High on a hill above the old town of Lviv sits a cathedral that looks as if the baroque had a sense of humour. St George's, the main church of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic community, was built in the middle of the eighteenth century, in a style that mixes baroque and the lighter rococo, with a pale stone facade full of sculpted saints, columns, and a swirl of decoration across the pediment. The figures were carved by Johann Georg Pinsel, a sculptor whose twisting, ecstatic figures are among the most original in central Europe. The ensemble includes a bell tower, a chapter house and a palace for the metropolitan, all set around a courtyard with a long view down to the city.
Lviv is a place where empires have layered themselves. Founded in the thirteenth century by a Galician king and named for his son Lev, it belonged at various times to Poland, Austria, where it was called Lemberg, and the Soviet Union, and the historic centre is a mix of Gothic, Renaissance and baroque, with streets of tall merchant houses, Armenian, Latin and Orthodox churches, and a market square. The centre is a World Heritage site. Lviv is also known for its cafes, where coffee is a serious matter, and its chocolate and its honey cakes, and the courtyards hide small bars and bookshops.
Riding in Lviv is a lesson in surfaces. The old city is paved in cobbles, which are slick in rain, and the tram lines cross the road at awkward angles, so a wheel can catch a rail. Traffic is thick on the main avenues, and parking in the centre is a puzzle, so it makes sense to leave the bike at a hotel and explore on foot. The hill on which St George's stands is a short walk above the centre, and the street up to it is steep and narrow. Early morning is the best time, when the light falls across the facade and the courtyards are quiet.
The ride continues west toward the wooden church at Chotyniec, across the Polish border, along roads that cross rolling farmland. Lviv has fuel stations on all the main roads and plenty of cafes and restaurants, so there is no difficulty in preparing for the day. Before you travel, check the current official advice, since the security situation in Ukraine has changed greatly, and air-raid alerts and curfews can affect plans. The city has remained a refuge and a cultural centre throughout, and visitors who go carefully are welcomed.