Anyone who laments missing out on pre-expat Prague should make a point of visiting lovely Lviv.
Unspoiled and unpretentious, it remains an irresistible gem, even as more and more travelers seeking an authentic central European experience "discover" this city.
Just 75 miles from the Polish border, Lviv wears layers of history and culture effortlessly. Ukrainians here have endured and thrived for centuries under a dizzying array of city names, empires and political rulers from afar. Through it all, the city has absorbed and adapted art and architecture from throughout Europe while remaining an independent bastion of Ukrainian culture and language.
Visitors slip right into the city's relaxed pace and cafe culture. The city center is eminently walkable, its cobblestone streets lined with open-air patios, galleries, curious museums and stone churches.
The architecture, most of which survived World War II, is alive with influences from across Europe. The Latin Cathedral, which has morphed many times since its first incarnation in the late 1300s, highlights the city's Gothic period. Many of the buildings lining the main Rynok Square date back to the 1600s, when Italian architects helped the city rebuild after a huge fire.
Walking tours bring delights at every turn. My family ducked into the Pharmacy Museum on the main square, marveling at the odd contraptions in a curious alchemy shop. We visited the Lviv Historical Museum in a king's villa from the 17th century, at one point donning absurdly large slippers to cover our shoes so we wouldn't drag dirt into the ornate royal rooms.
A short tram ride from the city center lies the Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life, a sprawling park of walking paths that take you past preserved wooden churches collected from all over the region.
What a jewel of Eastern Europe. How is it that so many of my friends and colleagues stare blankly when I rave about Lviv?
