Autumn trip. Part three. Castles of the Lviv region
Lviv region is rich in historical monuments, and in almost every village you can find ancient temples and palaces. I decided to single out 5 main ones, as a result I had enough strength for 3, I will tell about them now. By the way, there are many travel agencies in Lviv that offer very interesting trips along the route "Golden Horseshoe of Lviv Region", so every tourist can see the castles.
Olesky Castle (XIV century)
Everyone who once drove on the Kyiv-Lviv highway saw him. About an hour from Lviv, the castle proudly rises on the horizon. Finally, there was an opportunity to take a closer look.
Olesky Castle is perhaps the most famous castle in the Lviv region, revived from complete ruin. For more than 6 centuries it stands on a high hill and watches many events that have gone down in history.
The castle is famous for the fact that in 1629 the future King of Poland Jan III Sobieski was born here, during whose reign the castle received the status of a royal residence.
Later, the castle was repeatedly destroyed - fires, earthquakes and the owners themselves, who were looking for treasure in its walls. In 1882 the castle was restored with the funds raised by the townspeople. During the Soviet era, he was prepared for the fate of many historic buildings - a POW camp, military depots. Only in the 70s of the last century began the active restoration of the castle. Today, the department of the Lviv Art Gallery is located here, which presents a wide collection of works of the XV-XVIII centuries. , as well as European interiors and a collection of works by the great Johann Georg Pinzel.
Around the castle is a magnificent landscape park, which has recently been supplemented by modern sculptural compositions.
An unforgettable panorama of the surrounding area opens from the castle hill.
Pidhirtsi Castle (XVI century)
A 20-minute drive from Olessk is Pidhirtsi Castle, one of the best examples of the merging of a Renaissance palace with a bastion fortification in Europe. No wonder it was called "Polish Versailles".
The castle complex includes: a palace with a bastion fortification, ramparts, ditches, a magnificent park, located on several terraces and is a monument of landscape art, a Roman Catholic church and an inn. It was this castle that was built by the Louvre in the famous "D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers". Various parts of the Marlezon Ballet took place here, and it was here that D'Artagnan brought pendants from the Duke of Beckingham. The castle was built in the XVI century, and the inscription on its purpose at the entrance: "Wreath of war works - victory, victory - triumph, triumph - rest. "
It was built for the rest of the monarchs, which is why he served for several centuries.
During the Soviet era, a museum was established in the castle, which was looted during the Second World War, after which its territory was transferred to a tuberculosis sanatorium. Restoration works are currently being carried out on its territory, which makes the castle look even more mysterious in the light of the autumn sun and golden leaves.
Zolochiv Castle (XVI century)
On the way from Pidhirtsi Castle there is an ancient and peaceful monastery, and only then - the town of Zolochiv.
The castle is located on a low hill in the bay of two rivers, once used for defense and for housing. Built in the style of time, filled with works of art, it served as the residence of the king. The entrance tower, the Chinese Palace, the Grand Residential Palace and the beautiful park create a magnificent palace ensemble.
Fortunately, despite the difficult fate, when the castle managed to visit the fortress, the royal residence, the manor, as well as the prison and school, the structure of the castle has survived in excellent condition to this day. In particular, the tribute of the XVIII century fashion is in good condition - the Chinese Palace, which is one of the few examples of oriental architecture in the Ukrainian lands. Today it houses a collection of Oriental cultures (art of Japan, China, India).
A fairly quick tour of the 3 castles, as well as the road from Lviv and back, took about 5 hours. The walk turned out to be capacious, there was not enough strength for Svirsky Castle and the Castle in the Old Village, let's see them on the next trip. I was lucky enough to buy an interesting book about the castles of Ukraine in general, thanks to which I discovered a new tourist route for myself, so the adventure continues : )
