Must-visit city
Thus, the readers of the international travel web portal VitualTourist unanimously admitted Ukrainian Lviv as the best must-visit city at this time. “Lviv is the city where organically intertwine past and present. The extremely compact central part of the city - Market Square, hides many attractions, making it an ideal place for tours on the weekend” – The New York Times writes.
To each according to his needs
Foreigners increasingly include the cultural capital of Ukraine in their itineraries. As the Department of Tourism of Lviv informs, the city has been visited by 1,942,953 people. Guests from Germany, Poland, Russia and Ukraine turned to have their feet lose most of all.
The percentage of holidaymakers in Lviv is 88 %, and most of them come to the city by train (35%) or own a car, live in hostels (24 %) and hotels (19 %). As for their travel aim, it is exploring architectural monuments of the city (66 %).
As for business travellers (12%), they come to the city, taking advantage of air transport (38% ) or train ( 34%), prefer overnighting in business hotels ( 34%) as well rented apartments ( 34%). The main purpose of their visits to Ukraine is conferences/congresses (26%), negotiations with partners (24%) and visits to the office of the company ( 22%).
The most popular among foreigners Lviv’s highlights are Market Square (78.6 %), High Castle (37.3 %), Opera House (35.3%), Town Hall (34.8% ) and the Dominican Cathedral ( 34.2 %).
At the average, tourist stays at the city of lions tree days, spending about $ 363. So, stay overnight in one of Lviv’s hostels is possible for 8 EUR, whereas, for example, in London, the price of the same accommodation starts from 15-20 EUR. Dinner for two at the middle-class restaurant costs 20-25 EUR, and all in the same London dinner in a restaurant is 50 EUR. To explore the magnificent view of the city from the Town Hall is available for 0.5 EUR, comparing with a visit to Versailles in Paris – 8 EUR.
Not a single football …
Last year 1.2 million foreigners visited Lviv, but a third of them came exclusively to EURO 2012. This season tourists are going to Lviv without a football. The matter is large-scale and colourful festivals and events. Thus, a great Cheese & Wine Festival, “On coffee to Lviv”, ethno –festival “Etnovyr ” broke records this year - 30 thousand tourists, including visitors from 10 different countries.
As an alternative to Lviv, tourists have considered such Ukrainian cities as Kyiv, Chernivtsi, Odessa and Simferopol, as well as foreign ones - Krakow (Poland ), Prague (the Czech Republic ), Brest (Belarus ). As an inquiry show, 53% of tourists come to Lviv again, 82 % - dream to come back here once more, and 91 % of Lviv’s visitors will recommend their friend to visit the capital of Western Ukraine.
