Lviv

Province: Lviv Oblast
Population: 735,000
Area: 171km²
Motto: Lviv open to the world

Lviv is a city in western Ukraine, which was founded in 1256 in Red Ruthenia by King Danylo Halytskyi of the Ruthenian principality of Halych-Volhynia, and named in honour of his son, Lev. On 12 June 2009 the Ukrainian magazine Focus assessed Lviv as the best Ukrainian city to live in. Its more Western European flavor lends it the nickname the "Little Paris of Ukraine".

THINGS TO SEE

If anywhere sums up Lviv it is the beautiful Ploshcha Rynok (Market Square). Rebuilt after fire in the 16th century it provides a cobbled moat for the town hall, with elaborate fountains featuring Greek gods on all four corners. Its parameters are marked by 40-50 three and four-storey buildings, all with stunning facades and ornate cornices but look closer and you may notice that few houses have more than three windows on each floor – three were free; four were heavily taxed.

Just around the corner from Michiewicz along vulytsya Kopernyka is the birthplace of a somewhat less revered son, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch – the original masochist. It should be added that much of what inspired Venus in Furs occurred far beyond Lviv's city limits, limits that can be viewed from Vysoky Zamok (High Castle), the cradle of the city and at 409m its highest vantage point.

Fan zone: Prospekt Svobody (Freedom Avenue)
Lviv's fan zone, located on a busy thoroughfare in the city, will open for the duration of the tournament from 12.00 to 00.00 local time on matchdays, 14.00 to 22.00 on non-matchdays. It is free to enter and will broadcast all 31 matches live, though at other times there will be plenty of entertainment such as football skill tests, five-a-side pitches, live concerts and DJ sets, as well as offer a full range of food and beverages.

TRANSPORT

To and from
Lviv's diminutive International Airport has daily flights to Kyiv, Vienna and Warsaw but for cheaper options, there is a well-trodden path to Krakow airport just over the Polish border. The Main Bus Station is actually further from the city centre (8km) than the airport (6km) though unless you are heading to/from Kyiv (nine hours) or another Ukrainian city you may not need it. Bus Station No8 by the Central Train Station also has daily services to Kyiv and Warsaw (14 hours but quicker if you change). Trains are probably the quickest, simplest option with regular links to Kyiv (from 6.5 hours), Kharkiv (20 hours) and Moscow (25 hours).

Distances to other UEFA EURO 2012 venues
Warsaw–385km    Kyiv–540km    Poznan–700km
Gdańsk–725km    Wroclaw–620km    Kharkiv–1,015km    Donetsk–1,175km

In and around
Lviv's narrow-gauge tramways date back to 1880 but, smoothed by a recent overhaul, there is no better way to travel the city's hemmed-in roads. Trolleybuses have replaced trams on major thoroughfares, and they cost the same – 1 UAH. For the more adventurous there are marshrutky, an army of minibuses that have no fixed stops (you must shout/mime) but are cheap – 1.75 UAH per trip - fast and mostly reliable.

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Arena Lviv

UEFA EURO 2012's smallest venue combines traditional national architecture with a modern slant.

UEFA Capacity: 30,000
Record attendance: 34,000 (Ukraine 2-1 Austria on 15/11/2011)
Opened: October 2011

Marko Dević's last-minute strike helped Ukraine open the new Arena Lviv with a 2-1 victory against Austria on 15 November 2011, despite being down to ten men

The foundations in this area of parkland on the outskirts of the city were laid in February 2009.

The opening ceremony on 29 October 2011 featured 2,000 performers – actors, dancers, acrobats and artists – in a theatrical production dedicated to the history of Lviv. Other performers included 2004 Eurovision Song Contest winner Ruslana and American songstress Anastacia.

Ukraine's fourth and final UEFA EURO 2012 stadium combines traditional national architecture with a modern slant, its two-tiered stands offering perfect sightlines. A transparent roof protects fans from the elements.