Zhovkva Tour from Lviv – Short Day Trip
Discover a small city with an amazing history in a 6 hour trip from Lviv
Zhovkva is a real gem and invited visitors to discover its past as a bustling commercial town and residence of many Polish noblemen. Book this tour to get a great overview of the town by visiting the local castle and learning more about the history of Zhovkva in the castle’s museum. Walk over the Renaissance market square and learn everything about the Jewish history of the city. Finish the Zhovkva Tour with a visit to the Unesco World Heritage wooden church and find out all about its architecture.
To book the day trip as a Premium Tour, simply select the option in the booking form beneath the booking calendar.
Zhovkva is only a stone throw from Lviv and our Zhovkva Tour is a great way to get to know it. This small town that was largely built by Polish noblemen was once a bustling commercial center. It’s castle and the beautiful Rynok (market square) account of those busy Renaissance times. It also used to be the center of a fairly large Jewish community, whose main synagogue you can still discover.
In its heydays, Zhovkva was a bustling commercial town. A place where pottery artisans, glass blowers, goldsmiths and weavers were producing some of the finest crafts of the region. The richly decorated and well-preserved houses, especially around the Rynok are witnesses of those times. The castle now houses the museum of the city history and from here you can enjoy a wonderful view over the whole town and the architecture mainly from the Renaissance but also from several other periods that left their traces in Zhovkva.
Until the destruction of the Jewish community and the extermination of the Jewish people of Zhovkva by German soldiers and their local helpers, Zhovkva had more than 6000 Jewish inhabitants, roughly half the population of the city. They met in many synagogues, which now for the most part are only represented by the once majestic Zhovkva Main Synagogue that was built in the typical style for the region. The interior is completely lost but the walls and the hall are preserved. We will take you to explore this treasure and wander through the streets of the former Jewish quarter, with many houses still being preserved. It is in Zhovkva that you can find the East West Street, the road on which many of Phillippe Sands’ relatives lived that he accounts for in the book with the same name. The Shoah is also visible in Zhovkva, when visiting the mass grave that the Nazis created for the town’s Jewish population (on request).
Most astonishing for internationals standards might be the Holy Trinity Wooden Church Zhovkva, which is part of the Unesco World Heritage of Western Ukraine. The amazing iconostasis is one of the best artworks in the state and a masterpiece of the Zhovkva Painting and Carving School of Ivan Rutkovych.
Touch the amazing wooden architecture and see what people build with their bare hands and almost entirely without metal already more than 300 years ago in the Holy Trinity Wooden Church of Zhovkva.
Wander across the Renaissance Rynok Square of Zhovkva and climb the stairs of the local history museum in the castle to enjoy a view over this charming little town. Learn everything about it's history and the important people that played a role here.
Eating some Ukrainian food in Zhovkva just is a must. Join us for some tasty borsch and vareniki at a local restaurant and get to know the treats of Ukrainian cuisine.
The lunch is included if you update to a Premium Package!
Visit the remaining Zhovkva Synagogue and let our guide show you the once important buildings the Jewish community in town. See which places Philippe Sands describes in his book "East West Street".
It’s very easy. You just need to book it here, as all our tours are easily bookable online. We will then approve the tour and send you a payment link.
We offer cancellation for all clients. For our Basic Tours our Cancellation Policy applies. If you book a Premium Tour, we charge only 10% even you don’t show up.
For all our day trips, we pick you up from your hotel or accommodation in Lviv. This is included in the price.
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