Most people from the United States of America and Western Europe know very little about the Eastern European countries. And they miss a lot. There are many interesting things to see. One of the best places to travel may be Ukraine, especially for those who like to visit historical places, old castles and traditional national festivals. And you can see all of this if you go to the Western part of the country where you will find many tourist resorts, national parks, old estates and castles, annual folklore festivals.

Travelling in Ukraine has both pluses and minuses. The variety of cities to experience, rich history and ancient architecture are the advantages of visiting Ukrainian cities. The negative is just one – the tourism services are just developing. One of the biggest cities of the Western Ukraine is Lviv, which was founded in the 13th century by one of the rulers of Principality of the Galicia-Volhyniaand named after his son. Since then the city has never changed its name and was the centre of a big kingdom. During the 20th century it belonged to different countries and empires. Many nationalities used to live there except Ukrainians, like Poles, Russians, Jews and even Germans. All of these ethnic groups have their own churches, cultural centres and libraries, several Polish and Russian schools are present in the city.

The most interesting attractions, that are located in the city, are the Rynok Square, the Opera House, the Bernardine church and monastery, the Palace of Pototskiy etc. Besides that, walking around the city centre is simply a pleasure for a tourist, you will certainly enjoy the architecture of the city and friendly people. If you like, you can hire a guide or take an excursion tour around the city. The Lviv region is also famous for its health resorts, mineral waters and specialized hotels, especially near the Carpathian mountains. Those who like to spend their free time closer to nature in the open fresh air and far away from the modern life, can travel to one of these recreation camps. Most of them have fair prices and good service quality. And if you like an active recreation full of extreme emotions, than you can try your skills in climbing the mountains. Goverla is the highest mountain of Carpathians with the height of 2061 metres.

If the hotel prices seem to high to you, then you can always find a hostel or an individual apartment for rent from the local people. There are many specialized websites and services that will help to make your stay in Lviv unforgettable and cheap.