Few city centres in Europe have had as many names as this one. Lviv to Ukrainians, Lwow to the Poles who ruled it for centuries, Lemberg to the Habsburg officials who governed Galicia, and Lvov to the Soviets, it is a city that was built by many hands and still shows every one of them. The old town, a UNESCO listing, is a dense tangle of streets around the Rynok, the market square, where the houses are tall, narrow and ornamented with carved stone, each with its own character and its own story.
The mixture of peoples is the point. Ukrainians, Poles, Jews and Armenians lived side by side, each with their own churches and quarters, and the old town still has a Latin cathedral, an Armenian cathedral with beautiful frescoes, the Dormition Church with its distinctive tower, and the huge baroque Dominican church with its green dome. The Jewish population was largely destroyed in the Second World War, and the city's later history was shaped by wartime losses, border changes and Soviet rule. Today it is among the most lively cities in Ukraine, famous for its cafes, bookshops and sense of humour.
Riding in the centre is slow and a little punishing. The cobblestones are hard on suspension, tram tracks cross the streets at awkward angles, and many central streets are closed to cars or restricted. Park at the edge of the old town and explore on foot, ideally in the morning. Further afield, the roads south toward the Carpathians, through Stryi and into the foothills, become more enjoyable, with forested ridges and wooden churches, including the one at Rohatyn, an example of the region's timber architecture. In spring and autumn, the light on the hills is lovely.
Lviv has fuel at many stations and plenty of food. Try borscht, varenyky, and the honey drinks of the region. As the country is at war, conditions can be difficult and unpredictable, with air raid warnings, curfews and checkpoints, and any plan must be checked against the latest official guidance. The city, for all that, remains one of the most remarkable in Central Europe.