August 2, 2019
Besides churches, cathedrals, monasteries, and museums, I like visiting castles and palaces in different places around the world. So, when I heard that there were several castles within a short distance of Lviv, I got excited. What wasn’t exciting was the price of English-speaking tours to the castles. I’d already paid for some expensive private tours, so I was hesitant to blow another wad of cash on a castle tour. When I found a bus tour through the Tourist Bureau that only cost $14 plus the $8 admission to the castles, I was sold. The only problem was, the tour would only be given in Ukrainian, not in English. I figured I might miss out on some details, but with the help of Google and some information the Tourist Bureau provided, I figured I would get the gist. At least I would be able to see the castles on this trip.
I’d made my way to the Bureau’s office yesterday morning to pay my 350 hryvnias for the tour and was told the guide would collect the entrance fees during the trip. They told me where to meet the group – the statue of the man on a horse (there are several that fit the bill, but I knew the one they meant).
This morning, I set out for the meeting point a bit early since I wasn’t sure what would happen or whether anyone would understand English to help me out. I sat watching as a bunch of people gathered off to the far left in front of a bus and a bunch of people gathered at a bus directly in front of me. I saw people paying, but didn’t see anyone with a white piece of paper like mine.
Deciding that the gold bus in front of me might be the one, I approached the guy taking money. I held up my piece of paper and said “castles?” He looked at me, looked at the piece of paper, and then said “group?” I pointed to the Tourist Bureau logo on the paper and he seemed puzzled. He pointed to the steps near the statue and told me to “sit.” He got on his phone and called someone. After a few minutes, he pointed at me and said “Ok you with us” and motioned that I should board the bus. I still wasn’t sure, but at least I had a seat wherever the bus was going.
Out of the 60+ people on the bus, it turned out that there were 4 English-speakers – a gentleman from Hong Kong, a gentleman from New York who is married to a Ukrainian, a teenager who was visiting his grandparents and was also fluent in Ukrainian, and me. I was still skeptical as to whether I was on the correct bus as it departed the city, but I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard the guide mention the name of the first castle we were to visit.
Turns out listening to someone speak nonstop Ukrainian puts me to sleep, but I wasn’t alone. I dozed just as we were leaving the city limits and awoke an hour later as the bus pulled in for what I thought was a coffee break. What did I know, the instructions were given in Ukrainian.
I got off the bus since that was what everyone else was doing. There were a couple of kiosks selling drinks, snacks, and souvenirs and a sign pointing to the WC. I had brought my own snack and water, so I stood off to the side imbibing in both. The guide saw my obvious confusion and came over to me to let me know that we were waiting for the castle to open. Unbeknownst to me, we were at Olesko Castle.
Since many castles are placed on the top of hills, I looked for a hill. I found one behind a fence, but I only saw what looked like a stately manor house. Sure didn’t look like a castle. I was wrong.
One of the oldest castles in Ukraine, Olesko was first mentioned in literature in 1327. Since then, the castle has been destroyed, rebuilt, left in ruins, rebuilt, renovated, destroyed, left in ruins, rebuilt, and renovated again. It’s been used as a residence, a boarding school, monastery, agricultural school, military depot, and is now a part of the Lviv Art Gallery.
Although many of the rooms have been renovated and staged with artifacts and 17th-century art, there wasn’t much to the castle.
Since I don’t understand Ukrainian, I’m sure there are finer points I missed, but I wasn’t that impressed. I guess French castles and palaces and the palace in Istanbul have spoiled me.
I felt the same way about Pidhirtsi Castle, which was a further bus ride away. We walked down a long grassy driveway to the 17th-century castle, but it is pretty much a shell. On the outside, it looks like what I think of as a castle or palace.
On the inside, however, there is virtually nothing except for some photocopies of paintings and photos of how the castle used to look like or what they plan it to look like in the future.
The entire castle is under renovation; however, from the looks of it will take many years before it is even close to completion. The only people we saw doing any work to the castle were some gardeners removing weeds from the large formal terrace.
While I was disappointed in the castle, the church across the street from where our bus idled impressed me. It was relatively simple inside, compared to other Ukrainian churches I’ve been in, but it was still beautiful. I even found the door handles interesting.
I really hoped that the last castle would be a bit more impressive than the last two. I’d read that the 17th-century castle had served as a fortress, royal residence, prison, and school over the centuries, and it even had a Chinese palace.
The buildings themselves were interesting and the park-like surrounds could be stunning, but they were overgrown and getting a much-needed mowing while we were there. Workers were busy painting the exterior of the Chinese palace, so it’s clear that renovations are underway. There were some artifacts and artwork in both the main castle and the Chinese palace, but not much even though it is a branch of the Lviv Art Gallery.
In the end, I was so happy that I hadn’t spent a lot of cash on a private tour – it wouldn’t have been worth it. Although it would have been interesting to have more “information” from the guide, I didn’t mind being on a Ukrainian-speaking tour if it meant that the fee was lower. Would I recommend going out to see the castles around Lviv, probably not. I have heard of another castle in the opposite direction outside of Lviv, so I might try to see that one next time, but I won’t have high expectations.
On the drive back to Lviv, almost everyone napped, including me. When the bus dropped us off, it was in a different location than we started. Lucky for me, it was about 400 yards from my apartment.
Since the day had been a bit disappointing and it was my last night in Lviv, I took myself out to dinner at the restaurant next door – Gwara. As a starter, I ordered the green “not a borsch” – a sorrel and spinach cream soup with soft-boiled egg and crispy rice balls. It was delicious, with a full-bodied flavor. The soft-boiled egg was a surprise in the soup and the rice balls were the perfect accompaniment rather than bread. I would definitely order this again any time it was offered.
As my main course, I tried a different type of dumpling – rye pyrohy stuffed with veal cheeks. Served with the ubiquitous sour cream, these were as succulent as any of the varenyky I’ve had in Ukraine. The rye flavor added a deeper dimension to the dough, which blended well with the veal cheeks and whatever else was mixed in with the meat. I almost tried a dessert, but I was too full. I overheard a German gentleman at the next table exclaim over the wine list – good to know.
I have to make my way to Lviv’s international airport tomorrow and don’t know what to expect. I’m flying Wizzair, so I’m expecting to catch a little flack over the weight of my backpack. I paid extra for priority seating, which allows for an extra in-cabin personal item, so fingers and toes crossed that I don’t have to check luggage. Please, please, please…
