Western Ukraine- place for the history and nature admirers

by Egle Vaitekenaite (Lithuania)

Making a local connection Ukraine

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I went to Lviv- the city in Western Ukraine for the first time in July 2019. My family and I took the direct flight to this unique and charming city, which lasted for only one hour and ten minutes. The Lviv and Ukraine lately have become very popular traveling destinations for the Lithuanians. These places are known as fairly cheap to eat in traditional restaurants and a perfect spot for bachelor parties and events. Once my family and I arrived in Lviv's old town by the local taxi, it was interesting and intriguing to see the views strongly different from Lithuania- my native country. Although Ukraine is just around 400 kilometers away, the country took me back to the past- green forests, untouched by the process of urbanization, old factories’ buildings, ancient “Lada” company’s cars, narrow and old streets. But I was amazed and thrilled by the architecture of the main squares, churches, palaces, and universities. The first impression was controversial, but I liked the idea of spending a few days in this cozy city and country with such an interesting and historic spirit. After leaving the luggage in our apartment which was situated in front of the Lviv Town Hall, we went straight to the city center, to explore the local kitchen and the bazaars, buy the souvenirs in the Vernissage, Krakikvsky and the flea markets. After buying the new magnets to my collection and exploring the hand-made jewelry and clothes, as Ukrainians tend to create lots of things by themselves, we went to try the local food. For the breakfast, it is recommended to order the dishes such as syrniki and nalisniki- the plain crepes or the pancakes with the cottage cheese. It would also be a mistake not to mention an interesting situation which happened while having dinner in one of the pizzerias in the city center. While eating a lovely Margarita in the outdoor pizzeria, a homeless person came up to us and asked a slice of it. Although the restaurant's staff soon asked for that homeless person to leave, he took half of my pizza and calmly walked away. The waiters in the restaurant explained that this is not the first time that this type of occurrence happened and they would make a new pizza for us, although the kitchen was already closed. This accident made me realize, that not all people can afford to have dinner as ours. They are homeless and despite the circumstances, ask a portion of food from the locals or tourists. We shall be more selfless and care more about other people. While spending these days and exploring Ukraine, we decided to go on the excursion to the Carpathian mountains, to explore and witness the beauty of the third-longest European mountain range. Firstly, we went to the Bukowel- the center of skiing, where we had an opportunity to use the mountain lift and see the stunning views from above. Later, we got to another unique spot- Syevir lake, which is the largest lake in the Carpathian mountains. Another gorgeous and fascinating attraction of the Lviv city is the Lviv town hall, where on the main tower for a cheap price it is possible to climb to adore the view of the city, and the Rynok Square, which is at the heart of the Lviv, full of cozy restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops. Besides, I have to mention one of the most attractive features of Ukraine- nice, simple and warm Ukrainians. Throughout the trip, which lasted for the 5 days, I had various chances to meet and talk with the local people in the restaurants, city squares, in the shops or on the streets, to understand better the local cultural habits and the ways of communication. They were smiling, helpful and asking where we are from and if we like their country, they wanted to take the photos with us. To summarise, this trip to the Ukraine was memorable and unique. I was impressed and dazzled by the kindness and simplicity of the local people, the historical buildings and squares of the city, the beauty of the untouched nature, delicious and exotic food, brave people. I truly recommend visiting Western Ukraine.