Lviv - is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine[1] and historically also for Ukraine’s neighbour, Poland, as the city before WWII and the following population transfers was the second most important Polish cultural centre. The historical heart of Lviv with its old buildings and cobblestone roads has survived World War II and ensuing Soviet presence largely unscathed. The city has many industries and institutions of higher education such as the Lviv University and the Lviv Polytechnic. Lviv is also a home to many world-class cultural institutions, including a philharmonic orchestra and the famous Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The historic city centre is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lviv celebrated its 750th anniversary with a son et lumière in the city centre in September 2006

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History

The stormy and extremely interesting history of the unique Ukrainian city Lviv is seven and a half centuries long. Lviv emerged in mid-13th century as the capital of a powerful Eastern European state – the Halychyna-Volyn Principality. Owing to its unique geographical location at the intersection of the main trade routes between the West and the East, in the 15th-17th centuries Lviv became the leading trade centre of the Eastern Europe and the largest city in Ukraine. Having spent half of a millennium in the European cultural space, the city turned into a genuine architectural gem, a centre of book printing, crafts and arts.
In the 18th-20th centuries Lviv as a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire became known as the city of technical innovations. For instance, kerosene and the kerosene lamp were invented here. In early 20th century Lviv became the capital of the third largest oil producing region after the USA and Russia. Lviv spent the period between 1939 and 1991 under the reign of totalitarian Soviet Union.
From the first days of Ukraine’s independence Lviv obtained the status of the cultural and spiritual capital of the Ukrainian state. In 2004 Lviv acted as the principal social catalyst of the democratic Orange Revolution. Quite recently, in 2006, Lviv celebrated its 750th birthday.

On December 05, 1998, during the 22nd Session of the World Heritage Committee in Kyoto (Japan), Lviv was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The following reasons for the inclusion of Lviv in the World Heritage List and the compliance with the following UNESCO criteria were named:
Criterion ? ?’: In its urban fabric and architecture.
Lviv is an outstanding example of the fusion of Eastern Europe architectural and artistic traditions with those of Italy and Germany;
Criterion B: The political and commercial role of Lviv attracted to the city a number of ethnic groups with different cultural and religious traditions, who established separate yet interdependent communities within the city, evidence for which is still discernible in the modern townscape.
The territory of the Lviv Historic Centre Ensemble covers 120 ha of the Old Russ and Medieval part of the city, as well as the territory of the St. George’s Cathedral on the St. George’s Hill. The buffer area of the Historic Centre, which is defined by the historic area bounds, is approximately 3,000 ha.

Cultural Capital of Ukraine

Lviv Has Been Recognized As The Cultural Capital Of Ukraine 2009 On the 28th of April 2009, Lviv has been recognized as the cultural capital of Ukraine. This status award was given based on expert research of The State service of tourism and resorts and “The Council on tourism and resorts issues”.
The main reasons of such obtaining is the conducting of more than 100 festivals annually, 60 museums, 100 churches of different confessions, and the big tourist interest in Lviv.

For the past 2 years the tourist stream to the city increased by 40 %, and now it is more than a million people per year. Among the foreigners, the biggest amount of tourists come from Poland, Germany, Austria, Belarus, USA and Russia.

The city is known as a center of art, literature, music and theatre.
Nowadays, the indisputable evidences of the city cultural richness is a big number of theaters, concert halls, creative unions, and also high number of many artistic activities. Temples, frescos, paintings, traditions, feasts, festivals – all these are the heirdom of the past and the product of the present geniuses, which can be felt only in Lviv.

Due to the rich cultural programme, developed infrastructure (now Lviv has more than 8 000 hotel rooms, over 700 caffees and restaurants, free WI-Fi zones in the city centery, good connection with many countries of the world) Lviv has the biggest tourist potential in Ukraine.

Lviv is also a huge educational center with 23 educational institutions, 7 of which prepares support staff for tourism infrastructure. According to the statics, more than 10 thousand tourists come to each city festival.

Lviv has established many city-feasts, such as Coffee and Chocolate feasts, the feast of pampukh, The Day of Batyar, such festivals as “Ethnovyr”, “Krayina Mriy”, international theatrical festival “Golden Lion”.

Night life in Lviv

Lviv is the city of wonders and surprises. It astonishes with its diversity and if you think that entertainment in Lviv is limited to walking tours around historical part of the city, excursions and visiting museums it means you don’t know anything about this city.

With the coming of night, when all lions and trams fall asleep, street musicians and noisy cafés quite down, Lviv becomes club city that beckons with bright flashes, music and parties of all kinds. Every night you can visit over 10 night clubs, where best city DJ’s and guest DJ’s from other Ukrainian cities or abroad will play for you. Very often thematical parties are organized in Lviv, so you can be absorbed in atmosphere of some historical epoch, country or movie.

Lviv night clubs are pretty like European ones. They are one of the favorite places of time spending for young people. Nightlife in Lviv is a vivid mix of music, dancing and crazy fun.

Coffee in Lviv

Lviv and coffee are two notions that became one. Perhaps now it’s impossible to imagine old narrow streets without seductive tart aroma that flies out of small windows of cozy cafés and running through the city mysteriously. In the summer Lviv citizens savor coffee sitting outside of cafés, in winter in cozy warm cafés, sluggishly talking about last news of the city.

History of Coffee in Lviv started back in late 18 century with the coming of the Austrians, who revealed all niceties of coffee brewing for Lviv citizens by opening numerous cafés. Coffee started to be more and more popular in different circles of society and soon all Lviv fell ill with coffeemania that can’t be healed. Owners of cafés were arranging evening concerts, dances, there you was to hear all the latest gossips… Often cafés were places where creative youth from Lviv was gathering. Many poems, songs and legends are devoted to coffee that makes this drink even mystical.
Long time has passed, but love for coffee didn’t fade away and made Lviv the Coffee capital of Lviv. Every year Lviv entertains all coffee lovers with «Have a Cup of Coffee in Lviv» festival, where everyone can taste all sorts of this beverage, brewed in special Lviv way, according to traditional recipes.

Coffee in Lviv is not just a cup of black fragrant drink, but also a spirit of old city, its soul and pride, history that revive again and again with every sip.