This is the largest region of Western Ukraine (its 21,800 sq km make up 3.6% of the total area of Ukraine) offering everything to satisfy the most demanding and discerning visitor - castles, palaces, ancient Latin churches, monasteries, mountains and forests.
The spirit and true passion of Galicia, perhaps the most precious asset of all that has survived, were shackled by decades of Soviet rule, only to be kindled in the writing of Ukraine's classical authors. Today they are alive and flourishing, outshining any of the contemporary shallow and artificial developments.
This area lies mainly in the forest-steppe zone, with the Carpathian Mountains rising in the south. The highest peak of the Lviv Carpathians is Pikui Mountain (1405 m).
The region is rich in natural resources: coal, natural gas, oil, sulphur, limestone, shale, marl, construction and fireclay, etc. A special wealth of the Galician lands is the large reserves of medicinal health-giving mineral waters, around which spas have been developed (Source: Materials of the Lviv Regional Agency for Economic Development)
The number of landmarks is such that it would take several years to visit them all. For example, Pustomyty, the nearest district to Lviv, is full of surprises, delighting those who come here with its castles, Greek and Roman Catholic churches and other landmarks.
This area, our own special corner of Europe, requires no advertising or promoting, being already well-known and beloved of locals and Ukrainians.
To describe this ancient city here is an almost impossible task. Lviv, comparable to any other city in the world, has been written about in over a hundred sites, but is worth thousands of them.
Translated by Irene Gol
