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To most tourists, Ivano-Frankivsk is the gateway to the Ukrainian Carpathians. This charming city, with its parks, lush gardens, European-styled houses, and historical monuments, is worth staying in for more than just a night.
The heart of the city, customary for European towns, is the Market Square, surrounded by charming old houses. In the center of the square stands the Town Hall - the only one in Ukraine that was built in the modernist style. One of the most famous fountains in Ivano-Frankivsk, the Egg Fountain, stands in front of the Town Hall.
The main gems of the city's sacral architecture are concentrated near the Market Square. Built in the 18th century, in the Late Baroque style, the building of the former Armenian Church holds a special place. In Soviet times, the Museum of Religion and Atheism was inside. Now, it is a functional Orthodox cathedral called the Holy-Pokrovsky.
The Church of Virgin Mary, the oldest building of Ivano-Frankivsk, stands nearby. It was built in the 17th century as a burial vault for the Potocki family. The building has since been converted to an art museum; inside, you will find Galicia icons, works of West Ukrainian classical painters, as well as the masterpieces of Polish, Austrian, German, and Italian painters. Next door is the Baroque Church of the Holy Resurrection (a Greek Catholic cathedral), rebuilt from the remains of a Jesuit church.
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