Photos

"The average altitude of Lviv is 296 m above sea level, and it has many hills. Lviv's historic churches, synagogues, buildings and relics date from the 13th century. In recent centuries, it was spared some of the invasions and wars that destroyed other Ukrainian cities. Its architecture reflects various European styles and periods. After the fires of 1527 and 1556 Lviv lost most of its gothic-style buildings, but it retains many buildings in Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical styles. There are works by artists of the Vienna Secession, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco styles.

The buildings have many stone sculptures and carvings, particularly on large doors, hundreds of years old. The remains of old churches dot the central cityscape. Some three- to five-storey buildings have hidden inner courtyards and grottoes in various states of repair. Some cemeteries are of interest, for example the Lychakivskiy Cemetery, where Polish elites were buried for centuries. Leaving the central area, the architectural style changes radically as Soviet-era high-rise blocks dominate. In the centre, the Soviet era is reflected mainly in a few modern-style national monuments and sculptures."

(from Wikipedia)

[Scanned photo. Also, I just re-posted this picture - Feb 17/2009 - because my computer had been on the fritz, I was using another one, and the graphics on that other one aren't as good. Just wanted to sharpen this scene up a bit.]