You should start your walk in medieval Lviv. Enjoy the city panoramas that can be seen from the High Castle Mountain and have a close look at the richness of the city architecture reflecting almost all trends of the European art of the 13th—20th century. Stroll along the alley of a quiet Stryisky Park and see Boims Chapel, which is unique in Eastern Europe in terms of its architecture and fretwork. Drop in the Italian Courtyard and go along the vivid Armenian and Jewish block. Some of today’s street names, for instance Virmenska (Armenian), Yevrejska (Jewish) or Serbska (Serbian) still remind visitors that once ethnic communities of Ukrainians and Greeks, Germans and Serbs, Jews, Italians and Poles, Scots, Tatars, Hungarians and Saracens combined to make the medieval town of Lviv a “Babylon”. Don’t miss Rynok Square at the very heart of the city. Together with the City Hall it makes one of the best architectural ensembles of the city. The narrow cobbled streets around Rynok Square once hosted the workshops of Lviv printers, chemists and numerous other tradesmen.
The famous “High and Low Castles” along with towers, ditches, ramparts, gates and underground passages are evidence of the powerful fortification system of medieval Lviv which withstood many assaults and sieges. One can get acquainted not only with the fortifications of the downtown, but also with those of the surrounding monasteries and castles which were integral parts of Lviv’s ancient defence system. Of great interest is also the history of Pidhoretsky Castle situated near the inn where Ukrainian hetmans would gather, and where at one time Honore de Balzac stayed. Together with two other castles, Zhovkivsky and Zolochivsky, it forms the Golden Horseshoe of Lviv. You should not miss the chance to visit the outstanding Olesko Castle known as the place of birth of the medieval Polish King Ian III Sobesky.