Streets are lined with busy kiosks, architectural landscapes, gothic century cathedrals, and opera theatres. The Armenian and Orthodox churches manifest the cities ambience and depict a potently evolving history. No doubt the city is officially included to the UNESCO List of World Monuments of Architecture. Lvov has always been a significant educational portal housing the famous Ivan Franko National University where I learnt to speak, read and write Russian from amiable tutors.

Lvov has one small welcoming international airport (UKLL/LWO) located a mere 6Km from the Cities hub. I personally recommend taking the Railway as it has all the comforts of traveling, tourists die for. I recall a modestly priced journey from Lvov to the Ukraine's Capital Kiev. I was immediately impressed by their railway cabins, which were amply stacked with soaps and towels, fresh smelling, scrupulously white and cozy pillows, blankets mattresses. An attendant checked on us every 2 hours to offer tea, biscuits and other local desserts.

The most comfortable hotels are located in the heart of the city and tourists are offered cheaper initiatives such as renting an apartment. The "Downtown Lvov Apartments" are only meters away from theatres, cathedrals, museums, restaurants cafes and shops. A lot of ancient fortification and religious buildings are situated around the city- Olesko castle and Pidgirtsi castle. Not far from the city itself there are balneology centers in Truskavets, Morshyn and Skhidnytsia and ski-centers in Slavsko and Tysovets. The cities inhabitants are friendly and warm towards tourists and often invite Polish tourists as till date the city houses Polish architecture. Tourists are advised to buy mineral water and speak in Russian, Ukrainian, German or even English dialect.

The market place is havoc with fresh supplies arriving from the suburbs and rural plantations in the day time. Women are often seen employed as compared to men who would rather play dominoes within the city's central square. Ukrainian women are well known throughout the world for the arduous jobs and active spirit. You will see them tediously working in restaurants, medical centers, kiosks, bars, postal houses, hostels, messes and universities. Streets are also lined with young talented artists who make paintings out of charcoal and sketch portraits for passer-bys.

A famous club known as "Split" is one of the most privileged and prestigious entertainment zones consisting of casinos, restaurants, pubs and show-bars. Busses, railways, Tramps and Taxis run throughout the day and a tramp is the most convenient and cheapest mode of transport within the city preferred by university students and employees.

A personal favorite local starter is the Russian salad and "Smitana", a drink made of rich curd-pure in quality and excellent in taste. The salad is served in various Restaurants such as "Kapriz" and "Darwin" and the "Smitana" can be purchased locally from Kiosks or the Market place. I have till date not relished upon the original salad elsewhere. Many restaurants within the city offer smoking, non-smoking areas, special family room for larger families and a warm but busy ambience.

The climate in Ukraine is temperate continental, mainly characterized by plentiful precipitation and cloudiness in winter and fall where winters are usually long and cold. Summers are short but can be pretty hot. In winter the kiosks close by 5pm as it becomes really dark and the streets become deserted. At this time it is advisable not to venture off alone and to take a taxi while traveling within the city. My overall stay for 6 months in the city only warned me about staying out doors at nights as it can be dangerous for tourists and students to wander off alone. The cities inhabitants usually retire to bed early and begin the day as soon as the cock crows. Being a winter-bird myself, I would travel to this city often during December and January. Summer-birds are advised to wear carry minimal clothing as it can become very hot and sweaty during summer. The city has forestry reserves and various natural resorts; you will be thrilled by the beauty and natural forestry throughout the city.

Before you go do not forget to learn some basics in Russian language. Some phrases like "Thank you", translated as "Cpaciba", "Excuse me", translated as "Pajalysta", "Do you speak English?" translated as "we gavariti pa angleesski?", and a handy Phrase book will help you move about the city more conveniently. Till then "La re vedere" (translated as good-bye).

The hub of the EU-leaning party is the capital Kiev, which has been looking in recent years to attract more foreign investment and tourism. The city’s Independence Square, focal point of the protests 3 years ago and rallying centre of the latest election, is still a powerful symbol of Ukraine’s various struggles over the centuries against corruption and oppression.

Another, more idiosyncratic, symbol is the Pechersk Lavra, or Monastery of the Caves, which I discovered on a recent visit to the capital.

A Greek Orthodox monk, Anthony, had arrived in Kiev in the 11th century to advocate a simple life of abstinence and seclusion. He set up his mission in a cave on a hill overlooking the Dnipro river. As his adherents grew in number, further catacombs were constructed to house them all. Eventually a whole labyrinth of corridors and chapels had been dug out of the soft sandstone.

Churches and other buildings were constructed overground to accommodate the ever-increasing brethren. With the death of Anthony in 1073, the caves became the monks’ burial ground for the next 700 years, and were only otherwise occupied by those in complete seclusion. The underground monks’ sole contact with the outside world was an anonymous hand passing them an occasional basket of bread through a window.

Pechersk Lavra soon gained a reputation not only as a major religious centre, but also a cultural one. Books were translated and illuminated, and mosaics and frescoes commissioned. Members of the local nobility became important benefactors.

Pilgrims came from all over the Orthodox world, not least to pay respects to the relics of the deceased monks, whose bodies were placed in caskets in the catacombs. The belief was that if a monk was saintly, his body wouldn’t decompose. To this day, the mummified remains are visible, with brown wizened hands poking out of their robes. Science has come up with a more secular reason for this, of course, attributing the lack of decomposition to the caves’ unique micro-climate.

The monuments multiplied above the caves, and, despite damage from various wars, restoration work has preserved their splendour. The gold-domed churches and attractive courtyards alone make the trip worthwhile.

The entire site has survived raids (the Tatars, twice between the 13th and 15th centuries), Russification (18th century), bombings during Nazi occupation, and subsequent secularisation by the Soviets. Religious buildings were converted into storehouses and atheist propaganda museums. After each raid or repression, the monks painstakingly repaired the damage, and constructed more catacombs as a refuge, and as an ever-expanding mausoleum. It was not until after Ukrainian independence that the monastery fully regained its religious status.

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Pechersk Lavra still attracts pilgrims. The visit starts with a wander round the overground chapels and courtyards. Monks pass by, as this is still a functioning monastery. The tour, on my visit, was in Ukrainian only, so unless you’re a native speaker, some previous research is advisable. Whatever one’s views about English increasingly becoming the world’s ‘lingua franca’, this is symptomatic of the transitional nature of Ukraine’s ‘move’ westward. The infrastructure is there (good air links, public transport and hotels), but unlike, say, the Baltic republics, the capital (let alone the rest of the country) hasn’t quite geared itself up for multi-lingual tourism.

The entry ticket for visitors is a candle, its flickering light guiding you along the labyrinthine passageways. As the only foreigner in the group, I was observing the rituals of the locals. Silent prayers were said in the tiny underground chapels, then we wended our way past the caskets. The caves are not for the claustrophobic – the stone corridors are not much more than 1m wide and 2m high. Little alcoves in the white-painted walls help you on your way with icons and candles. Each glass-topped casket, with its colourfully-robed mummified occupant, was reverentially kissed and the sign of the cross made. A lady in front of me pressed a photograph of a (presumably sick) child to the glass for the monks’ blessing.

The silence, apart from slowly-shuffling feet, was welcome after the rattling journey here on Kiev’s cavernous, Soviet-built, metro. The monasterial atmosphere was only momentarily interrupted by a little boy who had an unfortunate fit of sneezing during the kissing process. But even that couldn’t detract from the serenity of this intriguing slice of Ukrainian history.