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Family-Friendly Activities in Lviv
LVIV CAFES AND RESTAURANTS WITH PLAY AREAS
Maisternia Shokoladu (Lviv Chocolate Factory) The location on Serbska Street has a family room on the fourth floor with a selection of toys, a play house, bean bags, and a large TV playing cartoons. You are asked to take off your shoes in the family room, making it a clean place for kids to play on the floor. The bathroom next door has an item rarely found in Ukrainian toilets, a baby change table. You may also contact the staff in any of the locations to book a chocolate making class for the whole family.
Bilka This cafe is spacious enough to comfortably wheel a stroller into. It has high chairs, two kids’ tables, drawing supplies and a few toys, and a children’s menu with gluten free options.
Green café This vegan café/restaurant has a carpeted second floor with low tables surrounding an open “play area”, where kids can roll around and play with toys from the toy basket. Shoes must be taken off at the top of the steps.
Mafia Mafia is a pizza and sushi restaurant, which has a supervised playroom on the second floor. They also offer a kid’s menu with creatively designed dishes.
Miaso i spravedlyvist (Meat and Justice) This outdoor restaurant has a little playground next to it where children can play while you enjoy your grilled meat.
Celentano This well-known Ukrainian pizzeria has a kid’s playroom in the basement of its most popular Ploshcha Rynok location (on Halytska street).
Del Pesto Located near Ivan Franko University, this Italian restaurant has a very large kids’ play area downstairs, a high chair, and kid friendly menu options.
Vapiano This modern Italian chain restaurant in the Rius hotel is child-friendly with children’s seats available and a small children’s corner complete with a chalkboard. It has an open kitchen and works on a smart card system.
ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS IN LVIV
Indoor Kids’ clubs
Lys Mykyta Located right off Market Square, this indoor play centre is a great place for kids to run off steam or engage in imaginative play. You can relax on bean bags as you watch your children, or drop them off and do some sightseeing. Please note that it is open from 11am until 9pm every day, and can get busy at the weekends.
Dyvokray is a slightly smaller alternative to Lys Mykyta, and is located just a few streets over in the Roksolana mini mall on the fourth floor.
http://www.roksolana.ua/дивокрай/
Children’s Theatres in Lviv
I am impressed that there are so many options for children and teens to enjoy performing arts in Lviv. With small children, it often doesn’t matter what language the play they are watching is in.
Lviv Puppet Theatre This Soviet-era puppet theatre holds puppet shows almost daily and has over 200,000 viewers per year. The cost of a ticket is 20 UAH/ under 1 USD.
Lyalky i Lyudy This is a private puppet theatre in a renovated underground location, offering fun shows for kids. It also has shows almost daily.
First Ukrainian Theatre for Children and Youth (Teatr Yunoho Hlyadacha) This theatre present creative renditions of children’s stories or plays such as Cinderella, the Three Little Pigs, Oliver Twist, and some classic Ukrainian children’s plays. We have been very impressed with the enthusiasm of the actors and the colourful, creative costumes. Depending on the seats chosen shows during the day cost between 16 and 22 UAH (under 1 USD).
Parks
“Park Franka” or “Ivana Franka Park” is located opposite the Ivan Franko National University, and is a great place to go for an afternoon of play in the fresh air. Besides strolling, scootering, or cycling along the hilly paths, kicking a ball around or squirrel watching, there is a relatively large playground with nice equipment. On weekends in the summer there are arts events and the traditional Ukrainian park activities involving trampolines, bouncy castles and pony rides.
If you want to venture farther out of the centre, there are a few other nice parks a few tram stops away from the centre. Two other options are Park Kultury, which has a ropes course for children, carousels and other rides, and the beautiful and vast Stryjskyi Park, which has a children’s train ride.
Shevchenkivskyi Hai Open Air Museum If you would like to get a feel for the romantic Ukrainian village life of the past, then Shevenkivskyi Hai is the place to go, with its quaint clay houses, elaborate wooden churches and role players in traditional dress. There is an outdoor restaurant where you can sample Ukrainian dishes such as varenyky and borshch. Next to the restaurant you can try your hand at archery with the assistance of a kozak in traditional clothing. You can also take a ride on a horse drawn wagon. Sometimes classes like painting or doll making are offered for kids. Shevchenkivskyi Hai is our favourite cultural and outdoor experience in Lviv. Also note that it’s a great place for photo opportunities.
Exhibits for kids
Butterfly Exhibit In the warmer months, look for people advertising the butterfly exhibit on market square.
Lviv’s First Phramacy “Apteka” Museum “Under the Black Hawk” This is the oldest existing pharmacy in the city of Lviv as it has been around since 1774. Entry into the first room of the still-working pharmacy is free; in it you will see historical elements such as hundred-year-old mixing bowls and chests of drawers with the names of medicines written in Latin. For about 1 USD you can purchase a ticket to view the rest of the pharmacy, including the basement and courtyard. http://lvivpharmacy.org.ua/
Museum of Nature This small museum, renovated and reopened in 2013 (giving it a more modern look) has a selection of fauna that can make for an interesting visit. They often have special exhibits for kids and presentations for school groups, like a bird exhibit at Easter time every year. Other exhibits feature rock, soils, insects, and animals. An adult ticket is 10 UAH and children over six pay 5 UAH. The museum will be expanded in 2016.
Other museums Your children might enjoy exploring any of the other museums in Lviv, and often kids under 6 are free. I wouldn’t recommend them for kids under 4 though, as there are many artefacts on open display you might have to hold your child back from touching.
Lviv’s First Phramacy “Apteka” Museum “Under the Black Hawk” This is the oldest existing pharmacy in the city of Lviv as it has been around since 1774. Entry into the first room of the still-working pharmacy is free; in it you will see historical elements such as hundred-year-old mixing bowls and chests of drawers with the names of medicines written in Latin. For about 1 USD you can purchase a ticket to view the rest of the pharmacy, including the basement and courtyard. http://lvivpharmacy.org.ua/
For more information on activities and attractions in Kyiv and Lviv, check out my book “Ukraine, Europe’s Best-Kept Secret, An Insider’s Guide”
5 Popular Ukrainian Bands
Here are a few songs from some of Ukraine’s most popular bands.
1.Okean Elzy, “Someone like you” (Така як ти)
2. Boombox, “Who we were”. Бумбокс (Ким ми були)
3. Mandry “The Road” . Мандри “Дорога”
4. Lama Light and Shadows.
5. SKY “This could kill you”. Скай “Тебе це може вбити”
And here’s a link to 100 more Ukrainian songs which Ukrainians say will give you goosebumps:
Check out the beautiful Carpathians
12 REASONS TO VISIT LVIV, UKRAINE, NOW
1.Lviv is the new Prague. Discover it before mass tourism hits.
In the last few years, there has been a steady increase in the number of tourists lining up to get a glimpse of Lviv’s Renaissance architecture, try its craft beer, delight in its chocolate, relax in its outdoor cafés, and explore many of its other quirks and unique attractions.
2. It’s one of the cheapest cities in Europe.
A cappuccino in a stylish café is around $1 US, you can enjoy a delicious three-course meal for between $7-$20, and a ride on a local tram is 8 cents. Centrally-located hotels cost upwards of about $60 per night and hostels are as low as $10/night.
3. It offers an authentic window back in time.
Actually, more than one. You can get a feel for the Lviv of the Austro-Hungarian period while exploring the Potocki Palace or attending an opera. And you are certain to have a Soviet experience if you take a trip in a local tram, a Lada taxi or a Soviet era train. A Medieval atmosphere can be felt in Lviv’s many underground restaurants, such as Trapezna, located in a former monastery. The whole historic centre of Lviv is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
4. It’s a coffee lover’s dream.
With cafés on every corner, a coffee tradition dating back to the 17th century and a yearly coffee festival, you can start each day with a cup of your favourite caffeinated beverage, or try some of the local specialities such as Viennese coffee or a latte made with cherry-infused coffee beans. Most cafés also offer delectable homemade cakes and pastries.
photo: infomisto.ua
5. It hosts over 50 festivals year round, many of them free.
The list includes the Alfa Jazz fest, the festival of Medieval culture, a Donut festival, and a variety of folk festivals to mark Ukrainian religious holidays.
6. There is a large selection of stylish and affordable new hotels ready to welcome you.
Many modern hotels were built in preparation for the Euro 2012 football championship, offering excellent service and a high level of comfort. There are also a large number of apartments and inexpensive hostels available right in the city centre, walking distance away from all the major tourist attractions.
7. Your taste buds will thank you.
Thanks to the rich chornozem soil and the Ukrainians’ love for entertaining and eating well, the hearty meals will leave you more than satisfied. Besides traditional Ukrainian beet soup and potato dumplings, you can also try Polish, Jewish, or Italian restaurants, and don’t miss the mouth-watering Georgian cuisine.
8. The cultural scene is impressive.
There are many theatres in Lviv offering musical or drama performances almost every day of the week. Walk over to the 18th century Opera house to purchase a ticket to an opera or ballet for between $2 and $12, and let yourself be awed by both the interior and the performance itself.
9.You can try a shot of the local horilka (vodka) in an underground bunker,
at one of the many crazy theme restaurants in Lviv. To get into Kryivka, you will need to give a password to a man holding an AK47 rifle. Other theme restaurants include the Masoch café (named after the Lviv-born founder of Masochism), The Most Expensive Galician Restaurant (with a surprise entrance), Gasova Lampa (The Gas Lamp) and the Ukrainian village-style Seven Piggies.
10.The souvenirs aren’t made in China. Gift shops and souvenir stands sell hand-made locally crafted items and unique folk art.
You can take home a beautifully embroidered blouse or tablecloth, an intricately painted Easter egg, hand-made toys, traditional pottery, glasswork and more.
11. It’s an amazing place to take photos or have a photo shoot.
The colourful buildings, domed churches, historic sites and creative street art all make great backdrops for amazing photographs.
12.You can have your photo taken with Darth Vader.
He is among the many street artists you will see around Market Square. Other favourites include a golden angel, the Minions, and a large number of local musicians of all ages and genres.
Is it safe in Lviv? Yes! Lviv is over 1000 km west of the current area of armed conflict.
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