Lviv Shopping Tips by toonsarah

.: Souvenirs & crafts

In a square just behind the Opera House is a small market with stalls selling traditional crafts as well as some flea-market items. It’s a good place to look for souvenirs, though like all such places you will find the quality variable and the prices likewise.

I particularly liked the various embroidered goods such as the traditional shirts and tablecloths. I was very tempted to buy but decided to wait until I’d seen more of what was available in the city. In fact I ended up buying a lovely table-runner the next day, but in a shop on Ploscha Rynok rather than here in the market.

My eye was also caught by some of the religious art on display. Some of the icons were lovely but most of the paintings too garish for my taste, as indeed were the non-religious ones. What caught my attention most however were several paintings of the Virgin Mary in a pose I had never before seen in a painting, natural though it is – see photo 2.

Other souvenirs you might buy include ceramics, sheepskin slippers and t-shirts.

What to pay: Prices are a lot cheaper than in the West, though you still need to check that you’re getting reasonable quality goods of course.

Directions: This market is just behind the Opera House, but there are shops selling crafts in various places in the city.

Theme: Local Craft