Zhovkva

Zhovkva (or Żółkiew in Polish) is a historically Polish town that is in western Ukraine, not far from the Polish border. We arrived in Zhovkva late in the afternoon and stayed overnight, planning on getting up very early in the morning to drive to and cross the border , which we did. But we had a few hours to wander this historic city. You can see my pictures here: http://poland.leonkonieczny.com/Poland%202011/Zhovkva/index.html.

Zhovkva is a historic city and has been around since the 14th century. It was a fortified city and sat at an important trade crossroads. In the 17th century it became the royal residence of King John III Sobieski and was a hub of religious life, arts, and commerce. We saw this castle which is currently undergoing restoration, as are some of the churches, as you can see from the pictures. Also in evidence are some parts of the old city walls and other old structures.

Zhovkva has a very nice and large city square, as you can see from the pictures. Huge, really for the small city it is. Today Zhovkva remains a small city, but with a big history, a very interesting history. I’m sure glad we had a chance to visit it.

This entry was posted in 2011 Poland Trip, history, Kresy, Ukraine. Bookmark the permalink.

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