Location: Zhovkva
Top Things to do in Zhovkva
10 Things to Do in Zhovkva That You Shouldn't Miss
Zhovkva (Ukrainian: Жовква, Ukrainian pronunciation: [ˈʒɔu̯kwɑ]; Polish: Żółkiew; Yiddish: זאָלקוואַ; Russian: Жо́лква, 1951-1992: Нестеров, Nesterov) is a city in Lviv Oblast (region) of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Zhovkva Raion (district). Its population is approximately 13,834 (2017 est.).
1. St. Lawrence Catholic Church
Overall Ratings
5 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By endrju_74 - Ipswich, United Kingdom
Main, if not the only, roman catholic church in Zhovkva. Massive building closing the western side of the Vicheva Square. Partly covered by scaffoldings. Built in the early 17th century for Polish hetman and the owner of Zhovkva Stanisław Żólkiewski, who was buried here. Closed after WWII fell into serious state of disrepair, but then returned to the catholic community after 1990, and then refurbishements started. Apparently large parts of interiors are already as they should be, restored to it's former glory. But to get inside you have to ring the bell on the gate on southern side of the church, close do Glynska town gate. I still don't know why we didn't do it... next time.
2. Vicheva Square
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 21 reviews
Reviewed By endrju_74 - Ipswich, United Kingdom
Top spot for tourists in Zhovkva, surrounded by everything one would want to see in town, only the wooden orthodox church is slightly further down the road. Castle, town hall, main churches of all faiths within a reach. Some houses with arcades in the northern part, with small shops and restaurants - we didn't try them. Cafes with umbrellas serving fast food, icecreams and beer - cigarets smoke everywhere. Some foundations of nonexisting buildings - unsecured, without any information on waht it was. Most visitors just pass along criss crossing Vicheva collecting sights from all corners of the square.
3. Zhovkva Castle
Overall Ratings
4 based on 25 reviews
Reviewed By David T - Vermont
Zhovkva Castle was once the Versailles of Poland - the summer residence of King Jan Sobieski, and the place where he celebrated his victory over the Turks at Vienna. The centuries since then have not been kind. Devastating fires, wars, and dismantlements have left this palace a literal shell of its former self. When we visited, there was little to see. There were no interiors on view, so it was matter of walking around the courtyard, which was essentially a construction site. The facade facing the town square has been plastered and painted, and looks good, but most of the rest is in quite poor shape. Walking around the exterior, and to the rear, gives some impressive views, but you have to use your imagination to see what this used to be. Nonetheless, the castle and the town make a nice day trip from Lviv, only half as far as the Golden Horseshoe of Castles, and easily reached by taxi in half an hour. The town has some impressive churches and monasteries,and a definite atmosphere of lost glory. There are some cafes on the square where you can get a beer, soak in the atmosphere, and people watch,
4. Wooden Church of St. Trinity
Overall Ratings
5 based on 10 reviews
Reviewed By FilippoPamato - Milan, Italy
The church is not easy to find, at the end of a bumpy road starting from the town of Zhovkva. Anyway, once you'll be there, your efforts will be highly compensated. The views of the small lake and the surrounding countryside are gorgeous, and the church itself is spectacular, located on the top of a small hill. An English panel just before the bridge to acess the tsverka explains the interesting story of the village.
5. Basilian Monastery and the Heart of Christ Church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By Oleg S
This is famous example of architecture late seventeenth - early twentieth centuries. Here the relics of St. Parteniya, whose feast day falls at the end of September - beginning of October. Temple - magnificent, very interesting, somewhat like the petals of a flower roof, very spacious inside, decorated with rich paintings. By the way, the church yard impressive cleanliness and charm. Collegiate Church was built in 1612, other buildings appeared later.
6. Zhovkva Defence Synagogue
Overall Ratings
4 based on 19 reviews
Reviewed By joen.dk - Copenhagen, Denmark
The Synagogue is currently in a very bad, almost ruinous condition and the most important part of the facade is fenced off, the windows are broken and there is probably no interior furnishing to speak of. The colour photo seen in guide books is thus too old and does not reflect the synagogue´s present state. Nonetheless it is still possible to get an impression of its former glory and its pretty pink-white design & since it is of high historical value and situated right between Zhovkva´s bus station and the central square with most of the town´s major sights - a walk which takes about 5 mins - take a look at it anyway. One can only hope that a thorough restoration will eventually take place; it seems to be a valuable building and with time it could become a museum in itself. I noticed that the uppermost part of the facade had recently been painted, but it will take years to restore everything in a historically correct way and there was no sign of such work being planned right now.
7. Zhovkva Town Hall
Overall Ratings
4 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By endrju_74 - Ipswich, United Kingdom
We didn't even know one could visit the town hall in Zhovkva, till we got stopped by their staff on the street, and we got invited in. And it is a place you should visit in town, as the views from the tower are great. Entry through the main entrance, then straight to the first floor, where a ticket office and gift shop are. There's also a large balcony on that floor, with just a taste of views available from much higher located platform. Staircase from first floor to the top viewing platform is turned into a museum, with many glass cabinets showing history of the town. The problem is the staircase is quite narrow anyway, and arranging there Exhibitions made it even narrower, almost impossible for safe walk. Great views over Vicheva Square and surrounding monuments from the top of the tower.
8. Zvirynetska Gate
Overall Ratings
4 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By endrju_74 - Ipswich, United Kingdom
There were times, when Zhovkva used to be surrounded by town walls, with four gates allowing an access to the town. Small parts of walls remain till today, with only one original gate (the other one - Glynska was reconstructed in the eighties of 20th century). Gate is still used with it's original destiny, with cars trying to squeeze in to get onto Vicheva Square. Gate is joined wit the castle by part of former deffensive wall, with wooden gallery and stairs, but there's no access for tourists to that. Nice addition to the castle.
9. St. Josaphat Church of Dominican Convent
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4 reviews
St. Josaphat Church is the centrepiece of the Dominican Monastery. The Catholic church in the early Baroque style was erected on the site of a former wooden church of the Virgin Mary in 1653-1655. It was built after the sample of the Naples‘ temples, which was very trendy in Lviv back in those days. Construction of the church was sponsored by Theophile Sobieski, mother of the future Polish king Jan III Sobieski, who wanted it to be the tomb for her son Mark, killed by Batog in 1652. Subsequently, the founder was also buried in the church. Sobieski tombstones are preserved in the Dominican Convent to this day. They are decorated with the allegorical works by German sculptor A. Schluter.The monastery is surrounded by high defensive walls with a circular corner tower, and used to be an important part of the system of the city's fortifications. In the second half of XVIII century, the monastery cells were added to the complex. The wall painting of the church was performed in 1913 by K. Politinski, a painter from Lvov.When the Austrian government of the premises away from the monastery, as in Soviet times, the church was closed. In 1995 the Roman Catholic church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was deconsecrated in St. Iosaphat church of the Greece Catholic community of Zhovkva town. The church is now opened for parishioners and tourists.More info is available at http://www.zhovkva.in.ua/history_e.html and http://tinyurl.com/7ys9dss
Reviewed By endrju_74 - Ipswich, United Kingdom
Just few hundred yards east from the main square in Zhovkva, surrounded by high wall, with the main (only?) entrance from Khmelnytskoho street. There's a monastery with the door always open, but there isn't anything that interesting there. The church is apparently interesting, but the door from monastery to the church is mainly closed. So we didn't see those thumbs, which Polish king Jan III Sobieski founded for his mother and his brother. Next time... again. The whole complex was built in mid 17th century, many times restored, changed it's role to a warehouse after WWII, than it got back to the "temple" duties, but for greek catholic instead of roman catholic community. It looks like they know where the money is, as the monastery and the church are regaining it's glory very quickly.
10. Glynska Gate
Overall Ratings
3 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By endrju_74 - Ipswich, United Kingdom
One of two remaining gates to the old town of Zhovkva, only this one was reconstructed in the eighties of 20th century, as it was blown up about two decades earlier for unknown reason. The reconstruction is not ideal, but the width of the gate is as it used to be, giving tourist coach drivers a headache, when they're coming to the town from the wrong side. Nice little architectural feature between new town hall and main church in town.
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