As a real jewel of Eastern Europe, Lviv (Lvov, L'viv, Lwow, Lwiw) resembles an open-air museum, it houses 2,000 historic and cultural monuments. Lviv is one of the most ancient, original and beautiful cities of Ukraine. It was founded in the middle of the 13th century by Danilo Galicky, Prince of Volyn-Galicia, and named after his son Lev.
The ancient part of Lviv is a true historical-architectural museum with hundreds of historical monuments, dozens of architectural ensembles, individual buildings which bear traces of styles of different periods. Along the modern buildings they render the city a peculiar charm, a specific coloring. The central part of the city averaging 97 hectares was turned into a historic-architectural preserve. Over 110 historical-architectural monuments of extreme artistic and town-building value were declared Government-protected. Among them is an ensemble of dwelling houses in Rynok Square; relics of military structures-Gun Powder Tower, City and Royal Armories; specimens of fortified cult structures-Mikolaivska, Onufrievska and Piatnitska churches; Korniakt Tower and Armenian and Polish cathedrals. The fountains and sculptures of Neptune, Adonis, Diana and Amphitrite are all encircled by the square's old walls.
In twenty museums of the city stored unique collections of history, culture and art relics which reconstruct the history of the Western Ukraine from ancient times to nowadays.
Today's Lviv (Lvov, L'viv, Lwow, Lwiw) is a treasury of national ideas and culture it is an economic, educational and cultural centre of western Ukraine. A grandiose Lviv opera house offers a full season of opera and ballet. Lviv houses 12 higher education establishments and has a reputation as a city with high level of culture. One the oldest Central European universities and the first Ukrainian University are located here in Lviv. Though Lviv is famous not only as a cultural and educational centre, it is also a centre of entrepreneurship. Due to advantageous economic environment 166 businesses operate in Lviv, and 333 in Lviv oblast. Almost 11 percent of all investment in Ukraine has been absorbed by Lviv enterprises. And their amount increases year by year.
There is much to attract the visitor’s eye and the inquisitive mind in Lviv (Lvov, L'viv, Lwow, Lwiw) . But if you can spare the time, go down its streets, through its squares and shady parks, its boulevards and you will feel the rhythm of ancient city.
