Learn about the history about the ancient Stanyslaviv (former name of Ivano-Frankivsk) that is over 350 years old! The history is embodied in the unique monuments, such as Sheptytsky Square, Ratusha (city hall), Pototsky Palace, the gallery “Bastion”, monuments devoted to Ivan Franko, Adam Mitskevych, the Armenian Church, and the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Greek Catholic Cathedral).
Get to know Ivano-Frankivsk!
We offer the best tours around the city. Every tour is your little research about Ivano-Frankivsk that you are going to enjoy!
Stanyslaviv Fortress
Originally, the modern Ivano-Frankivsk was meant as a city-fortress, by the idea of “an ideal city” known since Renaissance epoch. There were only three such cities. The architect happened to be Francois Corassini, and his successor was Carlo Benoy. They created the marvelous “star-city” – that was the symbol and the main idea of the medieval ideal city. Stanyslaviv was surrounded by strong walls, there were plenty of temples, and the Ratusha was in the center.
It is indeed common to assume that you should start exploring a city with its downtown area – the heart of the city. However, we say that it is better to enjoy the city by walking from the point to which tourists arrive – the railway station – up to the downtown and we can offer you an excellent route!
The downtown of Ivano-Frankivsk is formed by Independence Street and Viche Maidan. Here, it is called “Sotka” (or "stometrivka”) by the locals and is a favorite alley of people. Let us take a stroll around the city center.
The Shevchenka Street is one of the oldest in the city, as it has been there since the city was founded in the 17th century. A traveller, Ulrich von Werdum mentions that it leads to the Zvirynetska Dibrova (dibrova, if literally, means oak wood), where the Pototskys (family of the city founders) invited guests over and also that was where they went hunting.
There were plenty of changes since then: Dibrova has become a field, then – a park, then it changed its name several times (like, Lypova and Shevchenko). There are 44 monuments on the street. It may actually take you 3 hours to complete the entire walking tour around the street. That is a terrific romantic route to the sound of the old trees!
The Sichovykh Striltsiv Street is parallel to the “Sotka”. It sort of has a connective function, as this is where the other streets that lead to the small boroughs split.
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