The Botanical Garden of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv is one of the oldest gardens in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. It showcases not only an incredibly rich collection of Ukrainian flora and plant species from various parts of the world but also has a long and fascinating history.
In the 18th century, the former voivode of Belz, Ignatius Cetner, built his residence in Lviv and adjacent to it, he established a park where he cultivated exotic plants. He was a great lover of art, collecting antique books, coins, engravings, minerals, and even buttons. He was also highly passionate about botany and acted as an amateur gardener. Working in his garden, he could personally cultivate flowers and trees. The park featured gazebos, benches, a well, and swans swimming in the pond. This ornamental garden was named "Cetnerivka."
After Ignatius Cetner's death, the territory began to decline. In 1911, the university acquired the land, and based on the former "Cetnerivka" park (covering an area of 4.5 hectares), the modern Botanical Garden of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv was established. According to archival records, from 1923 to 1939, the collection grew, with the number of plant varieties and species exceeding 850. However, during World War II, a significant part of the collection perished, including greenhouse plants, and almost all alpine and subalpine species were lost.
After the war, the restoration of the garden began, and its area increased to 104 hectares as adjacent land from the nearby Pohulianka area, which had previously belonged to the Armenian episcopate and private owners, was annexed. These were sandy slopes covered with grass and shrubs, partially wooded, with pines, beeches, hornbeams, and oaks growing there.
In the late 1950s, a master plan was developed for further development of the botanical garden, but unfortunately, it was not implemented. Later, the garden started losing its territory, with a portion of its area being separated and incorporated into the Pohulianka Forest Park. In the 1970s, a section with unique and rare steppe vegetation disappeared, and instead, an orangery was built, which, despite some changes, has been preserved to this day.
The modern Botanical Garden is structured into five scientific research departments: Natural Herbaceous Flora, Dendrology, Cultural Flora and Landscaping, Tropical and Subtropical Plants, and Plant Physiology and Biochemistry.
Currently, the Botanical Garden of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv is located on two sites in Lviv: 4 Kyryla i Mefodiya Street (covering an area of 2 hectares) and 44 Cheremshyny Street (covering an area of 16.5 hectares).
We are pleased to inform you that from May 14th until mid-October, the Botanical Garden located at 44 Cheremshyny Street has opened its doors to visitors. Due to an extended quarantine and a full-scale war, the garden's premises were closed and inaccessible for exploration.
The garden and the orangery will be open according to the following schedule: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday - from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Ticket prices are as follows:
- General admission ticket for the garden premises - 80 UAH.
- Discounted admission ticket for students and pupils for the garden premises - 50 UAH.
- Combined ticket for the garden premises and the orangery complex - 120 UAH.
- Discounted combined ticket for students and pupils for the garden premises and the orangery complex - 90 UAH.
You can also book guided tours here, but prior arrangement is required, exclusively through the phone number +380971128171.
The cost of the tour is 600 UAH (admission ticket is paid separately).
The cost of conducting photo and video shoots on the premises of the Botanical Garden (excluding access to the orangery) is 1 hour/1300 UAH during the week.
The following categories of citizens have the right to free admission to the Botanical Garden (upon presentation of appropriate identification):
- Preschool children
- Orphans and children deprived of parental care
- Military conscripts
- Participants of military operations, participants of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO)
- Disabled individuals of I and II groups
Excursions for student groups are also available throughout the season on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
The cost of the excursion is 1200 UAH per group, without the admission ticket fee. The group size should not exceed 25 participants, including teachers or accompanying adults.
Interesting facts:
- Here you can see the Cercis tree (locally known as the Judas tree), magnolia, wig tree, cedar pines, tulip tree, hydrangeas, irises, lavender, lilies, various types of boxwood, dahlias, tulips, and numerous other plants.
- The Botanical Garden is home to the oldest tree in Lviv - the yew tree, which is nearly 300 years old.
- The collection of rhododendrons is one of the largest in Ukraine, with over 135 taxa. By the way, the Ukrainian song "Chervona Ruta" by Volodymyr Ivasyuk praises the rhododendron that grows in the Carpathian Mountains. Here you can see white, lilac, red, violet, pink, and yellow blooms of this legendary plant.
- In front of the orangery, there is an exhibition area called "Sunflower," where flowers are planted in the shape of a sun and its rays, hence the interesting name.
- Another highlight of the Botanical Garden is the giant tree - Sequoiadendron, which is approximately 70 years old, with a trunk height of 24 meters and a diameter of 1.5 meters. Its massive twisted lateral branches resemble mammoth tusks, earning it another intriguing name - the "mammoth tree."
