Sure Travel Journey Vol 4.1 Summer 2018 | Page 41

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R O U T E
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U K R A I N E
© LYTVYN/SHUTTERSTOCK
PLANNER
Q TRAVEL
WHAT TO SEE: This charming
city boasts some of the most beautiful
architecture in Ukraine, from the Lviv
National Academic Theater of Opera and
Ballet to the Gothic Church of St Olha
and Elizabeth. It’s a city best explored on
foot: start at Ploshcha Rynok, where you
can climb the City Hall tower for great
views. Then take a turn down Virmenska
Street, home to some of Lviv’s finest
coffee shops. If you have time, take in the
views from the historic High Castle Hill
and wander the atmospheric avenues of
Lychakiv Cemetery.
WHEN TO GO: Aside from soaking up the
pre-Christmas cheer, avoid the bitterly
cold winter months. Spring and Summer
(April-August) are the best time to visit.
WHEN TO GO: While literature is the
order of the day, Lviv is also a foodie’s
heaven. Local specialities like borshch, a
beetroot and tomato soup, or traditional
varenyky dumplings are reason enough to
visit by themselves.
BOOK IT: Join one of Insight Vacations’
escorted coach tours that include
the Ukraine, or ask your Sure Travel
consultant to tailor-make an itinerary.
Don’t forget to ask about cruise lines
that stopover in Odessa, the Ukraine’s
most popular port of call. Call your
Sure Travel consultant today, or visit
www.suretravel.co.za / call 0861 47 48 49.
The statue of Ivan Fyodorov, the first Ukranian printer, looms large over the town square.
is named after politicians.
The Ukraine’s respect for literature
is not buried in the past either. All the
events I took part in were packed, and
it was not the elite or the middle-aged
and elderly. I witnessed a hall packed
with 20-somethings at a poetry reading
on a Saturday evening the way many of
their peers elsewhere attend hip-hop
or rock concerts. The markets selling
rare books were always bustling, and the
towering statue of Ivan Fyodorov – the
first Ukrainian printer – that dominates the
town square remains a constant reminder
that Lviv is a city built on books.
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 41