Why Lviv?

There is no other city in the world like Lviv, as the centre of the city lies on the European watershed, which divides rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea and Black Sea (correspondingly the Bug River and the Dnister River).

Situated in the area of Main Railway Station springs and streams flow into the Black Sea; whereas water streams from other areas of Lviv belong to the basin of the Baltic Sea. There is no river in Lviv but the Poltva, a tiny, and underground from 19th century, stream, which connects Lviv with a far away Baltic Sea.

A historical part of Lviv is in the valley of the Poltva River, which is encircled by hills, and where three geographical zones with their specific nature features meet: Roztochhia, Podillya, and Pobuzhzhia. You can see it with your own eyes from the viewing point of the High Castle site, where nearly the whole city is down before you.

Lviv today is a geographical, cultural, educational, economic centre of the region, which encompasses 20 areas (rayons). Lviv is also a centre for high quality services; the city has been using old traditions of trade and mediation, which have become the destination of the city at the crossroads.

Lviv, founded around 1250 on a hill above the Poltva River by king Danylo of Halych, and named after his son Leo, quickly grew into an important trade centre on the crossroads between East and West, South and North.

At the break of 14^th and 15^th centuries Lviv was a major transit point: via Lviv oriental goods came to Baltic countries and Nurnberg, whereas merchants from Hungary brought wine to sell to Istanbul and Asia Minor.

During centuries Lviv used to be both a receiver and sender all the valuables coming from the East, mainly from Middle East, from Persia, Armenia, Turkey, Greece, Italian colonies. Via Lviv in different directions caravans with spices, wax, vine, fur, silk, fabrics were coming.

The goods, stored in Lviv, were available only for Lviv based merchants and citizens, and the city received its revenue due to taxes and accommodation for merchants. It is in the times of the economic flourishing that the most prominent buildings were built.