Vitaliy Kulyk — Director of Lviv Tourism Development Center — became a guest of a “Tasting Eastern Europe” podcast. In this episode, Vitaliy told us about an adaptation of Lviv's tourism to the pandemic and reflected on a place for tourism in the pandemic world.
📻 Listen to the full version of the interview (in English) here.
📰 Read the short text version of the interview.
Briefly about tourism in Lviv during the time of the pandemic
Lviv has advantages over other cities in Ukraine. This is undoubtedly the tourist capital of Ukraine. The cultural and historical heritage of this city has always been the dominant argument for Ukrainians to choose our city as a place to relax and explore. Another advantage is the close location to natural recreation centers in the region.
About adaptation of the city's tourism to the pandemic
We held one of the key events this summer — Leopolis Jazz Fest and a number of other music, cultural, folk and gastronomical festivals. In this context, I would like to note that the security measures that have been implemented were at a highest level. Participants of the events passed the security check-in, had the opportunity of Covid19 express testing. I can say with a strong confidence that Lviv is now primarily a place for safe tourism.
We recommend adding to the traditional city walking tours, to visit remote corners of the city in the attached communities such as Vynnyky, Bryukhovychi, Zashkiv, Volya Gamuletska and others. This will give you a better understanding of the specifics of this region.
This is a place for a safe stay, with a high level of service, historical and cultural heritage, medieval architecture, with a large number of creative people, with good transport links, close to the European border, the Carpathian Mountains, etc. Lviv has always been worth a visit, and this time is no exception
Lviv and "exotic" locations or activities
Lviv can make an offer for almost any request. If you are looking for extreme sports — at the Arena Lviv stadium you can jump from a height of more than 34 m (rope jumping). We also recommend hot air ballooning, climbing the Devil's Rocks near Vynnyky, kayaking on local ponds. Near Lviv you can go to Tsuniv airport to fly airplanes or jump with a parachute.
Lviv's changes in mobility, tourism infrastructure, and green tourism
The city has an approved plan for sustainable mobility. From January 2021, public transport will operate in the electronic ticket system. The city is reconstructing the streets, taking into account the need to expand the infrastructure of bicycle lanes. Znesinia Park has a marked health trail that promotes a healthy lifestyle. We plan to complete the project of the park ring. This is a system of parks that will be connected by pedestrian and bicycle paths.
Vitaliy's top-3 things list city visitors must do in Lviv
First, it is necessary to explore the historical and architectural ensemble of the city center. Secondly is try to visit several points with panoramic views of the city. And in the end, is to sit in a cozy café and drink fragrant coffee and confess your love to the city.
