here's another photo location for you to guess, can you name this town? The picture shows the main square. As before, clicking on the image to enlarge it to look for clues may help. Good luck!

Beautiful Towns # 6 - Gyor, Hungary

Gyor is a small city in the north-west of Hungary which is known mostly for its production of industrial goods rather than as a tourist hotspot. It receives few foreign visitors apart from Austrian day-trippers, which is surprising given what the historic centre of the city has to offer. Baroque churches, a fortified castle and a broad web of cobbled streets to wander through provide ample surroundings for an enjoyable daytrip from Budapest.

The neo-classical town hall opposite the train station offers an imposing introduction to the city for visitors, and from there it is a short walk to Baross Gabor street, which leads into the heart of the old town. The lovely yellow Carmelite church stands near the river Raba (this body of water was in the news this autumn when the red sludge spill in the village of Kolontar reached as far as Gyor). A short distance along the riverfront is the Bishop's castle, featuring extensive fortifications built in the 16th century to stop the advancing Ottoman Turkish armies. An interesting sight near the town market is the Frigylada statue, which is topped by The Ark of the Covenant (I suppose Indiana Jones wasn't aware that the Ark is in Hungary). :)

Many fine restaurants serving spicy Hungarian specialties can be found around Szechenyi Ter, and a number of trendy pensions have recently opened in the old town to provide scenically-located accommodation.
Gyor is 90 minutes by train from Budapest, making it a suitable full-day trip from the capital. Trains run frequently to Vienna, also 90 minutes away by train, which makes Gyor a suitable stopover while travelling between the two capitals.

Beautiful Towns # 5 - Kruja, Albania

This small historic town sits on a steep mountainside north of the capital Tirana. The drive up the winding road full of hairpin turns is thrilling and impossibly scenic, particularly if you're bouncing up and down and hanging on for dear life in the back of a Furgon (An Albanian taxivan).

The town features an old cobbled market bazaar with many brightly-coloured carpets and metalwork for sale, as well as a few souvenirs for the relatively small number of foreign tourists that make it here. Kruja castle is the former stronghold of the country's greatest hero, Skanderbeg, who united the Albanian princes in their fight against the invasion of the Ottoman Turks.

Skanderbeg kept the Ottomans at bay for 35 years (1443 to 1478) during four sieges that were made on the castle. Although he was killed in the final siege and the castle fell shortly after, today he is revered as the greatest of all Albanians. Today a museum to Skanderbeg sits at the centre of the castle complex; it was designed by the daughter and son-in-law of the communist dictator Enver Hoxha and originally contained exhibits where Skanderbeg and Hoxha were given equal billing as heroes of the state. In the modern museum all traces of Hoxha have been removed, and the museum is now dedicated solely to Skanderbeg and provides a broad overview of Albanian history in the Ottoman period.

The town of Kruja and its connection to Skanderbeg continue to be a source of pride and inspiration for all Albanians. Kruja can be reached from Tirana by bus or taxivan and makes an easy daytrip from the capital. There are a number of traditional restaurants in the historic part of the town to try local cuisine.

Quirky and Unusual Sights #2 - The Easter Egg Museum in Kolomyya, Ukraine

The museum of Ukrainian easter eggs in Kolomyya is a dominant landmark of the town and a major tourist draw, in part thanks to the fact that the museum itself is shaped like a giant painted pysanky (Ukrainian painted Easter egg). The museum was constructed in the year 2000 and was opened during a traditional Hutsul cultural festival.

The museum contains a collection of over ten thousand uniquely painted eggs, with almost all regions of Ukraine represented with their individual patterns and styles. Many of the eggs are modern recreations of traditional styles, but there are also a good number of eggs in the collection that date from the 19th century, mostly ones collected in the surrounding region of Kolomyya and Ivano-Frankivsk. There are also eggs from many other Slavic countries, as well as some that come from Romania, Sweden, and as far away as India and Canada. There is another giant easter egg in Vegreville, Alberta, Canada, which celebrates the Ukrainian heritage of many of the town's citizens.

Kolomyya is best reached by train from Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk or Chernivtsi, and the best place to stay in the town is undoubtedly the On The Corner pension, run by a wonderful family who really make you feel at home with great home-cooked meals and lots of good advice for travellers.

Beautiful Towns #2 - Špania Dolina, Slovakia

The small historic village of Špania Dolina lies in a valley surrounded by forested hills and mountains a few kilometres from the central Slovak city of Banská Bystrica. Much of the town's character as a centre of medieval copper and silver mining has been carefully retained, with many impressive stone miners' houses dating from the 17th century. Several entrances to the mines have been preserved, including one with a small chapel where the miners would have stopped to pray for a safe working day before they descended down into the depths gripping a candle.

A special form of bell tower was used to call the miners to work each morning - a large flat piece of wood called a 'knocker' was struck with hammers to produce a loud sound that could be heard echoing throughout the village. This wooden bell tower has been restored to its original 16th century appearance.
A fortified gothic church dominates the centre of the settlement, perched on a hill with a steep covered staircase running up to it from the main square below. The church contains several frescoes and mural paintings which depict miners at work; this is a feature that is common in churches found in mining settlements from this period - the main churches in Rožňava, Slovakia, and in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic, also feature such mining images dedicated to the patron saint of miners, Saint Barbara.

The mines were closed in 1888 when the major copper and silver deposits ran out, but the village has tightly held onto its heritage and today is a popular outdoor tourism destination for Slovaks and Czechs. Wonderful hiking opportunities abound in the mountains that surround the village in all directions. It is also possible to rent a few of the historic cottages in order to spend the night in this atmospheric place. A particularly memorable experience is to climb the hilltop above the church just before dusk to enjoy the panoramic view. There is also a rustic village pub full of local characters to enjoy a beer in later on in the evening.

Beautiful Towns #1 - Štramberk, Czech Republic

There are many fine small towns to see in the Czech Republic, but most of them have been well and truly discovered - Český Krumlov is now an essential stop for almost every visitor to the country, and the one place visitors usually see outside Prague. Other fine examples of small-town architecture include Telč in south Moravia, with a postcard-perfect town square, Loket (near Karlovy Vary) with hilly cobbled streets and a castle surrounded by a sharp river bend, and Mikulov (south of Brno) a pretty town to spend a day or two in to check out the wine industry (try the local white wines). However, these places have also begun to see foreign visitors and even tourgroups, so I would like to mention a town with heaps of charm which is still completely off the foreign tourist radar (lots of Czech tourists make the trip though). Štramberk, near Nový Jičín in north Moravia, is as memorable a place as any you can find in the Czech Republic. It's the sort of place you'll want to settle into for a relaxed day or two to soak up the vibe, as the town is especially atmospheric to walk around in the early morning or after sunset. It has the finest examples of traditional Vlach wooden architecture in Moravia with its array of tidy wooden cottages that spread across a hillside, and a tall red castle tower sticks out from the trees lining the crest above them. A pastel-painted square of bright buildings with curvaceous facades sits at the centre of it all, where locals sell the town's unique specialty, a sweet pastry called Štramberk ears. According to legend, the 'ears' are so named because they resemble the shape of the ears of captured soldiers from the Tatar raids. The best view of the town can be had from a hilltop in the direction of the train station when walking from the old square; a marked path leads off to the right and up through the forest. Standing at the top you'll see what I mean - the view of the town is so perfect you'll find yourself photographing it from every angle. Part of the way up the trail through the forest is a cave where bones of prehistoric humans have been found. There are many fine pensions and homestays along the main street heading to the train station, and in the back lanes of wooden cottages surrounding the square. Several restaurants serving Czech and Moravian specialties can be found around the main square. For backpackers, it is possible to make a day trip from Olomouc, which involves a train connection through Nový Jičín. The Poet's Corner Hostel in Olomouc is without doubt the best place to stay in that wonderful city.